The Desert Hawk
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Frederick De Cordova
Yvonne De Carlo
Richard Greene
Jackie Gleason
George Macready
Rock Hudson
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In central Persia, 2,000 years ago, Omar, The Desert Hawk, fights against Prince Murad, a harsh tyrant. Meanwhile, Princess Shaharazade, the daughter of the Caliph of Baghdad, journeys to marry Murad. Determined to prevent Murad from forming an alliance with the powerful Caliph, Omar dresses in Murad's family garments and together with his men, including Sinbad and Aladdin, arrives at Shaharazade's camp. While Sinbad and Aladdin cheat the guards of money, the handsome Omar convinces Shaharazade to wed him immediately. The next morning, Shaharazade awakens to find Omar gone, her guards drugged and her dowry stolen. When the real Murad arrives, Omar's ruse is revealed. Furious, Shaharazade orders Murad to capture Omar and bring her his head. Murad, however, has his own plans for Shaharazade. He visits Kibar, the lord of the assassins, and commissions him to kill the princess and blame her death on The Desert Hawk. Kibar then orders his men to pretend to kill Shaharazade and instead bring her to him. The assassins, dressed like Omar and his men, attack Shaharazade's camp. She changes clothes with her handmaiden, Yasmin, hoping to evade Omar, but the assassins carry off all the women. When Murad learns of Kibar's betrayal, he sends for the Caliph. Meanwhile, Kibar, who believes that Yasmin is the princess, sends Shaharazade and Maznah, her second handmaiden, to the slave market, where Omar, who is really a blacksmith, is asked to make their chains. Kibar learns of the trick Shaharazade played on him and sends Yasmin to join her in the slave market. In disguise, Omar bids for Shaharazade and her handmaidens. Temporarily, Omar, his men and the women evade Murad and Kibar, but later, Kibar's men capture the women and Sinbad. Murad then meets the Caliph and together they ride to Kibar's palace, where the women are imprisoned. Omar and Aladdin sneak into Kibar's palace, drug the guards and release the women. When Murad and the Caliph arrive, Murad kills Kibar. After Shaharazade tells her father about Murad's plan to kill her, Omar kills Murad in a swordfight, but instead of rewarding Omar, Shaharazade asks her father to arrest him. Later, Shaharazade, who really loves Omar, tells him he will take Murad's place as Prince of Teheran, and she will take her place as his wife.
Director
Frederick De Cordova
Cast
Yvonne De Carlo
Richard Greene
Jackie Gleason
George Macready
Rock Hudson
Carl Esmond
Joe Besser
Ann Pearce
Marc Lawrence
Lois Andrews
Frank Puglia
Lucille Barkley
Donald Randolph
Ian Macdonald
Nestor Paiva
Richard Hale
Eileen Howe
Hazel Shaw
Marian Dennish
Norma De Landa
Barbara Kelly
Vonne Lester
Mahmud Shaikhaly
Buddy Roosevelt
Virginia Hunter
Lester Sharpe
Ben Welden
Michael Ross
Lane Bradford
Shirley Ballard
Jack Raymond
Terry Frost
Michael Ansara
Fred Libby
Phil Barnes
Frank Malet
Wilson Millar
Bob Anderson
Jan Arvan
Milton Kibbee
Robert Filmer
Bob Wilke
Bruce Riley
Louis Nicoletti
Mike Portanova
Wally Walker
Harold Cornsweet
Wendy Waldron
Shirley Ballard
Frank Lackteen
George Bruggerman
Dale Van Sickle
Lucille Barnes
Chet Brandenberg
Vic Romito
Crew
Gerald Drayson Adams
John Austin
Hal Belfer
Leslie I. Carey
Olga Collings
Fred Frank
William Fritzsche
Russell A. Gausman
Leonard Goldstein
Bernard Herzbrun
Jesse Hibbs
Dorothy Hughes
Corson Jowett
Philip Lathrop
Otto Ludwig
Bernard Mceveety
Russell Metty
Daniel A. Nathan
Emrich Nicholson
Max Nippel
Dean Paup
Jack Pollexfen
Ray Romero
Mahmud Shaikhaly
Frank Skinner
Joan St. Oegger
Bill Thomas
William Walling
Bud Westmore
Aubrey Wisberg
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Wench or princess, a woman is only a woman, and always needs a master.- Omar
Trivia
Notes
Yvonne De Carlo also played the character of "Schaharazade" in the 1947 Universal film entitled Song of Scheherazade (see below.)
