Review of Ten Tall Men (1951) by Van R — 21 Dec 2009

3 MEN IN WHITE director Willis Goldbeck decided to spoof the French Foreign Legion in TEN TALL MEN, is a rip-snorting adventure in the Errol Flynn tradition about recklessly brave heroes and slimy villains running loose in the dunes.

Basically, the Roland Kibbee & Frank Davis screenplay, based on a story by James Warner Bellah and Goldbeck, is a French Foreign Legion escapade against murderous desert tribes that want to wipe out the French.

The light moments outweigh the dark moments in this nimble actioneer that looks like it is a 19th century epic until the heroes find an abandoned French supply truck in the last quarter hour. Nevertheless, this is fast, furious and frivolous nonsense with Lancaster in command at all times supported by Gilbert Roland and Kieron Moore.

Lancaster fans will love this opus. He specialized in swashbucklers after he made some film noir thrillers at Universal. This 97-minute Columbia Pictures release is in glorious color and the cast is first-rate.

TEN TALL MEN opens with French Foreign Legion Sergeant Mike Kincaid (Burt Lancaster of THE FLAME AND THE ARROW) masquerading as an elderly Arab merchant. Kincaid trudges along a desert trail with his two veiled daughters, in reality Corporals Luis Delgado (Gilbert Roland of ANY GUN CAN PLAY) and Pierre Molier (Kieron Moore of MINE OWN EXECUTIONER) in disguise waiting to catch an enemy Riff warrior.

They manage to catch one and they return after being gone for two weeks. Meanwhile, anybody who looks with lustful eyes at the new exotic dancer in town, Marie DeLatour (Mari Blanchard of JUNGLE HEAT), ostensibly the sweetheart of martinet French Lieutenant Kruger (Stephen Bekassy of HELL AND HIGH WATER), gets put in poky.

Not surprisingly, while Kruger is interrogating the Riff prisoner that Sergeant Kincaid provided him, Kincaid is making time with DeLatour. Meanwhile, the savvy Riff prisoner informs on Kincaid so that he can avoid any more of Krugerâ??s probing questions.

The insanely jealous Kruger marches a squad to DeLatourâ??s apartment and finds Kincaid. Predictably, Kincaid winds up in the clink with his Legionnaire buddies, Londos (George Tobias of OBJECTIVE, BURMA), Mouse (Nick Dennis of SPARTACUS), and Roshko (hulking Mike Mazurkia of MURDER, MY SWEET), and learns from the Riff prisoner that Tarfu is going to be wiped out.

Kincaid tells Kruger about the enemy plans and insists that he can save the garrison as well as the town if Kruger will give him ten men. Naturally, Kruger has his doubts and cannot spare the manpower so Kincaid settles for men in the stockade.

Our heroes descend onto the enemy camp deep in the desert by an oasis. They spot what they believe is a munitions tent and decide to blow it to smithereens. Instead, they discover that the tent belongs to a beautiful girl, Mahla (Jody Lawrance of MASK OF THE AVENGER), who is not only about to marry Khalif Hussein (Gerald Mohr of INVASION, U.

S.A.) but also unite two tribes intent on running the French out of Morocco. Kincaid and his men snatch Mahla and Hussein and company pursue them. Mahla tries to escape, but she cannot get away from the tenacious Sergeant Kincaid.

Eventually, each earns the grudging respect of the other. Hussein means to kill Kincaid slowly, but Mahla demands that he release Kincaid or she will not wed Hussein. Reluctantly, Hussein capitulates to this demand.

No sooner has Hussein freed Kincaid than he dispatches two Rif guards to kill him. Happily, the two guards are none other than Delgado and Molier in disguise again. They rescue Kincaid, spoil the marriage, rout Hussein and save the town.

The commandant of the Foreign Legion orders Lieutenant Kruger to administer full honors to Kincaid after he pins on the medal. This includes the ceremonial French embrace. Kincaid gives the medal to Mahla and tells her that it belonged to his mother.

Fistfights, shoot-outs, and horse chases galore enliven this lively little lark of a film.