The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951)

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Approved
1h 28min
Biography, Drama
17 Oct 1951 (USA)
Movie

6.9 (6,709)

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The story of the final years of the respected World War II German general, Erwin Rommel.

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

Nunnally Johnson, Desmond Young

Stars:

Reviews:

Photos and Videos

Trailer for this film based on the best selling novel

Still of James Mason (I) and William Reynolds (I) in The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951)

Still of James Mason (I) and Walter Kingsford in The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951)

Still of James Mason (I) and Cedric Hardwicke in The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951)

The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951)

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33 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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	James Mason	...	Field Marshal Erwin Johannes Rommel
	Cedric Hardwicke	...	Dr. Karl Strolin
	Jessica Tandy	...	Frau Lucie Marie Rommel
	Luther Adler	...	Adolf Hitler
	Everett Sloane	...	Gen. Wilhelm Burgdorf
	Leo G. Carroll	...	Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt
	George Macready	...	Gen. Fritz Bayerlein
	Richard Boone	...	Capt. Hermann Aldinger
	Eduard Franz	...	Col. Klaus von Stauffenberg
	Desmond Young	...	Lt. Col. Desmond Young
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Philip Ahlm	...	German Soldier & Chauffeur (uncredited)
	John Alderson	...	German Sergeant / Hospital Staffer (uncredited)
	Jack Baston	...	Gen. Alfred Jodl (uncredited)
	Robert Bohannon	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Boyd Cabeen	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Roland Carpenter	...	German Officer (uncredited)
	Mary Carroll	...	Rommel's Maid (uncredited)
	Steve Carruthers	...	Signal Man (uncredited)
	Paul Cavanagh	...	Lt. Col. Caesar von Hofaker (uncredited)
	Pat Coleman	...	S.S. Man (uncredited)
	Robert Coote	...	British Medical Officer (uncredited)
	Eric Corrie	...	Commando (uncredited)
	Ashley Cowan	...	New Zealand Soldier (uncredited)
	Lawrence Cregar	...	German Guard (uncredited)
	Fred Dale	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Roy Damron	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Charles Davis	...	Signal Man (uncredited)
	Don De Leo	...	Maj. Gen. Ernst Maisel (uncredited)
	Jack Deery	...	British Medic (uncredited)
	Dwight D. Eisenhower	...	Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
	Richard Elmore	...	Rommel's Driver in Africa (uncredited)
	John Epper	...	British Medical Officer (uncredited)
	Charles Evans	...	Gen. Schultz (uncredited)
	Ray Flynn	...	German Major (uncredited)
	Scott Forbes	...	Commando Colonel (uncredited)
	Peter Forster	...	Commando (uncredited)
	Curt Furberg	...	Officer (uncredited)
	John Goldsworthy	...	Gen. Heinrich von Stulpnagel (uncredited)
	Lumsden Hare	...	Doctor (uncredited)
	Hal Hatfield	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Gordon Heaver	...	Commando (uncredited)
	George Hoagland	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Stuart Holmes	...	German Staff Officer at Conference (uncredited)
	John Hoyt	...	Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel (uncredited)
	Robin Hughes	...	Medic (uncredited)
	Harold J. Kennedy	...	S.S. Man (uncredited)
	Gary Kettler	...	German Staff Officer (uncredited)
	Guy Kingsford	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
	Walter Kingsford	...	Vice-Adm. Friedrich Ruge (uncredited)
	Bela Kovacs	...	S.S. Man (uncredited)
	Paul Kruger	...	German Colonel & Driver (uncredited)
	Perk Lazelle	...	German Officer (uncredited)
	Charles Legneur	...	German Colonel (uncredited)
	Freeman Lusk	...	German Surgeon (uncredited)
	George Lynn	...	German Lieutenant (uncredited)
	Sandee Marriott	...	German Lieutenant Colonel (uncredited)
	Lester Matthews	...	British Officer (uncredited)
	Sean McClory	...	Jock (uncredited)
	Keith McConnell	...	British Agent (uncredited)
	Hans Moebus	...	Surgeon (uncredited)
	Lyle Moraine	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Clive Morgan	...	British Sub Lt. Commander (uncredited)
	Jack Moyles	...	Winston Churchill (uncredited) (voice)
	George Nader	...	Commando (uncredited)
	Dan Nelson	...	German Sergeant (uncredited)
	Louis Nicoletti	...	Italian General (uncredited)
	Fred Nurney	...	German Colonel (uncredited)
	Dan O'Herlihy	...	Commando Captain (uncredited)
	Ray Page	...	German Officer (uncredited)
	George S. Patton	...	Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
	John Pedrini	...	S.S. Man (uncredited)
	Gil Perkins	...	German Soldier (uncredited)
	John Peters	...	German Officer & Tank Commander (uncredited)
	John Pickard	...	German Ski Trooper / Staff Aide (uncredited)
	Albert Pollet	...	German Colonel (uncredited)
	Hugh Prosser	...	Surgeon (uncredited)
	Michael Rennie	...	Narrator (uncredited) (voice)
	William Reynolds	...	Manfred Rommel (uncredited)
	Albin Robeling	...	Surgeon (uncredited)
	John Roy	...	Soldier (uncredited)
	Peter Seal	...	Major General (uncredited)
	Sam Sebby	...	German Lieutenant (uncredited)
	John Sheffield	...	German Lieutenant (uncredited)
	Robert Simis	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Murray Steckler	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Todd Stenderup	...	German Staff Officer (uncredited)
	Robert E. Strickland	...	German Officer (uncredited)
	Hal Taggart	...	German Staff Officer (uncredited)
	Hal Townsend	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Ivan Triesault	...	German Major (uncredited)
	Peter van Eyck	...	German Officer (uncredited)
	Philip Van Zandt	...	German S.S. Man at Hospital (uncredited)
	Harry J. Vejar	...	German Major (uncredited)
	John Vosper	...	Maj. Walker (uncredited)
	Trevor Ward	...	Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery (uncredited)
	Crane Whitley	...	S.S. Man (uncredited)
	Patrick Whyte	...	British Agent (uncredited)
	Mervin Williams	...	Reporter (uncredited)
	Al Winters	...	Reporter (uncredited)
	Victor Wood	...	British Medic (uncredited)
	Wilson Wood	...	Sergeant Major (uncredited)
	William Yetter Jr.	...	Photographer (uncredited)
	Carleton Young	...	German Staff Officer (uncredited)

