The Legion of Missing Men
Cast & Crew
Hamilton Macfadden
Ralph Forbes
Ben Alexander
Hala Linda
Roy D'arcy
Paul Hurst
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
The 20th Marching Company of the French Foreign Legion, under the command of fierce Sergeant Garcia, returns from a long expedition in the Moroccan desert. The company is ambushed by the forces of Sheik Ibrahim-Ul-Ahmed, losing some of the machine guns they were trying to deliver to French border outposts. Josephs, a thirsty, lost legionnaire, is captured by the sheik and killed when he refuses to show the Arabs how to use the new guns. With twenty-four hours leave in Zabala, privates Bob Carter, Muggsy and Bilgey go to the Cafe Royale, where Nina De Bernay sings. She is partial to Bob, but he avoids her since she is a favorite of Sergeant Garcia. Some of the legionnaires are misfits, fleeing crimes in their past, or, like Bob, are professional English soldiers who know no other life and want to see the world. New recruits replace the fallen troops, and Bob discovers that one of them is his brother Don, of whom he was once proud. Although warned against seeing Nina, Don ignores the advice and also takes to drink. When Garcia discovers the couple, a fight ensues and Don is arrested. With Don about to be condemned to the Penal Battalion, Bob asks Colonel Laurent for leniency. Nina, on the other hand, secures the assistance of the sheik in rescuing Don and taking him away to Ouram. However, she does not realize that the sheik is planning a rebellion against the French. Bob, Muggsy and Bilgey learn what Nina has done and follow the Arabs, but are captured. Nina tries to convince the sheik to take Don to safety, but instead she is held prisoner pending the Arab attack on the French fort El-Hassan. To save Don from torture, Bob agrees to put together the stolen machine guns, but sabotages them in the process. Bob convinces Nina to escape and warn the Legion. Forced to join the Arabs in the attack, Bob, Muggsy and Bilgey then turn the machine guns on their captors. All but Bob are killed, but the re-enforcements that Nina brings save the fort.
Director
Hamilton Macfadden
Cast
Ralph Forbes
Ben Alexander
Hala Linda
Roy D'arcy
Paul Hurst
James Aubrey
George Regas
Frank Leigh
Crew
Flo Browne
I. E. Chadwick
Scott R. Dunlap
Glen Glenn
Richard Gump
Norman S. Hall
Harry O. Hoyt
Charles Hutchison
Marcel Le Picard
Sherman L. Lowe
Carl Pierson
Fred Preble
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
An onscreen foreword reads: "North Africa! A burning desert empire-held by men who seek to forget their yesterdays; professional soldiers of fortune; grim, hardy, courageous, the French Foreign Legion." Ralph Forbes starred in another Foreign Legion adventure along with Ronald Colman, the popular 1926 silent Beau Geste produced by Paramount and directed by Herbert Brenon (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1921-30; F2.0307, as well its sequel, the 1931 RKO talking film Beau Ideal.
