"True Grit" director Henry Hathaway tackled a controversial subject with his 1951 World War II biography epic "The Desert Fox" with British actor James Mason impersonating this highly regarded Teutonic tank warrior. When Twentieth Century Fox released this movie, many critics and moviegoers thought that what Hathaway and scenarist Nunnally Johnson had produced was nothing short of hero worship for one of Hitler's henchmen. Based on the biography by British officer Desmond Young, "The Desert Fox" devotes most of its concise 88-minutes looks to the last days of Rommel after a preliminary glance at his career with the Afrika Korps. Generally, the focus of this movie is the part that Rommel played in the 20th July Hitler bomb plot. Rommel is a soldier first but second he believes that Hitler has gone mad, principally because he demands life or death service to the Third Reich. Rommel refuses to waste the lives of his valiant men.
History reveals that Rommel played no part in the bomb plot. Here, Rommel does not play a major role but he supports the idea. Nevertheless, he tries to change the mind of Adolf Hitler and reasons with him in one scene. Luther Adler portrays Hitler as an infantile leader prone to temper tantrums of rage. Several other historic high-ranking German leaders appear in "The Desert Fox." Eventually, Rommel must commit suicide because he has been implicated in the bomb plot and wants to secure the safety of his wife and son. James Mason is, of course, outstanding and makes Rommel look like a kindly, sympathetic man with a high sense of morality.
No, "The Desert Fox" is not a battle-oriented movie with combat. Hathaway drew virtually all the battle footage from archival sources, with a glimpse of U.S. General George Patton in one scene. In other scenes, he relies on pretty obvious back projection techniques. In other words, most of "The Desert Fox" is about soldiers discussing orders, situations, and predicaments. Richard Boone, later of "Have Gun, Will Travel," plays an aide to Rommel. Apparently, the filmmakers felt that they could whitewash Rommel by his stand against Hitler. Hathaway spends at least five minutes on the details of the bomb plot and Hitler's survival. Rommel appears to have been a model husband and he never loses his temper, even when he disapproves of the subject of conversation.
The opening, pre-credit sequence where British commandos attack headquarters hoping to kill Rommel is the best action scene in the film. Such was the uproar that "The Desert Fox" spawned that Twentieth Century Fox produced a sequel "The Desert Rats," starring Richard Burton, wherein Rommel did not receive a sympathetic portrayal. Twenty years later, when director Henry Hathaway made "Raid on Rommel," he included a scene with the famous Field Marshall arguing with a British doctor about stamps. Hathaway did not direct "The Desert Rats." Instead, Robert Wise helmed that war adventure.
Indeed, there are many inaccuracies in "The Desert Fox." The planes that strafe Rommel's command car change between the first time that we see them and when they actually riddle his command car.
History reveals that Rommel played no part in the bomb plot. Here, Rommel does not play a major role but he supports the idea. Nevertheless, he tries to change the mind of Adolf Hitler and reasons with him in one scene. Luther Adler portrays Hitler as an infantile leader prone to temper tantrums of rage. Several other historic high-ranking German leaders appear in "The Desert Fox." Eventually, Rommel must commit suicide because he has been implicated in the bomb plot and wants to secure the safety of his wife and son. James Mason is, of course, outstanding and makes Rommel look like a kindly, sympathetic man with a high sense of morality.
No, "The Desert Fox" is not a battle-oriented movie with combat. Hathaway drew virtually all the battle footage from archival sources, with a glimpse of U.S. General George Patton in one scene. In other scenes, he relies on pretty obvious back projection techniques. In other words, most of "The Desert Fox" is about soldiers discussing orders, situations, and predicaments. Richard Boone, later of "Have Gun, Will Travel," plays an aide to Rommel. Apparently, the filmmakers felt that they could whitewash Rommel by his stand against Hitler. Hathaway spends at least five minutes on the details of the bomb plot and Hitler's survival. Rommel appears to have been a model husband and he never loses his temper, even when he disapproves of the subject of conversation.
The opening, pre-credit sequence where British commandos attack headquarters hoping to kill Rommel is the best action scene in the film. Such was the uproar that "The Desert Fox" spawned that Twentieth Century Fox produced a sequel "The Desert Rats," starring Richard Burton, wherein Rommel did not receive a sympathetic portrayal. Twenty years later, when director Henry Hathaway made "Raid on Rommel," he included a scene with the famous Field Marshall arguing with a British doctor about stamps. Hathaway did not direct "The Desert Rats." Instead, Robert Wise helmed that war adventure.
Indeed, there are many inaccuracies in "The Desert Fox." The planes that strafe Rommel's command car change between the first time that we see them and when they actually riddle his command car.