Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 7,8 (click to see context) from:
James Mason plays UsefulNotes/ErwinRommel, only two years after he had starred as Erwin Rommel in ''Film/TheDesertFox''. However, despite being billed second on the posters, Mason only appears in a couple of scenes. He's much more villainous in this film too - the film was made in part because people complained ''The Desert Fox'' had made Rommel ''too'' sympathetic.
to:
James Mason plays UsefulNotes/ErwinRommel, UsefulNotes/ErwinRommel [[RoleReprise once again]], only two years after he had starred as Erwin Rommel in ''Film/TheDesertFox''. However, despite being billed second on the posters, Mason only appears in a couple of scenes. He's much more villainous in this film too - the film was made in part because people complained ''The Desert Fox'' had made Rommel ''too'' sympathetic.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 3,4 (click to see context) from:
''The Desert Rats'' is a 1953 film directed by Creator/RobertWise, starring Creator/RichardBurton and Creator/JamesMason.
to:
''The Desert Rats'' is a 1953 war film directed by Creator/RobertWise, starring Creator/RichardBurton and Creator/JamesMason.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
* FieldPromotion: The commanding general says that this is one of the best parts of his job, before promoting a bunch of officers, including [=MacRoberts=] to major.
Deleted line(s) 23 (click to see context) :
* FieldPromotion: The commanding general says that this is one of the best parts of his job, before promoting a bunch of officers, including [=MacRoberts=] to major.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 14 (click to see context) from:
* ArtisticLicenseHistory: A mild example - strictly speaking the 9th Australian Division are called "The Rats of Tobruk", and the "Desert Rats" are the unrelated British 7th Armoured Division. The film was called ''The Desert Rats'' to echo ''The Desert Fox''.
to:
* ArtisticLicenseHistory: A mild example - strictly ArtisticLicenseHistory:
** Strictly speaking the 9th Australian Division are called "The Rats of Tobruk", and the "Desert Rats" are the unrelated British 7th Armoured Division. The film was called ''The Desert Rats'' to echo ''The DesertFox''.Fox''.
** The real Rats only had Australian officers at Tobruk, and Rommel wouldn't become a Field Marshal for another year.
** There is no depiction of the Polish riflemen, the Indian motor brigade or the British artillerymen that also held Tobruk with the Australians.
** Strictly speaking the 9th Australian Division are called "The Rats of Tobruk", and the "Desert Rats" are the unrelated British 7th Armoured Division. The film was called ''The Desert Rats'' to echo ''The Desert
** The real Rats only had Australian officers at Tobruk, and Rommel wouldn't become a Field Marshal for another year.
** There is no depiction of the Polish riflemen, the Indian motor brigade or the British artillerymen that also held Tobruk with the Australians.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 7,8 (click to see context) from:
James Mason plays UsefulNotes/ErwinRommel, only two years after he had starred as Erwin Rommel in ''Film/TheDesertFox''. However, despite being billed second on the posters, Mason only appears in a couple of scenes.
to:
James Mason plays UsefulNotes/ErwinRommel, only two years after he had starred as Erwin Rommel in ''Film/TheDesertFox''. However, despite being billed second on the posters, Mason only appears in a couple of scenes.
scenes. He's much more villainous in this film too - the film was made in part because people complained ''The Desert Fox'' had made Rommel ''too'' sympathetic.
Added DiffLines:
* ArtisticLicenseHistory: A mild example - strictly speaking the 9th Australian Division are called "The Rats of Tobruk", and the "Desert Rats" are the unrelated British 7th Armoured Division. The film was called ''The Desert Rats'' to echo ''The Desert Fox''.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* LastStand: Until they hear the bagpipes, knowing the BigDamnHeroes arrive to relieve them.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_0682.JPG]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 5,6 (click to see context) from:
James Mason plays Erwin Rommel, only two years after he had starred as Erwin Rommel in ''Film/TheDesertFox''. However, despite being billed second on the posters, Mason only appears in a couple of scenes.
to:
James Mason plays Erwin Rommel, UsefulNotes/ErwinRommel, only two years after he had starred as Erwin Rommel in ''Film/TheDesertFox''. However, despite being billed second on the posters, Mason only appears in a couple of scenes.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* CallBack: When Lt. Carstairs leaves his position in the line to rescue their wounded captain, [=MacRoberts=] files papers to court-martial him but is talked out of it. Later [=MacRoberts=] lingers behind in an attempt to rescue a mortally wounded Carstairs, and as a result is captured by the Germans.
Added DiffLines:
* FatalFamilyPhoto: Averted, surprisingly. [=MacRoberts=] busts out a photo of his wife and even tells Bartlett that he has a little son in England he's never seen. Somehow he makes it to the end of the movie alive.
Added DiffLines:
* PlungerDetonator: The raid on the German ammo dump nearly goes horribly wrong when the Aussie soldier charged with pushing the plunger detonator is shot dead before he gets the chance. [=MacRoberts=] has to leap out of the truck and do it himself.
Added DiffLines:
* StockFootage: Some of the combat action, like a British pilot pushing the button on his machine gun.
Added DiffLines:
* TitleDrop: "Come out of your holes, you desert rats!" says [=MacRoberts=] during the climactic charge.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 10 (click to see context) from:
* AffablyEvil: Rommel, who treats [=MacRoberts=] like an officer and a gentleman but makes no bones about how he'll crush Tobruk and Germany will bring England to its knees.
to:
* AffablyEvil: Rommel, who treats [=MacRoberts=] like an officer and a gentleman but makes no bones about how he'll crush Tobruk and Germany will bring England to its knees. Mason's more villainous performance in this film was due to the backlash that followed after he portrayed Rommel as a straight-up hero in ''The Desert Fox''.
