Desert Nights 1929 - John Gilbert

Film Review and Rating / Synopsis

• Desert Nights (1929) - Plot Summary - John Gilbert plays Hugh Rand, manager at the Crown Diamond Mines in Africa - - he hasn't been near a woman in three years. When a Lord (Ernest Torrence) and his daughter, Lady Diana (played by Mary Nolan), are to visit the Mines as a first stop before a hunting trip, Rand expects a bow-legged, cross-eyed "old maid". But surprise! - Diana is a beauty and soon sparks are flying between the two as they can't stop gazing at each other across the dinner table and share a lovely waltz together as daddy accompanies them on piano. Soon another surprise though - Lord and Lady are actually impostors and crooks. They steal a sack of diamonds and set off across the blazing hot desert with Rand as their hostage. When their African escorts leave them in the lurch, the thieves must turn to their hostage to help them out of the desert and soon they find out there is something of more value to them than diamonds - water!
  
  Review - With glistening sun and black shadows, this film is expertly photographed. John Gilbert comes across as a handsome charmer, and his co-star, beautiful Mary Nolan, handles her role nicely. The film includes a pleasing orchestral score that really suits this story well. I found this film to be quite a good one. A note of trivia : this was actor John Gilbert's last silent film. Rating - * 8/10 stars *
  
  Director: William Nigh
  Film Genre: Adventure Melodrama
  Film Runtime: 62 minutes

Links / Resources

• IMDb film listing for Desert Nights (1929), cast and crew, trivia, quotes
• AFI Catalog Listing, cast, summary, tech details, info