Desert Command (1946) John Wayne

Desert Command 1946 full movie. Mystery action spy thriller starring John Wayne and features Lon Chaney. The Duke takes his standard early western story line and moves it to the desert, in this thrilling awfully sandy "oater". - Broken Trout -

[@ronaldmasterbud1551]

1933 or 2023 not Much Has Changed in The World. GOOD MOVIE !!!

[@donniedickerson8077]

Can't Beat These Movies,, Well Worth A Watch

[@johnbockelie3899]

My favorite line in the whole movie is " First they want to kill us, then they don't. I wish they would make up their minds."

[@leelarson107]

The film is listed here as '1946', but one must bear in mind that it was done as a serial in 1933 and later chopped up to make a single feature-length movie.

[@leelarson107]

It's awful, it's terrible, but it's a John Wayne movie, and I'm glad to see it here.

[@johnemerson1363]

@@leelarson107 Actually a typical 1930's serial. Its 1946 date seemed out of date though. Movies were much smoother by then.

[@1LSWilliam]

Thanks. It explains everything.

[@coleparker]

I thought it might be something like that. The movie has too much of a 1930s feel and Wayne appears a lot younger than he actually would be in 1946.

[@brucemiles3810]

@@coleparker my first thought also

[@RobertJones-ux6nc]

It has been so long since I last saw this one of John Wayne movies, I almost had forgotten it

[@stevenrussell5340]

Love the opening battle when the Duke flies in and with a machine gun, cuts down JUST the riders and not the horses, Ill tell you, this is classic Duke. Good shootin' Hero man. lolololo....

[@dougcunha4120]

Thank you for finding that it is the only John Wayne I've missed alarm 68 and I thought I saw him all thank you and keep up the good work

[@carmelitabeaverhausen739]

Big John Wayne--he flies the plane! 🛩

[@anthonycrnkovich5241]

This is a good feature version of the 1933 12-chapter Mascot serial, THE THREE MUSKETEERS. Lon Chaney Jr. does a fine job in a key supporting role.

[@on2wheels378]

This was 'The Three Musketeers' in 1936. Re-screened in 46 as Desert Command.

[@howardfortyfive9676]

Thanks for the info. I thought this was quite cheesy production values wise. This is by far the worst comment I ever made about the Duke.

[@philliprogers964]

This is a western trying to get into some global markets. I truthly thought it was a comics version and couldn't stop laughing

[@frederickwise5238]

That was three mEsQuiteers : Ray Corrigan, Robert Livingston and Max Terhune - with John Wayne. Kinda grew up with 'em. Back when a kid could take his cap pistols to town and go to a Sat Matinee for a dime. You used the other dime your dad gave you to buy a 10cent war bond stamp! "The Three Mesquiteers is the umbrella title for a Republic Pictures series of 51 Western B-movies released between 1936 and 1943, including eight films starring John Wayne."

[@doristhomas8350]

1933

[@on2wheels378]

@@doristhomas8350 I stand corrected. Thanks Mr helper.

[@Paladin1873]

This film began life as a 1933 serial titled "The Three Musketeers". It is based on the Dumas book of the same name but updated to incorporate the French Foreign fighting 20th century North Africa tribesmen. It was much later edited into a feature film in 1946.

[@user-pt8mq2xf1p]

Yeah, it didn't look 1946 to me.

[@deaddocreallydeaddoc5244]

@@user-pt8mq2xf1p You can find John Wayne in wartime films looking a lot older in the 1940s! I knew it had to be the early 30s.

[@toomanyhobbies2011]

Thank you for explaining that!

[@walterbosch9198]

This movie was not made in 1946 but in the 1930s but its still good. Vintage john wayne.

[@1mlannen]

I love old movies but could not keep track of the good guys or bad ones. For a movie made in 1946 it has the quality of a movie from the twenties. MKL

[@cliverockability3829]

Thank you for this. Great stuff

[@moviemonster9033]

What an interesting film, esp seeing these stars developing their trade. The comments on this page are also very enlightening. I nearly didn't watch this but I'm pleased now that I did. Thanks, BT.

[@BrokenTrout]

You found it Eh Movie Monster, good job!

