The Black Tent

The Black Tent
British theatrical poster
Directed by	Brian Desmond Hurst
Produced by	William Macquitty executive Earl St. John
Written by	Bryan Forbes Robin Maugham
Based on	story by Robin Maugham
Starring	Donald Sinden Anthony Steel Anna Maria Sandri André Morell Donald Pleasence
Music by	William Alwyn
Production company	Rank Organisation
Distributed by	Rank Film Distributors of America
Release dates	March 1956
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Box office	1,351,181 admissions (France)

The Black Tent is a 1956 British war film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Donald Sinden, Anthony Steel, Anna Maria Sandri, André Morell and Donald Pleasence. It is set in North Africa, during the Second World War and was filmed on location in Libya.

During the British retreat through Libya, British officer Captain David Holland takes shelter with a Bedouin tribe and marries the sheik's daughter. After the war his younger brother, who had believed him to be dead, learns that he may be alive in Libya - prompting him to set out and search for him.

Turner Classic Movies calls the film "an odd duck... that has never received much fan love in its day or since, and in fact is barely remembered today. But it is, for one thing, the first English-language film shot largely in Libya" and which "plays like something of a prophecy - six years before the epochal on-location imagery and direct exploration of British colonialism we're all familiar with in David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia (1962), here are vast desert-dune landscapes punctuated by Englishmen and testy Bedouin on camels, with all of the culture-collision freight that implies."

Plot

The film begins with a tank battle where blonde-haired Captain Holland (Anthony Steel) is sprawled unconscious beside his tank on the sand. When he comes to, he walks over the dunes until collapsing near a Bedouin encampment at an oasis. He is found by the sheik's daughter, Mabrouka (Anna Maria Sandri), who takes him to the camp which consists of several black tents.

The film skips forward to a point after the war when Captain Holland's brother, Colonel Sir Charles Holland (Donald Sinden), is guided into the desert by Ali (Donald Pleasence) in search of his brother. They were drawn by a promissory note that had been given by Captain Holland to the Bedouin for their help and eventually taken to the British embassy for payment. Sir Charles sets off to discover the fate of his brother and eventually reaches the Bedouin camp. He is entertained by the camp's chief, Sheik Salem ben Yussef (André Morrel) and sees a young blonde boy in the camp. Later, the Sheik becomes angry at Sir Charles's line of questioning about his brother, the boy, and note and asks them to leave. Before they leave, Mabrouka gives Ali a sock containing Captain Holland's diary which he gives Sir Charles. The film skips back in time to recount the story within the diary.

Captain Holland, having been tended by Mabrouka, recovers. He learns that Mabrouka is the sheik's daughter and is betrothed to Sheik Faris (Michael Craig) from another tribe. When a German reconnaissance vehicle arrives at the camp, Captain Holland hides in some Roman ruins. The senior German officer then finds Holland's service revolver in a tent.

Mabrouka and Captain Holland become romantically involved to the obvious annoyance of Sheik Faris. He colludes with the Germans who return to the ruins where Holland and Sheik Yussef kills them and Faris. The romance between Captain Holland and Mabrouka deepens and they marry.

Learning of the British victory at El Alamein, Captain Holland seeks to return to the British lines but finds that his wife is pregnant. A group led by the Sheik and Captain Holland travel toward the British lines but came across a column of retreating Italian vehicles. Captain Holland sustains a fatal injury rescuing the Sheik.

The film returns to the present day with the Sheik handing Sir Charles a letter with his brother's will bequeathing his estate to his son. Sir Charles discusses this with his nephew but the boy decides to remain with the tribe and burns the letter.

Cast

• Donald Sinden as Colonel Sir Charles Holland
• Anthony Steel as Captain David Holland
• Anna Maria Sandri as Mabrouka ben Yussef
• André Morell as Sheik Salem ben Yussef
• Terence Sharkey as Daoud Holland
• Donald Pleasence as Ali
• Ralph Truman as Major Croft
• Anthony Bushell as Ambassador Baring
• Michael Craig as Sheik Faris
• Paul Homer as Khalil ben Yussef
• Anton Diffring as Senior German Officer
• Frederick Jaeger as Koch
• Derek Sydney as Interpreter

Production

The film was based on an original story by Robin Maugham, who had served in the North African Desert during World War Two. He later published a version of the story in Chambers Journal and included it in a later anthology of his writings published in 1973.

The film was shot at Pinewood Studios and on location in Libya. The film unit was mostly based in Tripoli. The lead actress was Italian.

The film used the site of the Roman ruins at Sabratha in Libya, which is by the sea, although the plot suggests that the camp is deep in the Libyan desert. This is a plot device to provide a bit of eye candy to the viewer and a reason for the Germans to visit in small numbers, like regular tourists.

Reception

The Observer had trouble with the reality of the story but thought "the scenery is impressive and the tents... are interesting." "Too bright, too clean, too polished," wrote The Times.

The film was released in the US in 1957 on a double bill with Checkpoint, also starring Anthony Steel.

External links

• The Black Tent at IMDb
• The Black Tent at TCMDB
• The Black Tent at BFI
• The Black Tent at Brian Desmond Hurst website