The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel Overview:

The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951) was a Action - Drama Film directed by Henry Hathaway and produced by Nunnally Johnson.

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[a British officer steps from the back of his tralier to address the officers before him]
British officer: Gentlemen, the following order from General Auchinleck, is to all commanders and chiefs-of-staff of the Middle East Forces.
[reads]
British officer: "There exists a real danger that our friend Rommel is becoming a kind of magician or bogeyman to our troops, who are talking far too much about him. He is by no means a superman, although he is undoubtedly very energetic and able. Even if he were a superman, it would still be highly undesirable that our men should credit him with supernatural powers. I wish you to dispel by all possible means the idea that Rommel represents something more than an ordinary German general. Please ensure that this order is put into immediate effect, and impress upon all commanders, that from the psychological point of view, it is a matter of the highest importance. Signed, C.J. Auchinleck, General, Commander-In-Chief, M.E.F."


Field Marshal Gerd von Runstedt: From the moment the Bohemian corporal promoted himself to the supreme command of our forces, the German Army has been the victim of a unique situation: not only too many of the enemy, but one too many Germans.


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.


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Facts about

Apparently, 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 made by 20th Century-Fox, the same studio that produced this movie.
All soldiers in the scenes of D-Day and thereafter are US troops, and most of the music heard (the exception is "The British Grenadiers") are tunes associated with the US military, providing a false impression that only US troops were involved in these operations.
This movie was directed by Henry Hathaway who, almost 20 years after this film, directed another about Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and also set in World War II North Africa. This was entitled Raid on Rommel. Apart from that 1971 movie, all of Hathaway's films about the Second World War were all for Twentieth Century-Fox. These included The House on 92nd Street; Wing and a Prayer; You're in the Navy Now; 13 Rue Madeleine and this film. Raid on Rommel was made by Universal.
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Also directed by Henry Hathaway




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Also produced by Nunnally Johnson




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Also released in 1951




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More "World War II" films



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