An adventure and thrilling movie about the reckless legend of the foreign legion battling in the Morocco desert. Adventure movie about the Foreign legion in a remote location in North Africa . At the begining contains a memorable opening with an impregnable fort , an outpost named Zinderneuf , garrisoned by corpses and the high adventure tone carries on from there . As an army of the French Foreign Legion crosses the desert to the relief of a far Fort , at a desert oasis. The major approaches the men on the walls and hails them, but they do not respond. He realizes that they are all dead, some shot in the head. He sends his bugler into the fort, but the man does not return. Entering the fort, he finds no life . Earlier and flashback , "Beau" Geste (Guy Stockwell) leaves his country in disgrace , enlists French army and joins the infamous Foreign Legion fighting Berber and Tuareg tribes . Shortly after , at assembly, Sgt. Dagineau (Telly Savalas) addresses several recruits , including Boldini (Mauro) , who is known to the Sergent from a prior enlistment , Krauss (Leo Gordon) , Rostov (Michael Constantine) , Beau , among others . Later on , Beau is reunited with his brother (Doug McClure) in North Africa, both of whom face off desert wars and a despictable sergeant . As they they confront greater danger from their own psychotic commander (Telly Savalas) than from the rebellious Arabs . After that, the regiment of legionnaries under command of a lieiutenant (Leslie Nielsen) and a first sergeant , become involved into an ambush in the sunny desert by the nasty Tuaregs .The World's Immortal Adventure! . Thundering drama ! Again ...the three Gestes face a thousand dangers of the Sahara for each other. Hard lives, quick deaths, undying courage! .Two against the world...brothers and soldiers all!

Entertaining , rousing Legion/Arab adventure set in Morocco where our starring Guy Stockwell is mistreated , wounded and along the way fighting Tuaregs and a ruthless sergeant . Being freely based on Christopher Wren novel screen-written by director Douglas Heyes himself . It contains up-roaring adventures , thrills , noisy action, battles and an exciting competition . This retelling leaves out one of the brothers , usually 3 , in the story of Beau Geste and how his attempt to save the family honor , equally the theft jewel issue is abandoned . Even their names aren't adequate " "Beau Geste" is a nickname given to Beau Graves -Guy Stockwell- by his commanding officer -Leslie Nielsen- , and Beau's brother -Doug McClure- is named John . The highlight climax at the fort littered with dead man from the classic movies 1926 , 1939 to today gave rise to a thousand comedy skilts . Universal International Picture intended making a lavish production, it had schemed to use a star-studded British cast , but it was eventually considered to be too an expensive, large-scale production so instead was shot on a medium budget on the studio backlot at Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, and in the Yuma desert , Arizona, USA . Guy Stockwell gives an acceptable acting in his ordinary style as the brave legionnaire . He is suitable strong in his usual gentle and taciturn as Beau , eldest of two brothers who join the Legion. Stockwell starred some adventure movie as The war lord , Sword of Zorro and The king's pirate along with Doug McClure ; as well as other genres as Western : Gatlin gun , Plainsman and warlike : Tobruk . But is really Telly Savalas who leaves one of his most memorable screen portrayals , providing the most lasting impression as the sadistic and violent first sergeant .This is an inferior version , though being professionally directed by Douglas Heyes . Douglas was a craftsman who directed a lot of episodes of notorious TV series , such as : Rin-Tin-Tin: Hero of the West , Highwayman ,City of Angels , McCloud , Cimarron , Cheyenne, Alias Smith and Jones, The Virginian , Baretta , Switch , Outlaws , Maverick , The Bold Ones: The Lawyers , The Americans , Laramie , 77 Sunset Strip , Conflict , Colt 45 , Markhan , The naked city , among others . And occassionally directing a few films such as : Powder Keg , Kitten with a whip ,The Lonely Profession and this Beau Geste .

