The Desert Song
“Warner Brothers' spectacular SINGING success”
Synopsis
French General Birabeau has been sent to Morocco to root out and destroy the Riffs, a band of Arab rebels, who threaten the safety of the French outpost in the Moroccan desert. Their dashing, daredevil leader is the mysterious "Red Shadow". Margot Bonvalet, a lovely, sassy French girl, is soon to be married at the fort to Birabeau's right-hand man, Captain Fontaine. Birabeau's son Pierre, in reality the Red Shadow, loves Margot, but pretends to be a milksop to preserve his secret identity. Margot tells Pierre that she secretly yearns to be swept into the arms of some bold, dashing sheik, perhaps even the Red Shadow himself. Pierre, as the Red Shadow, kidnaps Margot and declares his love for her.
Top Cast
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Release History & Theatrical Window
April 8, 1929
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$354K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$3M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
8.54x
+$2.7M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Roy Del Ruth
- Screenplay & Story
- Harvey Gates
- Original Score
- Sigmund Romberg
- Original Title
- The Desert Song
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 3m
- Production Budget
- $354K
- Worldwide Gross
- $3M
- Production Studios
- Warner Bros. Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Roy Del Ruth
Harvey Gates, Otto A. Harbach, Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Mandel
Sigmund Romberg
Barney McGill
Ralph Dawson
Department Leadership Roster
Roy Del Ruth
Director
Harvey Gates
Screenplay
Ralph Dawson
Editor
Earl Luick
Costume Design
Barney McGill
Director of Photography
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Desert Song.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Desert Song.
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MovieLens[40K:50K]
Musicals
Every film Wikidata tags as a musical film.
Pre-Code Hollywood
Pre-Code Hollywood films, 1929 to 1934.
Myrna Loy
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Desert Song
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Desert Song about?
French General Birabeau has been sent to Morocco to root out and destroy the Riffs, a band of Arab rebels, who threaten the safety of the French outpost in the Moroccan desert. Their dashing, daredevil leader is the mysterious "Red Shadow". Margot Bonvalet, a lovely, sassy French girl, is soon to be married at the fort to Birabeau's right-hand man, Captain Fontaine. Birabeau's son Pierre, in reality the Red Shadow, loves Margot, but pretends to be a milksop to preserve his secret identity. Margot tells Pierre that she secretly yearns to be swept into the arms of some bold, dashing sheik, perhaps even the Red Shadow himself. Pierre, as the Red Shadow, kidnaps Margot and declares his love for her.
Who directed The Desert Song?
The Desert Song was directed by Roy Del Ruth.
Who stars in The Desert Song?
The principal cast of The Desert Song includes John Boles, Carlotta King, Louise Fazenda, Johnny Arthur, Edward Martindel.
When was The Desert Song released and how long is it?
The Desert Song was released in 1929 with a total runtime of 2h 3m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Desert Song?
The Desert Song had a reported production budget of $354K and grossed $3M at the worldwide box office (8.54 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for The Desert Song?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Desert Song was composed by Sigmund Romberg.