"Desert Nights" (1929) By William Nigh

[Ferdinand Von Galitzien]

Herr Hugh Rand is the manager of an important African diamond mine and
is waiting for a visit, more precisely, from Lord Stonehill and his
daughter Diana; since he hasn't seen a white woman for years in such a
desolate place, Herr Rand thinks that Herr Lord Stonehill's daughter
won't be a beauty but an old maid, bow-legged and cross-eyed; but he is
wrong, because she turns out to be a gorgeous lady and shocked by this
unexpected surprise, Herr Rand tries to seduce her; but, as always
happens with people in love, Herr Rand's love idiocy prevents him from
seeing that this beauty is also a crook and the partner of her supposed
father, another crook, natürlich!, who pretty soon kidnaps Herr Rand
after robbing a tray of diamonds.

"Desert Nights" is an anodyne film production, directed by the anodyne
Herr William Nigh, that uses many clichés of the adventure film ( Herr
Nigh likes especially exotic film productions ); besides the film had a
poor story. The film has little interest and the most remarkable aspect
of this oeuvre is that it starred the important silent actor Herr John
Gilbert in what was his last silent film and the beginning of his
unsuccessful talkie career, decadence with a tragic ending.

So, it is not strange that this German count hasn't enjoyed this film,
because the Calahari desert is not Monte Carlo; not to mention that
this Teutonic aristocrat prefers racehorses instead of those vultures
and hyenas that can be seen in the film ( besides, these last ones have
been part of the family for centuries... ), and doesn't understand the
main characters of the film yearning for water when they are lost in
the desert, instead of simply asking for a cocktail; not to mention the
sweaty rags they wear in such a hot place instead of an impeccable and
elegant Prussian uniform... In spite of all, there is something in
common between those crooks and German aristocrats, their interest in
diamonds; don't forget too that Herr Gilbert was an attractive seducer,
the same as this German count…

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because
this German Count must enjoy a dessert.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien
http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

[Gagman 66]

Ferdinand Von Galitzien,

Yikes! I couldn't disagree more. Have no idea why you didn't like this movie? Personally, I thought DESERT NIGHTS was surprisingly good for John Gilbert's final Silent film. All three of the leads Gilbert, Mary Nolan, and Ernest Torrence are in top form from what I can see. The characters are established quickly, and allot happens in a short period of time. So you have good, concise story-telling.

Sure the film is missing about a reel, with several obvious jump-cuts here and there, but what survives of this picture is quite well done. And the vintage scoring track in just wonderful. As pure entertainment, DESERT NIGHTS is a highly enjoyable movie, well worth seeing. Gilbert and the gorgeous Nolan had smouldering on-screen chemistry, and it's a shame that they didn't work together again.

[FrankFay]

[greta de groat]

I have to agree with the Count here, i found the film shockingly poor, with barely any story and extremely contrived ending. The performers were all fine and very professional, but it sure looked like the studio didn't care what it threw Gilbert into . At least The Cossacks was an honest misfire, but this just looked like a programmer with a surface gloss trying to cover up the fact that there wasn't enough plot for a 2 reeler.

The thing that struck me about the film, though, was that the 2 films i've seen Mary Nolan in, she gets dragged around and roughed up quite a bit. I'm wondering if her personal reputation made the studio more willing to cast her in that kind of part. And maybe not cast her in parts that would have done her career some good.

greta
_________________
Greta de Groat
Unsung Divas of the Silent Screen
http://www.stanford.edu/~gdegroat

[James Bazen]

[Ferdinand Von Galitzien]

[Christopher Jacobs]

I guess I agree closest to Eric on Desert Nights. While predictable and perhaps a bit disappointing, it is a prime example of solid studio product that is well-made, entertaining, and features a top-notch cast. There may be any number of silent features that are much better, but not too many were still being made in 1929 when everybody else was jumping into talkie production with little or no ability to make dialogue pictures that were also cinematic. Much as I enjoy transitional talkies and part-talkies for their struggles with the new technology (as well as recording my favorite era of pop music), films like Desert Nights are a welcome and rare example of what could still be done visually while others preferred the novelty value of synchronized but stilted dialogue, numerous loud sound effects, and photographed stage routines.

--Christopher Jacobs
http://www.und.edu/instruct/cjacobs