Directed by

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Henry Hathaway

Written by

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Nunnally Johnson	...	(screenplay)

Desmond Young	...	(biography) (as Brigadier Desmond Young M.C.)

Produced by

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Nunnally Johnson

...

producer

Music by

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Daniele Amfitheatrof

Cinematography by

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Norbert Brodine

...

director of photography

Editing by

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James B. Clark

Editorial Department

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Lyman Hallowell

...

apprentice editor (uncredited)

Art Direction by

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Maurice Ransford
Lyle R. Wheeler	...	(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by

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Thomas Little	...	(set decorations)
Stuart A. Reiss	...	(set decorations) (as Stuart Reiss)

Costume Design by

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Edward Stevenson

...

(costumes designed by)

Makeup Department

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Ben Nye

...

makeup artist

Production Management

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R.L. Hough	...	production manager (uncredited)
Abe Steinberg	...	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Gerd Oswald	...	assistant director (uncredited)
Robert D. Webb	...	second unit director (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Eugene Grossman	...	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	...	sound (as Roger Heman)

Visual Effects by

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Ray Kellogg	...	special photographic effects
Fred Sersen	...	special photographic effects

Stunts

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Philip Ahlm	...	stunts (uncredited)
Richard Elmore	...	stunts (uncredited)
John Epper	...	stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Terhune	...	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Charles Le Maire

...

wardrobe director (as Charles LeMaire)

Location Management

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W.F. Fitzgerald	...	assistant location manager (uncredited)
Cy Shelly	...	location crew (uncredited)
Ray Thompson	...	location crew (uncredited)

Music Department

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Maurice De Packh

...

orchestrator (as Maurice dePackh)

Script and Continuity Department

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Rose Steinberg

...

