AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Kailansorac Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Hulkeasexo it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

Clarissa Mora The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

oinokoi Warner Archive has it available! It was released less than two weeks ago, and I just ordered it! I can hardly wait! I was a small child when I saw The Desert Song with Dennis Morgan and Irene Manning. I saw it more than once at that time, and have never forgotten it. The scenery, the singing, and the story are all brought together for a delightful and memorable movie. Dennis Morgan remains my favorite movie actor, and I have VHS/DVD copies of almost all his other movies. This one should be in the mix! The fact that it hasn't been released to VHS or DVD is at tragedy and a travesty. Whatever the problems are in releasing - can someone either delete that portion or get the required permission? it has been more than fifty years. Surely whatever it is, it is now in the public domain. Is there no one at Turner who could manage to get this wonderful movie released? I have heard for a number of years that "someone is working on it," but see no evidence of it. How sad that so many unbelievably bad movies are available everywhere, but one of the best remains hidden. It may be hidden, but certainly not forgotten by so many fans of this wonderful movie.

penjon-2 I fell in love with the Desert Song movie with Dennis Morgan & Irene Manning when I was young and years later I was a hairdresser and did Irene Manning's hair. She gave two of us operators a copy of the movie on a VHS tape and I have had it ever since. I am sure it would be illegal to copy it or sell it or anything else but when I see the comments of people who would love to see it again it frustrates me. It is not as clear as modern Technicolor but still a great movie and the music is wonderful;. I have no idea as to the added song or which one it was, but the film is still exciting to see and I am 78 years old. It is pure nostalgia and I with all of you would like to see it released to the public.......... Patricia

Hanslynn Sometime in the late 70's-early 80s, Canada College, San Mateo, Calif had a showing of this movie at a restored Redwood City, Calif. theater. Irene Manning attended and took questions. She was charming. The copy they used for the showing came from Dennis Morgan's private collection. The theater was full including the balconies.Since I had always declared this movie my favorite of all time (I saw it when I was 10)I did not let my family come see it with me. I was afraid it would be as hokey as most of the older movies of the era, and they would laugh at me. I was amazed. The story line was relevant to the time. The dialog was not that outdated, in fact it was quite good (and they still made this a musical) Great color and photography. It was hard to believe it had been made in the 40's There must be someone who can get this picture out of the vault and onto DVD before all of us who have loved it and remembered it for over 60 years are gone.

haustin-1 Comment on Desert Songs 1943 and 1953,hereinafter noted as "DS2" and "DS3" The 1943 version is unusual,with some authenticity with the addition of Robert Florey (emigrant from France in the '20s) and Marcel Dalio (La Règle du Jeu;La Grande Illusion;Casablanca(small pt.as croupier),All Quiet on Western Front1930 (as the dying French Soldier,I think, and A bell for Adano). The brief exposition at the beginning puts the film into position;the plot is appropriate since the US forces had landed at Dakar. However,there are so many changes in lyrics that the old operetta has vanished;perhaps this was for royalty and copyright reasons. There is a little too much "horsing"around that makes it look like a Western about North Africa, especially as the SW US background looks like that and not like the Atlas and Riff mountains. I still prefer this version to the 1953 "DS3" one where I consider the voice of Kathryn Grayson.,although greater in range, and perhaps more coloratura,not as mature as Irene Manning's although both of them do"Gay Parisienne" very pleasingly.(oh,the days when that meant "carefree"!)"Why do they call me...etc" DS3 gets further and further away with mis-cast Raymond Massey, and a sadistic Victor Buono as a minor chieftain.We see Ray Collins (Detective Tragg in the Perry Mason TV series) as General Birabeau and Grayson as Margot,his wayward daughter.Lyrics have been re-worded as displaced to different characters.The "over the ground" intro of the "Riff Song" into 4 repeated notes is quite overdone in both DS2 and DS3,and the growing hostility of Sid (El Khobar's next in command) to the leader,El Khobar (title in both DS2 and 3) breaks out into murderous attacks on the latter. Interestingly,nobody gets killed in the 1929 version,but as the years go by into the '43 and '53 films, casualties mount. The alluring Grayson trills winsomely (a little avian) but I prefer the taller dignity of Manning.Steiner has very nice musical direction in DS3,although a little saccharine at the outset,and it is characteristic of all 3 versions that the music,compared with the more sedate MGM operettas (Marietta,Rose Marie where it is intermittent) forms a pleasing continuous background.