The Desert Rats poster

The Desert Rats( 1953)

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They crawled their way across the blazing sands of Africa... to turn disaster into victory!

Overview

In North Africa, German Field Marshal Rommel and his troops have successfully fended off British forces, and now intend to take Tobruk, an important port city. A ramshackle group of Australian reinforcements sent to combat the Germans is put under the command of British Captain MacRoberts. The unruly Aussies immediately clash with MacRoberts, a gruff, strict disciplinarian, however this unorthodox team must band together to protect Tobruk from the German forces.

    Top Billed Cast

    1. cast image

      Richard Burton

      Captain "Tammy" MacRoberts

    2. cast image

      James Mason

      Field Marshal Erwin von Rommel

    3. cast image

      Robert Newton

      Tom Bartlett

    4. cast image

      Robert Douglas

      General

    5. cast image

      Torin Thatcher

      Col. Barney White

    6. cast image

      Chips Rafferty

      Sgt. "Blue" Smith

    7. cast image

      Charles Tingwell

      Lt. Harry Carstairs

    8. cast image

      Charles Davis

      Pete

    9. cast image

      Ben Wright

      Mick

    10. cast image

      Patrick Aherne

      English Officer (uncredited)

    11. cast image

      John Alderson

      Corporal (uncredited)

    12. cast image

      Frank Baker

      British Officer (uncredited)

    13. cast image

      John Blackburn

      Sergeant (uncredited)

    14. cast image

      Robert Boon

      German Lieutenant (uncredited)

    15. cast image

      Frederic Brunn

      German Gunner (uncredited)

    16. cast image

      Arthur Brunner

      German Radio Man (uncredited)

    17. cast image

      Paul Busch

      German Orderly (uncredited)

    18. cast image

      Paul Cavanagh

      Colonel (uncredited)

    19. cast image

      Frank Chase

      Commando (uncredited)

    20. cast image

      Tony Christian

      German Sentry (uncredited)

    21. cast image

      Nicolas Coster

      Medic (uncredited)

    22. cast image

      Noel Drayton

      Captain (uncredited)

    23. cast image

      Harold Dyrenforth

      Observer (uncredited)

    24. cast image

      Charles B. Fitzsimons

      Fire Officer (uncredited)

    25. cast image

      John Fraser

      Artillery Man (uncredited)

    26. cast image

      Arno Frey

      Kramm (uncredited)

    27. cast image

      Ray Harden

      Hugh (uncredited)

    28. cast image

      Charles Keane

      Sgt. Donaldson (uncredited)

    29. cast image

      Lester Matthews

      Foreign Secretary (uncredited)

    30. cast image

      Gavin Muir

      Captain (uncredited)

    31. cast image

      James O'Hara

      Communications Man (uncredited)

    32. cast image

      John O'Malley

      Riley (uncredited)

    33. cast image

      Patrick O'Moore

      Jim (uncredited)

    34. cast image

      Peter Ortiz

      Wireman (uncredited)

    35. cast image

      Michael Pate

      Capt. Currie (uncredited)

    36. cast image

      Richard Peel

      Rusty (uncredited)

    37. cast image

      Guy Prescott

      Maj. O'Rourke (uncredited)

    38. cast image

      Jack Raine

      C.I.C. (uncredited)

    39. cast image

      Otto Reichow

      Gunner (uncredited)

    40. cast image

      Michael Rennie

      Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

    41. cast image

      Jerry Riggio

      Commando (uncredited)

    42. cast image

      Per Skavlan

      German Guard (uncredited)

    43. cast image

      Frederick Stevens

      German Major (uncredited)

    44. cast image

      Gilchrist Stuart

      Captain (uncredited)

    45. cast image

      Albert Taylor

      Jensen (uncredited)

    46. cast image

      John Wengraf

      German Doctor (uncredited)

    47. cast image

      Alfred Zeisler

      von Helmholtz (uncredited)

    48. cast image

      Ashley Cowan

    Social

    Review 2Discussion

    A review by John Chard

    7
    Written by John Chard on Wed Apr 16 2014
    Come out of your holes you desert rats! The Desert Rats is directed by Robert Wise and written by Richard Murphy. It stars Richard Burton, Robert Newton, Robert Douglas, Torin Thatcher, Chips Rafferty and James Mason. Music is by Leigh Harline and cinematography by Lucien Ballard. The follow up to The Desert Fox (it's not a sequel) from two years earlier, was in essence an attempt to readdress the balance after The Desert Fox annoyed certain quarters with its admiration for what a great soldier Field Marshal Rommel was. So here we have the battle of Tobruk orchestrated by the astute Rober...

    Media

    Videos 1Backdrops 6Posters 7

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    Facts

    Status

    Released

    Original Language

    English

    Budget

    -

    Revenue

    -

    Keywords

    • world war ii
    • desert
    • libyan desert
    • rommel
    • tobruk