Released in 1946, this feature is cobbled together from a 12 part 1933 Mascot serial, THE THREE MUSKETEERS, and purports to be based upon the classic work by Dumas, with the action transferred to the Sahara and involving a struggle of the French Foreign Legion opposite a secret group of Arab villains, with John Wayne's character mentioned in the script as D'Artagnan to a trio of guardsmen. The original serial is grotesquely silly, and this synthesis is, if possible, even worse, with situations and dialogue that are numbingly puerile; however, if the film lacks any direction whatsoever, the viewer cannot fail but be amazed at the athletic equestrian stuntwork of Yakima Canutt and his crew of worthies, actively and dramatically superior as they are to the remainder of the performers.
Review of Desert Command
