During World War I, two American soldiers fight to escape the Germans while squabbling over a beautiful harem girl. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with University of Nevada, Las Vegas Foundation in 2016.
Refined and pretty William Boyd (Phelps) and his rough and ready sergeant Louis Wolheim (OGaffney) are a couple of front-line American squaddies captured by the Bosch during the Great War. Taken to a POW camp, they mange to escape and find themselves, after quite a series of adventures, out of the frying pan and into a fiery desert.... Thats where they save the gorgeous Mirza (Mary Astor) from drowning. Young Phelps is immediately head over heels, but when they establish that she is the daughter of the Emir, and also betrothed to the menacing Shevket (Ian Keith) they must stay free (and alive) long enough to rescue her from her fathers palace and from her unwanted nuptials. This is quite a fun story - the soldiers, initially wary of each other, overcome their suspicions and end up pulling well as a team which makes their escapades fun to watch. The comedy is simple, but plentiful and the production standards are pretty high - the lighting particularly, given so much of this is quickly paced and set out of doors. Maybe it is too long - the characters run out steam a little after 70 minutes, but its still cracking watch after all these years - and an Oscar winner (for director Lewis Milestone) too!
