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The Desert Rats

  • 1953
  • Approved
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
5.7K
YOUR RATING
Richard Burton in The Desert Rats (1953)
Richard Burton plays a Scottish Army officer put in charge of a disparate band of ANZAC troops on the perimeter of Tobruk with the German Army doing their best to dislodge them.
Play trailer2:38
1 Video
21 Photos
ActionAdventureDramaWar

Richard Burton plays a Scottish Army officer put in charge of a disparate band of ANZAC troops on the perimeter of Tobruk with the German Army doing their best to dislodge them.Richard Burton plays a Scottish Army officer put in charge of a disparate band of ANZAC troops on the perimeter of Tobruk with the German Army doing their best to dislodge them.Richard Burton plays a Scottish Army officer put in charge of a disparate band of ANZAC troops on the perimeter of Tobruk with the German Army doing their best to dislodge them.

  • Director
    • Robert Wise
  • Writer
    • Richard Murphy
  • Stars
    • Richard Burton
    • James Mason
    • Robert Newton
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    5.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Robert Wise
    • Writer
      • Richard Murphy
    • Stars
      • Richard Burton
      • James Mason
      • Robert Newton
    • 48User reviews
    • 8Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:38
    Trailer

    Photos21

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    + 15
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    Top Cast51

    Richard Burton
    Richard Burton
    • Capt. 'Tammy' MacRoberts
    James Mason
    James Mason
    • Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
    Robert Newton
    Robert Newton
    • Tom Bartlett
    Robert Douglas
    Robert Douglas
    • General
    Torin Thatcher
    Torin Thatcher
    • Col. Barney White
    Chips Rafferty
    Chips Rafferty
    • Sgt. 'Blue' Smith
    Charles 'Bud' Tingwell
    Charles 'Bud' Tingwell
    • Lt. Harry Carstairs
    • (as Charles Tingwell)
    Charles Davis
    • Pete
    Ben Wright
    Ben Wright
    • Mick
    Patrick Aherne
    • English Officer
    • (uncredited)
    John Alderson
    John Alderson
    • Corporal
    • (uncredited)
    Frank Baker
    Frank Baker
    • British Officer
    • (uncredited)
    John Blackburn
    • Sergeant
    • (uncredited)
    Robert Boon
    • German Lieutenant
    • (uncredited)
    Frederic Brunn
    • German Gunner
    • (uncredited)
    Arthur Brunner
    • German Radio Man
    • (uncredited)
    Paul Busch
    Paul Busch
    • German Orderly
    • (uncredited)
    Paul Cavanagh
    Paul Cavanagh
    • Colonel
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Robert Wise
    • Writer
      • Richard Murphy
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews48

    6.75.7K
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    Summary

    Reviewers say 'The Desert Rats' Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus.

    Nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam quis enim lobortis scelerisque
    Lorem ipsum dolorSit amet consecteturAdipiscing elitSed do eiusmodTempor incididuntUt labore et doloreMagna aliquaUt enim ad minimVeniam quisNostrud exercitation
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    The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel
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    Dunkirk
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    7.7
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    Anzio
    6.0
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    7.2
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    Destination Gobi
    6.3
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    Related interests

    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Still frame
    Adventure
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Band of Brothers (2001)
    War

    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      The film was banned in Egypt, as the British were still occupying the Suez Canal and the Sudan.
    • Goofs
      During the raid on the German camp there is a sign on a building reading "Hauptquartiers". Although the English word "Headquarters" might suggest a plural s, in German there doesn't exist such a form. The correct word would be "Hauptquartier" and the plural "Hauptquartiere"
    • Quotes
      • Tom Bartlett: You don't know much about real fear, Tammy. Maybe it comes with age or the bottle. You don't know what it is to be a coward... really a coward. To know it, yet to hope one day something will happen to prove that you're not, yet half the time not really believing that either.
    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits prologue: 1941 LIBYAN DESERT NORTH AFRICA
    • Connections
      Edited into All This and World War II (1976)
    • Soundtracks
      Waltzing Matilda
      (1895) (uncredited)
      Original music by Christina Macpherson (1895)
      (Based on the Scottish tune "Craigielee", music by James Barr, with words by Robert Tannahill)
      Revised music by Marie Cowan (1903)
      Lyrics by A.B. 'Banjo' Paterson (1895)
      Played during the opening credits and often in the score

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    FAQ1

    • Chicago Openeing Happened When?

    Details

    • Release date
      • May 20, 1953 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Die Wüstenratten
    • Filming locations
      • Mojave Desert, Arizona, USA
    • Production company
      • 20th Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    • Budget
      • $1,320,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    • Runtime
      • 1h 28m(88 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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