[@frankcastelo6980]

Excellent! Thank you!

[@RichardDominguezTheMagicIsReal]

not a bad little mystery, don't think I have seen Wayne in a mystery before, thanks for the upload

[@BrokenTrout]

Thanks Richard, I thought it was a heck of a movie.

[@Scripts360]

Pidge is in it. An incredibly nice man. Told wonderful stories about the early days.

[@vikingcelt6587]

this is from the 1933 series known as the three musketeers made into a movie. the plane is a clue. that bi plane was from the early thirties. no longer in commission by 1946.

[@jamesbuttery3862]

I was gonna say this looks more like 1930's quality...not 40's.

[@robh6638]

Well they did say he has his own plane sooo. Although you are right it is just a movie and perhaps the military's of the time would let a officer use his own plane.

[@robh6638]

Technically the movie was filmed in 46 but they perhaps depicted in the 30s.

[@aomahana]

Woah .... The way they mount the horses!!!

[@pingpong5000]

If you wonder about the wooden acting it is because this is an edited version of the 1933 Mascot serial "The Three Musketeers," which in this form was not release until 46, Mr Morrison was still learning his trade in B movies, good old 'Singing Sandy' and the Duke was years in the future..

[@BrokenTrout]

Ping Pong knows his cinema history. A+++

[@pingpong5000]

@@BrokenTroutTrout Thanks, but I'm just an old time Duke fan and I looked it up after the film' poorness' overwhelmed me. ;)

[@yomama8873]

Thank you 🤩🤩🤩💖💖

[@alancasperson8838]

Black and white movies are the best to watch.I have the movie of "The Three Musketeers" of 1930 on DVD disc.

[@jeffreycoulter4095]

Another piece of history

[@thomaslemay8817]

This is one of the early B movies from the studio era. When everyone was under contract to the various movie studios . The B movie crew was given a script they made the movie on a very small budget. It supply theaters two movies to be shown together and normally a cartoon strip in between before television became popular they displayed newsreels .

[@margeconnors1505]

Not 1945,if you Google it 1933..I thought John Wayne looked too young for this to be a 1945 movie

[@robert-vt1fq]

In John Wayne's movies were always the best

[@carycoller3140]

That dude was as racist as they come. F him 🖕

[@brianmccarthy5557]

Enlightening comments. I imagine my Dad saw this as a small boy as he always had a fondness for French Foreign Legion films. When I was a kid in the Boy Scouts in the late 1960's we would go to Vasquez Rocks. If you're not from LA or don't know it I guarantee you've see it in a dozen car commercials and many movies. There was a Foreign Legion fort built there as a movie set and we used to play and screw around all over it. I've seen it in several films. Can't figure out where this one was shot yet but it must have been in Southern California due to the obvious budget constraints for a "C" picture shot for a serial. Still a fun little picture if you don't ask for, or expect, much. Thanks for posting it.

[@johnbockelie3899]

I've seen that fort you talked about on Star Trek episode " Arena" and on an episode of " The Rat Patrol ".😄 It was probably built for movies like this one.

[@jdrancho1864]

Prolly the sand dunes in Imperial County. Location of a lot of desert or alien planet movies. A favorite with people playing with their dune buggies and sand rails.

[@jaimepalma2417]

Felicitaciones gracias por la Gran película estraordinaria grande ojalá dieran capitulos siempre jamás me pierdo niun capítulo felicitaciones desde la República de Chile

[@peglegpete6656]

John Wayne is a man for all countries.

[@antoniod]

This was filmed in the early 30s. 1946 was probably the year of this Reissue.

[@BrokenTrout]

The three Mesquiteers series.

[@mdwag57]

@@BrokenTrout And it does say on screen Adapted from story by Alexandre Dumas, who of course is the author of the original classic French novel, The Three Musketeers. It was very popular in Russian translation too.

[@jazzfusionary]

Great movie, thanks for the upload. Can the 3 Musketeers defeat the unsavory El Shaitan with the best of the best John Wayne? Great to see him with the Wolf Man, Lon Chaney Jr. and Rocky from TV fame Noah Beery Jr. The stunts are excellent from Duke's pal, Yakima Canutt. The heroine is another Duke favorite, Ruth Hall.