script supervisor (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Edward Arnold	...	auditor (uncredited)
Erwin H. Buechel	...	technical advisor: German usages (uncredited)
Paul Mantz	...	coordinator: aerial footage (uncredited)
Lucie Marie Rommel	...	consultant (uncredited)
Ralph O. Runyon	...	technical advisor: tank maneuvers (uncredited)
Daniel Sheridan	...	technical advisor (uncredited)
Benton Smythe	...	technical advisor: paratrooper sequence (uncredited)
Oscar Straus	...	technical advisor: Gestapo (uncredited)
Otto von Strahl	...	technical advisor (uncredited)
Howard J. Weinberger	...	technical advisor: field hospital sequence (uncredited)
Desmond Young	...	technical advisor: British operations (uncredited)

Crew believed to be complete

Production Companies

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Twentieth Century Fox (presents) (produced by)

Distributors

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Twentieth Century Fox (1951) (United States) (theatrical) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) (released by)
Twentieth Century Fox Film Company (1951) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
Centfox (1952) (West Germany) (theatrical)
Fox Films (1952) (Finland) (theatrical)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1952) (Austria) (theatrical)
Twentieth Century Fox (1952) (France) (theatrical)
Twentieth Century-Fox (1952) (Mexico) (theatrical)
National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1961) (United States) (tv)
TF1 (1976) (France) (tv) (dubbed)
Magnetic Video (1977) (United States) (VHS)
Magnetic Video (1978) (United States) (VHS)
CBS/Fox Home Video (1984) (Australia) (VHS)
CBS/Fox (1987) (United States) (VHS)
CBS / Fox Video (1988) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
CBS/Fox (1989) (United States) (VHS)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (United States) (DVD)
Reel Corporation (2012) (Australia) (DVD)
Reel DVD (2012) (Australia) (DVD)
WVG Medien (2018) (Germany) (Blu-ray)
WVG Medien (2018) (Germany) (DVD)
Elokuvapalvelu J. Suomalainen (2012) (Finland) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
First Music (Japan) (DVD)
Yleisradio (YLE) (1991) (Finland) (tv)
YouTube (United States) (video) (colorized)

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary	This biopic follows Rommel's career after the Afrika Korps, including his work on the defenses of Fortress Europe as well as his part in the assassination attempt on Hitler, and his subsequent suicide. Written by Alfred Jingle Plot Summary Plot Synopsis
Plot Keywords	military-leadership field-marshal german-officer forced-suicide year-1944 See All (91) »
Taglines	The vast African desert is aflame with the startling story the world has only guessed at ... never known until now ! See more »
Genres	Biography Drama War
Parents Guide	View content advisory »
Certification	Argentina:Atp Australia:G Finland:K-12 Finland:S France:Tous publics Germany:12 Italy:T New Zealand:G Norway:16 Portugal:M/12 Sweden:15 United Kingdom:U United Kingdom:PG (video rating: The Desert Fox) United States:Approved United States:TV-G (TV rating) West Germany:12

Additional Details

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Also Known As	The Desert Fox (United States) The Desert Fox (World-wide, English title) The Story of Rommel (World-wide, English title) The Desert Fox (United Kingdom) Le renard du désert (France) See more »
Runtime	88 min
Country	United States
Language	English
Color	Black and White (archive footage)
Aspect Ratio	1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Filming Locations	Imperial County, California, USA See more »

Did You Know?

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Trivia	Erwin Rommel's widow, Lucie Marie Rommel acted as a technical consultant and adviser to this movie. She was played by Jessica Tandy in the film itself. Mrs. Rommel lent the production some of her husband's personal artifacts and liaised with Nunnally Johnson, the film's producer and screenwriter. As Frau Lucie Maria Rommel, Mrs Rommel later also acted as a military consultant to the film The Longest Day (1962) made by 20th Century-Fox, the same studio that produced this movie. See more »
Goofs	The opening commando raid shows at least a dozen German soldiers killed. In reality, only four were killed. See more »
Movie Connections	Edited from Desert Victory (1943). See more »
Soundtracks	The Army Air Corps Song See more »
Quotes	Field Marshal Gerd von Runstedt: [It's] too late for me. I'm seventy now - too old to fight, too old to challenge authority, however evil... but not too old, however, to wish you and your friends the best of luck in their extremely interesting enterprise. See more »

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