Detail view of Movies Page

Movie Detail

Name Occurs Before Title

Offscreen Credit

Print Viewed By AFI

Beau Sabreur

Director: John Waters (Dir) Release Date: 7 Jan 1928 Premiere Information: New York opening: week of 23 Jan 1928 Duration (in mins): 67 Duration (in feet): 6,704 Duration (in reels): 7			Print this page Display Movie Summary

Cast:	Gary Cooper	(Major Henri de Beaujolais)
	Evelyn Brent	(Mary Vanbrugh)
	Noah Beery	(Sheikh El Hammel)
	William Powell	(Becque)
	Roscoe Karns	(Buddy)
	Mitchell Lewis	(Suleman the Strong)
	Arnold Kent	(Raoul de Redon)
	Raoul Paoli	(Dufour)
	Joan Standing	(Maudie)
	Frank Reicher	(General de Beaujolais)
	Oscar Smith	(Djikki)

Summary:

Legionnaires Henri de Beaujolais, Raoul de Redon, and Dufour overstay their leave in Algiers and are thrown into jail. There Henri earns the title "Beau Sabreur," given him by his uncle, General Beaujolais, when he wins a duel with a traitor, Becque. The general, who has plans for the Sahara, entreats Henri to forsake women for France, sending him first to the desert to learn the customs of the people, then to Zaguig, where he meets American journalist Mary Vanbrugh, whom he snubs, remembering his vow. Becque, hearing that Henri has orders to visit Sheikh El Hammel at a distant oasis to discuss a treaty, and hoping to prevent his departure, attacks Zaguig, but Henri escapes with Mary, her maid, and his aides. Out of distrust for Becque, the sheikh agrees to a treaty with the French, and they resist an attack led by the vengeful Becque. Henri kills Becque in a duel and, having accomplished his task for France, confesses he loves Mary.

Production Company:	Paramount Famous Lasky Corp.
Distribution Company:	Paramount Famous Lasky Corp.
Director:	John Waters	(Dir)
Producer:	Adolph Zukor	(Pres)
	Jesse L. Lasky	(Pres)
Writer:	Tom J. Geraghty	(Adpt)
	Julian Johnson	(Titles)
Photography:	C. Edgar Schoenbaum	(Dir of photog)
Film Editor:	Rose Lowenger	(Film ed)
Country:	United States
Language:	English

Music:
Songs:
Source Text:	Based on the novel Beau Sabreur by Percival Christopher Wren (New York, 1926).
Authors:	Percival Christopher Wren

Copyright Claimant	Copyright Date	Copyright Number
Paramount Famous Lasky Corp.	7/1/1928 dd/mm/yyyy	LP24838

Physical Properties:	Si:
	b&w;:


Genre:	Romance

Subjects (Major):	Algeria
	Colonialism
	Duels
	France. Army. Foreign Legion
	Journalists
	Revolts
	Sheiks

Note:	Beau Sabreur was based on the second of Percival Christopher Wren's trilogy of Foreign Legion novels. The first novel, Beau Geste was the basis for a 1927 Paramount film directed by Herbert Brenon and starring Ronald Colman, Neil Hamilton and Ralph Forbes. Although Beau Sabreur was not directly related to Beau Geste , the character "Major de Beaujolais" appears in both films. A 1931 RKO release, Beau Ideal (see entry), was based on Wren's third Foreign Legion novel. That film also was directed by Herbert Brenon and starred Frank McCormack, as well as Ralph Forbes, who revived his role as "John Geste." For information on other film adaptations of Percival Christopher Wren's novels, please consult the entry above for the 1939 Paramount production of Beau Geste , directed by William A. Wellman and starring Gary Cooper and Ray Milland.

Bibliographic Sources:	Date	Page
Film Daily	29 Jan 1928.
New York Times	23 Jan 1928	p. 18.
Variety	25 Jan 1928	p. 12.

	Display Movie Summary
The American Film Institute is grateful to Sir Paul Getty KBE and the Sir Paul Getty KBE Estate for their dedication to the art of the moving image and their support for the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and without whose support AFI would not have been able to achieve this historical landmark in this epic scholarly endeavor.

Advanced Search