Garden of Allah The (1936)
Garden of Allah The (1936)
David O. Selznick produced this (early) Technicolor version of this previously filmed Robert Hichens novel; it was directed by Richard Boleslawski and features a screenplay by W.P. Lipscomb and Lynn Riggs. The romance drama stars Marlene Dietrich as the heiress who’s spent her life caring for her dying father and decides to travel to the deserts of North Africa upon his death. Once there she meets Charles Boyer’s character a Trappist monk who’s left his calling as the only one who knows his monastery’s secret liqueur recipe. Despite warnings from characters played by C. Aubrey Smith and John Carradine the two lonely souls marry and honeymoon extravagantly in the Sahara desert. But their love is not to be; it will not survive their internal religious struggles. Basil Rathbone Joseph Schildkraut Alan Marshal and Lucile Watson are among those who also appear. Eric Stacey earned a Best Assistant Director Academy Award nomination; Max Steiner’s Score was also Oscar nominated. The film’s Color Cinematography was recognized with an Honorary Award from the Academy.
Leave a comment