Added DiffLines:
* ThatsWhatIWouldDo: The British general, when asks why he thinks Rommel will attack during the sandstorm, says "Wouldn't you?"
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* FieldPromotion: The commanding general says that this is one of the best parts of his job, before promoting a bunch of officers, including [=MacRoberts=] to major.
* NoNameGiven: The anonymous British general in command at Tobruk, who appears to be an {{Expy}} of the real General Leslie Morshead.
* NoNameGiven: The anonymous British general in command at Tobruk, who appears to be an {{Expy}} of the real General Leslie Morshead.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
* TheAlcoholic: Bartlett admits that he lost his job in England due to drinking, and only joined the army in Australia when he was drunk in a bar. He's drunk when the company first musters for [=MacRoberts=], and carries liquor around in his canteen.
* ContrivedCoincidence: Bartlett emigrates literally halfway around the world but still manages to find himself in an army unit commanded by one of his old students.
* ContrivedCoincidence: Bartlett emigrates literally halfway around the world but still manages to find himself in an army unit commanded by one of his old students.
Changed line(s) 12 (click to see context) from:
* TheSiege: The epic eight-month Australian defense of Tobruk. The film does not deign to mention that barely six months later, during his second desert offensive, Rommel captured Tobruk with ease, 35,000 Commonwealth soldiers hardly firing a shot.
to:
* RealityHasNoSubtitles: This was pretty common practice throughout the studio era, actually. All the German dialogue is un-subtitled, although it helps when they use words like "sandstorm" and "Geneva Convention".
* TheSiege: The epic eight-month Australian defense of Tobruk. The film does not deign to mention that barely six months later, during his second desert offensive, Rommel captured Tobruk with ease, 35,000 Commonwealth soldiers hardly firing ashot.shot.
* VillainOpeningScene: Opens with Rommel and his officer plotting an assault on Tobruk.
* TheSiege: The epic eight-month Australian defense of Tobruk. The film does not deign to mention that barely six months later, during his second desert offensive, Rommel captured Tobruk with ease, 35,000 Commonwealth soldiers hardly firing a
* VillainOpeningScene: Opens with Rommel and his officer plotting an assault on Tobruk.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
''The Desert Rats'' is a 1953 film directed by Creator/RobertWise, starring Creator/RichardBurton and Creator/JamesMason.
It tells the story of the siege of Tobruk, April-November 1941. The German advance from Libya into Egypt has cut off the vital Libyan port of Tobruk, which remains in Allied hands. Captain "Tammy" [=MacRoberts=] (Burton) is given command of a company of green troops from Australia who lack a senior officer. The free-spirited, boisterous Australian soldiers don't much care for their new no-nonsense CO, and he is rather unimpressed by his undisciplined raw recruits. [=MacRoberts=] does however find one friendly face, and it's quite a surprise: his old schoolmaster Tom Bartlett, who lost his teaching position due to alcoholism and made his way to Australia before joining the army.
James Mason plays Erwin Rommel, only two years after he had starred as Erwin Rommel in ''Film/TheDesertFox''. However, despite being billed second on the posters, Mason only appears in a couple of scenes.
----
!!Tropes:
* AffablyEvil: Rommel, who treats [=MacRoberts=] like an officer and a gentleman but makes no bones about how he'll crush Tobruk and Germany will bring England to its knees.
* EverybodyCallsHimBarkeep: Well, only one person, Bartlett, calls [=MacRoberts=] "Tammy". But we never do find out what [=MacRoberts=]'s real first name is.
* TheSiege: The epic eight-month Australian defense of Tobruk. The film does not deign to mention that barely six months later, during his second desert offensive, Rommel captured Tobruk with ease, 35,000 Commonwealth soldiers hardly firing a shot.
It tells the story of the siege of Tobruk, April-November 1941. The German advance from Libya into Egypt has cut off the vital Libyan port of Tobruk, which remains in Allied hands. Captain "Tammy" [=MacRoberts=] (Burton) is given command of a company of green troops from Australia who lack a senior officer. The free-spirited, boisterous Australian soldiers don't much care for their new no-nonsense CO, and he is rather unimpressed by his undisciplined raw recruits. [=MacRoberts=] does however find one friendly face, and it's quite a surprise: his old schoolmaster Tom Bartlett, who lost his teaching position due to alcoholism and made his way to Australia before joining the army.
James Mason plays Erwin Rommel, only two years after he had starred as Erwin Rommel in ''Film/TheDesertFox''. However, despite being billed second on the posters, Mason only appears in a couple of scenes.
----
!!Tropes:
* AffablyEvil: Rommel, who treats [=MacRoberts=] like an officer and a gentleman but makes no bones about how he'll crush Tobruk and Germany will bring England to its knees.
* EverybodyCallsHimBarkeep: Well, only one person, Bartlett, calls [=MacRoberts=] "Tammy". But we never do find out what [=MacRoberts=]'s real first name is.
* TheSiege: The epic eight-month Australian defense of Tobruk. The film does not deign to mention that barely six months later, during his second desert offensive, Rommel captured Tobruk with ease, 35,000 Commonwealth soldiers hardly firing a shot.
