For those who might be interested in old movies there is a great resource located at the collections page of the Media History Digital Library. They have digitized copies (or rather links back to the document held on the Internet Archive) of many of the popular movie related industry publications from the very early silent film era up to the 1960’s. Just like today, Americans back then were obsessed with the big blockbusters, the prettiest new actress, the most athletic leading man, the smartest director and all other sorts of gossip, analysis and speculation. So I just had to search for “Foreign Legion” and the following pages are just some of the dozens of returns. Movies such as Renegades, Under Two Flags, Two Men and a Maid and of course both Beau Geste movies. There were also several references to a movie that was never made–a highly touted block buster starring Lon Cheney as Foreign Legion Major Zinovy Pechkoff in the film adaptation with the same name as his novel, “The Bugle Calls”. This would have been a classic–too bad it got cancelled before production. Director George Hill apparently traveled to Morocco to meet with Pechkoff and tour facilities of the Foreign Legion in 1929. So here are the results of my foray into motion picture history and the Foreign Legion (pdf file also).
NOTE: Camerone Day is 30 April! This Wednesday. I’ll be posting each day this week so be sure to come back regularly.
Mon Legionnaire 
Jack, Was I supposed to see the films mentioned above or just the pics ? Maybe the movies are lurking somewhere and I simply don’t know where to click. It is my boast that the author of “PCs For Dummies” had me in mind when he wrote it. My small collection of Legion old films consists of BEAU GESTE (1939), BEAU IDEAL, UNDER TWO FLAGS, LEGION OF MISSING MEN, LAUREL & HARDY OUTPOST IN MOROCCO, THE THREE MUSKETEERS (a kid’s serial with youthful John Wayne in the biggest load of crap I’ve ever come across) ….. and yet as a kid I loved those old Saturday morning serials. I picked up a marvelous catalogue somewhere in the States. Some came via a website
moviesunlimited.com if you are interested.
Eugene
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No movie links there–just pictures. I watched The Three Musketeers and I swear that one scene was filmed in the back yard of someones California ranch house (house included).
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