Expert: Mel - 10/26/2006

Question
My 10-year old grandson is quite interested in WWII generals, battles & history.  I'm suggesting some great movies for him to rent, i.e., Sahara, Patton, Flight of the Phoenix, etc.  

I saw a WWII movie on TMC a few years back that I thought was excellent but can't remember the name.  It took place in the Sahara Desert and was about a German tank division (possibly led by Rommel) chasing an American tank division.  The Americans had fuel hidden at several locations on the desert that the Germans tried to find... several spies involved on both sides.  The person who introduced the movie said it was one of the best movies on WWII... I agree.  Do you know the name?  Thank you very much.

Lyle....  

Answer
Hello Lyle,

It's very difficult to answer your question. I can think of several WW2 films that were set in and around the Sahara (and North Africa in general, and also involved German tank divisions, some that also involved Rommel. The problem is that most of them involved the British, or British and Australians, fighting against them.

As far as North Africa is concerned, I believe that U.S tanks were only ever involved in the fighting in Tunisia, and there do not appear to have been many films made about this action. The only one that I can think of that involved a U.S. tank is the Humphrey Bogart film, "Sahara", but you've already mentioned this, so it can't be that one. (Great film by the way).

How about if I list some of the films that I can think of, and maybe you might recognise one of the titles........

"Five Graves To Cairo" 1943 (Franchot Tone)
"The Desert Fox" 1951 (James Mason)
"The Desert Rats" 1953 (Richard Burton / James Mason)
"Foxhole In Cairo" 1960 (James Robertson Justice)
"Tobruk" 1967 (Rock Hudson / George Peppard)
"Play Dirty" 1968 (Michael Caine)
"Raid On Rommel" 1971 (Richard Burton)


Hope that's of some help to you. Cheers.......Mel.