I first encountered BEAU GESTE as a 1966 movie which I saw when I was 14 at a local cinema. At that age I was already familiar with several 19th century action-adventure/fantasy novels such as those by H. Rider Haggard and Jules Verne but somehow I missed out on P.C. Wren’s story of three British upper class brothers who join the French Foreign Legion to escape a family scandal. It had been a famous 1939 film with Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, & Robert Preston which my mother fondly remembered. Unbeknownst to me the movie I saw was nothing like that film as I found out when I saw the 1939 version in college. My 1966 film was a low budget affair which reduced the number of brothers to two and turned them into Americans. At least it kept the pre-World War I setting.
Only recently did I discover that a silent film version, made in 1926, still existed. I was a fan of the 1939 version and, being a silent film enthusiast plus having read that the ’39 film was a virtual remake, I was quite anxious to see this one. Now, courtesy of Maltese Productions who are a new player on the silent film restoration scene, I got to see it in a painstakingly restored copy (which utilized 6 different prints) and it was absolutely wonderful. The 1939 critics were right in saying that it was the superior movie but most people will still prefer the sound version. However, if you are a fan of the story then you should see both. Avoid the 1966 film as it pales in comparison and a 1977 spoof, THE LAST REMAKE OF BEAU GESTE that was directed by Marty Feldman but altered without his consent.
For those who haven’t seen any of the movies or read the book, the story concerns the 3 Geste (pronounced zhest) brothers who are orphaned as children and raised by their aunt, Lady Patricia Brandon. Lady Patricia’s prize possession is a large sapphire known as the “Blue Water”. 15 years after the brothers’ arrival, the jewel is brought out for a family gathering and then disappears. Who stole it? The eldest brother, Michael, leaves a note saying he did it but doesn’t say why. He then leaves for parts unknown. The other brothers claim they stole it and leave to join Michael. After joining the Legion, they are stationed in a remote outpost in the Sahara Desert and suffer along with the other soldiers at the hands of their sadistic commander. A mutiny breaks out but is quelled by an Arab attack.
The movie opens with the outpost manned by dead men. Upon investigation, a bugler disappears and then the fort goes up in flames. The rest of the movie is a flashback showing us what led up to this. The lead role of Michael “Beau” Geste is played by Ronald Colman who would become one of Hollywood’s most dependable leading men. Noah Beery is the brutal commandant but the real surprise here is William Powell as the cowardly villain Boldini. Known for his urbane roles in the 1930s and 40s, you don’t expect him to play a bad guy but he does it very well. The director, Herbert Brenon, made a number of classic silents but disappeared after the arrival of sound. He is now being rediscovered. This rediscovery and restoration of the original BEAU GESTE will help in restoring his reputation.
The Capsule Critic 