Sahara (1919 film)
| Sahara | |
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| Directed by | Arthur Rosson |
| Produced by | J. Parker Read, Jr. (producer) Allan Dwan (supervisor) |
| Written by | C. Gardner Sullivan |
| Starring |
Louise Glaum Matt Moore |
| Music by |
Hugo Riesenfeld Victor Schertzinger |
| Cinematography | Charles J. Stumar |
| Distributed by | W. W. Hodkinson Corp. through Pathé Exchange, Inc. |
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Release date
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Running time
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70 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Sahara is a 1919 American dramatic film written by C. Gardner Sullivan and directed by Arthur Rosson. The film starred Louise Glaum and told a story of love and betrayal in the Egyptian desert.
A print survives at FilmmuseumNederlands, Amsterdam.
Silent film femme fatale, Louise Glaum, portrays the role of Mignon, a Parisian music hall celebrity. Mignon marries a young American civil engineer, John Stanley, portrayed by Matt Moore. Stanley is transferred to Egypt to work on an engineering project in the Sahara. Mignon and her son, portrayed by Pat Moore, join Stanley in the desert. Unhappy with life in the desert, Mignon leaves Stanley and her son in the desert and moves to Cairo with the wealthy Baron Alexis, portrayed by Edwin Stevens. Mignon lives in Baron Alexis' palace while Stanley goes blind and becomes addicted to the drug hasheesh. Mignon later encounters Stanley and her son, who have become beggars in the streets of Cairo. Mignon returns to the desert to care for her husband, and the two are reconciled.
The film received generally positive reviews upon its release in the summer of 1919. The Washington Post wrote: "Sahara, one of the most impressive film dramas ever screened at Moore's Rialto Theater, was acclaimed by large audiences at the first showings yesterday. Lavish in scenic embellishment ... Sahara features a most entertaining bill."
The Morning Telegraph of New York wrote: "It is a most elaborate production, in which are combined taste and lavish expenditure. The scenery -- both Miss Glaum's and that of the play, is unusually effective, the star's costumes being sufficient of themselves to repay women patrons. Moreover, the story holds interest unflaggingly, and a jewel like this in a setting of the sort here revealed makes for real value."
The New York Times offered the following comments:
"It is another Wild East melodrama. Desert sand and wind storms, picturesque Arabs, dashing horses, camels, beggars, turbans, flowing robes, bloomers and streets with the atmosphere of the Arabian Nights -- these are the materials substituted for the long-familiar two-gun man and his well-known properties. And there's no denying that these materials make good pictures, especially in the hands of Mr. Dwan. There are some effective scenes in 'Sahara.' The story is purely mechanical, but Matt Moore does creditable work as the hero, and little Pat Moore is as appealing as a child can be."
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