There are several versions about this novel written by PC Wren dealing with heroism in the Foreign Legion and it was a much-copied epic : The first rendition 1926 by Herbert Brenon with Ronald Colman , Neal Hamilton , Ralph Forbes , Alice Joyce , Noah Beery . The finest of various screen versions , considered to be a true classic Hollywood adventure in which Geste takes the blame for a jewel theft was made in 1939 by William A Wellman with Gary Cooper , Ray Milland , Robert Preston , Donald O'Connor, Susan Hayward and Brian Donlevy as a scarred sergeant . And the others were made as The Last remake of Beau Gest (1977) , hilarious retelling by Marty Feldman , Michael York , Ann-Margret , Peter Ustinov , James Earl Jones ,Trevor Howard ....

The 1939 Beau Geste was almost completely faithful to the early 20th century romantic novel with much more skillful, nuanced acting and plot development. This version transforms the three Geste brothers into Americans and substitutes a very vague, underdeveloped story line regarding their presence in the Foreign Legion.

However, this is a much better action movie. Telly Savalas is superb as the sadistic sergeant, and the almost thirty year time span between films allowed for a more explicit depiction of the sexual aspect of his twisted behavior. The battle scenes are brutally realistic and the uniforms, equipment, and methods of fighting are much more accurately portrayed here.

The most serious problem with the 1966 version is an absolutely horrid soundtrack. One of the worst ever. The traditional Legion march "Le Boudin" is converted into Lawrence Welk style dentist office muzak, even though the original, at 175 years old, has long been in the public domain and is featured in most Foreign Legion movies. Actually, "boudin" was a sausage ration issued in the old Legion. The original lyrics are pretty silly (later stanzas not so),but, in it's original form, the march is most stirring.

Both films are quite entertaining, and those who want more of a story line and more complex acting and character development will no doubt prefer the 1939 version. But for action and realism, this version definitely gets the nod.

The 1939 B/W version of "Beau Geste" retained from the meandering novel by Percial Christopher Wren all the childhood scenes that set up the later activities of the four children involved vis a vis a jewel theft, plus the departure of several, and their later adventures in the French Foreign Legion. Here, that portion has been omitted. This makes it difficult to compare the fast-paced and well-acted color version about two brothers who join the Foreign Legion with its earlier and more-pretentious counterpart. This is a film not about characters in a noir situation as the earlier version was, but more about characters under stress. Its theme is "do what you have promised, whatever it takes." Here any man who has some self-control or who is honest, gets respect even if he lacks several other qualities. Or in the case of Sergeant Major D'Agineau, he is a sadistic monster but a damned good soldier. The story introduces brother Beau, played quite straightforwardly by Guy Stockwell as a new man in the Legion, one who is rapidly accepted as a natural leader by the hard-bitten others. he stands up to the Sergeant-M ajor and is whipped for it. When his brother is posted to the group too, he proves to be a nice guy but no leader. The alcoholic Captain likes beau, played here by Leslie Nielsen in near-award-level style a few notches too-quiet; but the Sergeant-Major, powerfully brought to the screen by Telly Savalas does not. Others in the cast include David Mauro as a sexually ambiguous sycophant, strong Leo Gordon, intelligent Robert Wolders, fine actors Malachi Throne, Joe de Santis and Michael Constantine, X. Brands, Michael Carr and George Keymas. Douglas Heyes wrote the sturdy screenplay and also directed, and very well indeed. There is a fine march by Hans Hopper and music by Hans J. Salter, lucid cinematography by Bud Thackery, notable art direction by veterans Alexander Golitzen and Henry Bumstead, set decorations by John McCarthy Jr. and James Redd and fine costumes by expert Rosemary O'Dell. The story-line, as with the original novel involves a jewel theft that caused the brothers to disappear, but that is where the resemblance ends. There is no third brother, and an entirely different "beau geste'--or beautiful, meaningless gesture, which is what beau performed by disappearing to take the blame for someone else. The ending, contrary to what a few have said, is well-prepared for; when D'Agineau dies--since the brothers have talked about a Viking funeral, which they used to do in their youth, throughout the film--the survivor Beau gives such a funeral to his brother, with the Sergeant-Major as the obligatory 'dog'. This is a very powerful and physical film, that stands comparison with Phil Karlson's and Sidney Lumet's best. A true "B" color adventure standout when it was released, and now.