Saadia (1953)

USA, 1953
82m
35mm film, colour (Technicolor), 1.37:1
mono (Western Electric Sound System), English

An American fantasy film directed by Albert Lewin.

Plot Summary

In post-World War II Sahara, ancient beliefs are still practiced and the power of prayer can still overcome evil magic.

Credits

Crew
Director: Albert Lewin
©1953. Loew’s Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Producer: Albert Lewin
Screenplay: Albert Lewin
Based on the Novel Échec au destin by: Francis d’ Autheville
Director of Photography: Christopher Challis
Editor: Harold F. Kress
Music: Bronislau Kaper
Sound Recording: Tony Leenhardt
Make-up: John O’Gorman
Hairdresser: Hilda Fox-marshall
Photography Effects: Tom Howard
Art Director: John Hawkesworth

Cast
Cornel Wilde (Si Lahssen)
Mel Ferrer (Henrik)
Rita Gam (Saadia)
Michel Simon (Bou Rezza)
Cyril Cusack (Khadir)
Wanda Rotha (Fatima)
Marcel Poncin (Moha)
Anthony Marlowe (Captain Sabert)
Hélène Vallier (Zoubida)
Mahjoub Ben Brahim (Ahmed)
Jacques Dufilho (bandit leader)
Bernard Farrel (Lieutenant Camuzac)
Richard Johnson (Lieutenant Girard)
Peter Copley (Mokhazenis)
Marne Maitland (horse dealer)
Edward Leslie (villager)
Harold Kasket (Cheiku of Inimert)
Peter Bull (village potentate)
Abdallah Mennebhi (Brahmin)
Edmund Purdom (narrator)

Alternative Titles

Çöl Yıldızı – Turkey
Saadia – aavikon tytär – Finland
Saadia, i flogeri – Greece
Саадия – Bulgaria

Production Notes

Pre-production
Daily Variety reported that Albert Lewin had been assigned to direct the film “over the weekend” by MGM’s head of production Dore Schary on Monday 12 May 1952. Lewin was due to head to Morocco in two weeks to start location scouting and doing research. He settled in Paris to write the script in the summer of 1952 – MGM executive Lawrence Weingarten boarded the maiden voyage of the S.S. United States to visit him in June to discuss the script, returning to New York in September.

By October 1952, Lewin had been in Israel scouting locations and returned to the States that same month after six months of research.

Fernando Lamas was originally considered for the lead role but was replaced by Cornel Wilde in November 1952 when Lamas made it clear that he wasn’t happy about filming in Morocco ¹Daily Variety 2 December 1952 p.1. This led to a spat between producers MGM and 20th Century Fox who held Wilde under contract and raised doubts over whether they’d let him go as he was scheduled to appear in their biblical epic The Robe (1953). This caused MGM to cancel wardrobe and make-up tests ²Daily Variety 3 December 1952 pp.1, 4. Wilde was also forced to turn down an offer to take the lead in a planned version of the King Arthur story titled Sir Lancelot and Guinevere because it clashed with his schedule. He eventually made the film in 1963 as Lancelot and Guinevere.

Elizabeth Taylor was briefly considered for the title role before Rita Gam was cast in early December ³Daily Variety 2 December 1952 pp.1.

On 9 December 1952, Lewin left for London en route to Morocco to start filming.

On 1 January 1953, Mel Ferrer flew to London for a week of wardrobe fitting before joining the crew in Morocco. He’d already recorded the Latin hymn, Panis Angelicus from Cesar Franck’s Messe Solennelle for the film the week before.

References

Periodicals

• Daily Variety 12 May 1952 p.3 – note (Al Lewin draws 3-ply ‘Saadia’ assignment)
• Daily Variety 23 May 1952 p.4 – note (Al Lewin to Europe)
• Daily Variety 13 June 1953 p.1-2 – note (Studios hypo lensing abroad)
• Daily Variety 30 June 1952 p.5 – note (Chatter)
• Daily Variety 16 September 1952 p.7 – note (Tracy, Weingarten due back from continent)
• Daily Variety 24 October 1952 p.6 – note (Al Lewin returns to polish ‘Saadia)
• Daily Variety 26 November 1952 p.3 – note (Metro seeks Wilde to top ‘Saadia’ cast)
• Daily Variety 28 November 1952 pp.2; 5 – note (Just for Variety by Sheilah Graham); note (Chatter)
• Daily Variety 2 December 1952 pp.1; 3 – note (Rita Gam in ‘Saadia’); note (Metro okays loanout of Lamas to P-T)
• Daily Variety 3 December 1952 pp.1, 4 – note (20th may pre-empt Wilde for ‘Saadia’ for ‘Robe’)
• Daily Variety 4 December 1952 p.5 – note (Chatter)
• Daily Variety 5 December 1952 – note (Chatter)
• Daily Variety 16 December 1952 p.4 – note (Retakes by George E. Phair)
• Daily Variety 22 December 1952 p.10 – note (Assign Mel Ferrer ‘Round Table’ role)
• Daily Variety 26 December 1952 p.3; 4 – note (Mel Ferrer singing hymn in ‘Saadia’); note (Hollywood Inside)
• Daily Variety 29 December 1952 p.14 – note (Chatter)
• Daily Variety 31 December 1952 p.54 – notes (Chatter: Broadway; Chatter: Paris)
• The Hollywood Reporter vol.127 no.30 (29 December 1953) p.3 – credits, review
• Kine Weekly no.2450 (10 June 1954) p.22 – credits, review
• Monthly Film Bulletin vol.21 no.246 (July 1954) p.102 – credits, synopsis. review
• Motion Picture Herald vol.194 no.1 (2 January 1954) p.2125 – credits, review
• Today’s Cinema vol.82 no.7027 (4 June 1954) p.13 – credits, review
• Variety 14 May 1952 p.7 – note (Lewin’s 3-ply chore)
• Variety 25 June 1962 p.62 – note (Chatter: Paris)
• Variety 8 October 1952 p.77 – note (Broadway)
• Variety 22 October 1952 p.62 – note (Broadway)
• Variety 3 December 1952 p.62 – note (Chatter: Hollywood)
• Variety 30 December 1953 – credits, review
• Variety 24 December 1952 p.54 – note (Chatter: Broadway)
• Variety 31 December 1952 p.7 – note (30 foreign pix in 6 mos. For Hollywood)

Books

• Conversations with Cinematographers by David A. Ellis pp.53-54
• Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.411 – credits