''Desert Desperadoes'' ( it, La peccatrice del deserto) is a 1959 American/Italian Biblical

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Steve Sekely Steve Sekely (February 25, 1899– March 9, 1979) was a Hungarian film director. Born István Székely, he was known by several names, based on his changing professional and immigration status, including Stefan Szekely. He directed films in Hun ...

from an original screenplay by

Victor Stoloff Victor Stoloff (1913–2009) was a Russian Empire-born American Hollywood director, producer and screenplay writer who worked in film and television. In 1943, Stoloff and Edgar Loew were nominated for an Academy Award in the category "Best Document ...

and Robert Hill. Co-produced by the Italian company Venturini Express and the American studio Nasht Productions, it was distributed by RKO Radio Pictures through the States Rights Independent Exchanges and released on July 16, 1959. The film stars

Ruth Roman Ruth Roman (born Norma Roman; December 22, 1922 – September 9, 1999) was an American actress of film, stage, and television. After playing stage roles on the east coast, Roman relocated to Hollywood to pursue a career in films. She appeare ...

and

Akim Tamiroff Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff, russian: Аким Михайлович Тамиров (born Hovakim Tamiryants; October 29, 1899 – September 17, 1972) was an Armenian-American actor of film, stage, and television. One of the premier character act ...

Plot

A merchant's caravan led by Verrus, a former Roman soldier, comes across a beautiful woman bound to a post. The merchant doesn't wish to intervene, but Verrus takes her along. She is mysterious, identifying herself only as Isthar, a name that may or may not be real. The merchant is transporting gold, spices and other valuable commodities across the desert. When a band of refugees and a small child who might be the rumored

messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of ''mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach'' ...

need sanctuary, Verrus agrees, even though King Herod's soldiers are likely to come after them. The merchant conspires behind Verrus's back, coaxing Isthar into distracting Fabius Quintus, a guard who has become infatuated with her beauty. Isthar later is in need of help and pleads with Fabius, who spurns and injures her. No one else but the refugees will help her. Herod's soldiers attack, so Isthar gives up her own camels to the infant's mother, remaining behind. She, along with all the others, is killed, but the child is safe.

Cast

as The woman *

as The merchant *

Otello Toso Otello Toso (22 February 1914 – 15 March 1966) was an Italian film and stage actor. Born in Padua, Toso graduated from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in 1939 and immediately later he started his film career. He was particularly pro ...

as Verrus *

Gianni Musy Giovanni Musy (August 3, 1931 – October 7, 2011) was an Italian actor and dubbing artist. Biography Born in Milan, the son of actors Enrico Glori and Gianna Pacetti, he started his career as a child actor at eleven years old. He studied at th ...

as Fabius (credited as Gianni Glori) *

Arnoldo Foà Arnoldo Foà (24 January 1916 – 11 January 2014) was an Italian actor, voice actor, theatre director, singer and writer. He appeared in more than 130 films between 1938 and 2014. Biography Foà was born in Ferrara, Italy, to a Jewish fa ...

as The Chaldean *

Alan Furlan Alan Furlan (13 April 1920 – 14 May 1997) was an Italian-American actor. Biography Born Aleardo Furlan in Farla, in the North Friuli region of Italy, Furlan acted in films in Europe and the United States, on Broadway theatre, Broadway and in ...

as Rais *

Nino Marchetti Nino or Niño may refer to: * Nino (name) * Niño (name) *Antonin Scalia, American Supreme Court justice whose nickname was "Nino" *El Niño, a climate pattern in the tropical Pacific Ocean *NINO, an abbreviation for National Insurance number in t ...

as Metullus

Reception

Harrison's Reports ''Harrison's Reports'' was a New York City-based motion picture trade journal published weekly from 1919 to 1962. The typical issue was four letter-size pages sent to subscribers under a second-class mail permit. Its founder, editor and publisher ...

'' gave the picture a lukewarm review. They enjoyed the background story, as well as the action sequences, but felt the overall plot was routine. They gave good marks to Ruth Roman and Akim Tamiroff for their performances.

References

External links

* * * {{AFI film, 52864 1959 films 1959 drama films Peplum films English-language Italian films Films directed by Steve Sekely Films scored by Mario Nascimbene Films set in the 1st century Religious epic films Sword and sandal films 1950s English-language films 1950s Italian films