BENGAZI

US, 1955, 79 minutes, Black and white.
Richard Conte, Victor Mc Laglen, Richard Carlson, Mala Powers, Richard Erdman, Hillary Brooke.
Directed by John Brahm.

Bengazi is a second feature from John Brahm, German-born director whose career was mainly in B features and finally in prolific television output. In the 1940s he directed the noted thrillers, The Locket, Hangover Square, The Brasher Doubloon, The Lodger. He also directed The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima.

This B feature is set in northern Africa, showing Americans and Irish in conspiracies to find gold in the desert – which the Bedouins claim. Richard Conte is the suave villain, Victor Mc Laglen hams it up as an Irishman (as he did in his later films), Richard Carlson has an Irish accent as the police inspector and Mala Powers is Mc Laglen’s daughter who, unexpectedly, falls in love with the villain.

The film tries to create something of the atmosphere of Bengazi (as did many films of the period, made in Hollywood, suggesting such places as Morocco, Tangiers, Singapore…).

Nothing special, probably the equivalent of a television program in later decades.

1.The popularity of B features, the second half of a double program. This film as a B-budget supporting feature?

2.The atmosphere of Bengazi, the sets, the hotels, the apartments? The city itself? The dark streets? The desert, the dunes? Atmosphere? Score?

3.The type of people in Bengazi, the Americans and the Irish? The police? Prisons? The hotels and the singers and dancers?

4.John Gillmore, his plan, his personality? His clashes with the inspector? His partnership with Donovan, his threats? Selby coming out of jail and being a partner? The local contacts, Kamal and his murdering the policeman? Gillmore and his relationship with Nora, pretending she couldn’t speak English? Her giving him an alibi? The encounter with Aileen, the attraction? The search for the gold in the desert, leaving at midnight, the truck? Donovan and his help, Selby and his trying to get the gold, his being shot? Donovan trying to find out where the gold was? Their being besieged by the Bedouin, the deaths, Aileen coming with the inspector, love for her, his fickleness, going to save them and his death?

5.Donovan, the rogue Irish, in the plot, abandoning his wife and daughter, his daughter seeking him out, his pride? Yet going on the trek, trying to find the gold, Selby’s death, his own death?

6.The inspector, keeping order in Bengazi? His Scottish background? The accent? The attraction towards Aileen? The investigation, questioning Nora? Suspicions of Gillmore? The plane, scanning the desert, going out in the truck? Being besieged? Gillmore giving the gold back, his death?

7.Aileen, her background, coming to seek her father, the attraction to Gillmore, the attentions of the inspector, her concealing the truth, finally telling the truth, going out into the desert, love for Gillmore, his death?

8.Selby, out of prison, his plans? Criminal mentality? Kamal, his murdering the policeman?

9.Popular ingredients of an action adventure – B-budget style?