Lion Of The Desert

As a lengthy movie about a heroic Libyan fighting Italian fascism, it's not surprising that LION OF THE DESERT failed miserably at the box office. What is surprising is that it is a quality historical epic a la LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. Starring Anthony Quinn (who costarred in the David Lean film), featuring a score by LAWRENCE composer Maurice Jarre, and filling the screen with just as much sand, LION OF THE DESERT tells the story of Omar Mukhtar (Quinn), a famed Arab hero who fought off the Italian advance of 1929-31. Leading the Italian troops is Gen. Rodolfo Graziani (Oliver Reed), who is attempting to invade Libya under the orders of Mussolini (Rod Steiger). While t...