Outpost in Morocco

It's no Gunga Din, but Outpost in Morocco (1949) is a fine example of B-movie resourcefulness, reviving a then-dying genre (the Foreign Legion adventure) with the time-honored appeal of a veteran star. In this case it's George Raft in his waning days of stardom, playing a playboy Legionnaire in North Africa who falls for the daughter of a local sultan (Marie Windsor, with arching eyebrows and sultry allure) when he's assigned to escort her to her native Moroccan enclave. Her father hates the French and is determined to win Moroccan independence, and the action-packed climax leads to a typically sobering comment on the hazards of colonialism. Routine stuff, overall, and this otherwise good-looking DVD suffers from inexcusable background hiss on its remastered soundtrack. Still, there's some welcomed comic relief from Akim Tamiroff as Raft's obligatory sidekick, and director Robert Florey makes excellent use of the film's authentic North African locations. --Jeff Shannon