[@russskinner]

The tv series starring Noah Beery Jr. was not called Rocky but was called Corky the circus boy.

[@suev3339]

Many great actors in their formative years. Always good to see their beginnings. Thank you.

[@moacirindiodacostajr.302]

Decades after I saw this movie I still whistle its music theme.

[@frederickwise5238]

Amazing 3:20. Men keep falling from machinegun fire BUT their horses keep right on running.

[@Ohnyet]

AR 500 Protects horses too!

[@frederickwise5238]

@@Ohnyet But the horses didnt look like they were wearing it LOL

[@captainjack8823]

"No horses were injured while producing this film." " We can't say the same for extras nor stuntmen."

[@gregoryeastwood9068]

Lol.....good ole movies when they knew how to make’em. Haha

[@randallulrich]

That's because the horses are bulletproof.

[@neo-YoutubeStoleMyHandle]

"El Shatan"...I love it. The days when we recognized the difference between Good and Evil...

[@spartacusall]

Hard not to cheer for anti-imperialists. Thought the Americans might have chosen the locals’ side. Obviously at the last minute the doctor had. If FDR had insisted French children ponies as well as Brit were at an end, there would have been no communists with any hold on nationalists nor war in Southeast Asia with Americans. Africa and India were spared that. Respecting individuals and their cultures was what America used to be about.

[@koroba01]

Interesting…Shatan is almost the same as Shaitan, in Frank Herbert’s Dune saga the Fremen used this term “for an embodiment of evil, such as a devil or a demon”. To be clear this word was not used for the sand worms of Arrakis, that is Shai-Hulud, however having said that it was on some occasions used to denote the sand worms.

[@terrencegurnee3166]

good old movie!

[@person390]

I've never seen this one . Before my time pretty good 👍

[@stevenhall9349]

Never seen this movie before, thanks

[@BrokenTrout]

You are welcome @Steven Hall.

[@kittyrussell2452]

This movie is actually "The Three Musketeers" released in 1933 when John Wayne was in his 20s and not made after WW II when he was 40 (as the ad here implies).

[@chrisoconnell5143]

On land sea or air john wayne is the best

[@1LSWilliam]

Amazing flick. The quality seems to be 14 years out if date.

[@buckaroobanzai8480]

I love that the machine gun on the aircraft is not timed with the engine, they must go through a lot of propeller replacements.... Oh sorry, Hollywood back in the day. My bad.

[@telstrabigpond2562]

I've seen this movie was very good,I have the movie on disc.

[@BrokenTrout]

Excellent disc find telstra bigpond.

[@chrisoconnell5143]

Wow never heard of this movie!!

[@robertsnell3179]

I knew this movie was older than 1946...looks like one of those old WB movies from the 30's on tcm

[@user-zq5jd7ee9n]

1933

[@israeldesouzamoraes5459]

Nossa tenho a coletânea toda deste filme .maravilha adoro

[@jeremybear573]

Yes. Superb film!

[@suev3339]

The “sausage” guy is a good character actor. That poor sausage went thru so much.

[@paulohenriquedeandrade1969]

um filme muito antigo e muito raro com ator john wayne vale a pena

[@yopaullowe]

What a shot. JW picking off the enemy with a machine gun without hitting any horses...

[@abhijitmukherjee720]

Really interesting ❤

[@bobbyb.6644]

Beau Geste lives ! 🤗

[@paulmiddleton4215]

now THAT was a FFL movie deluxe

[@williamschlosser77]

They dont make em like this anymore.... thank god.

[@bradmiller7486]

Who ever wrote this, should be staked on an ant hill. This wouldn't get published in a pulp-fiction magazine.

[@chrismaguire3667]

Kept to watch, began to, thought "What a turkey!" , but couldn't stop watching... Why, oh why?...😕 So bad, it's good...

[@master-kq3nw]

John wayne is the best in westerns

[@guycastonguay9633]

master 82575 Clar Gable Janes Stewart Lee Remick all fought for their country as their patriotic duty John Wayne was a coward and thought more of advancing his career than fighting for his country.

[@master-kq3nw]

@@guycastonguay9633 you off topic i talk about movies no.war

[@guycastonguay9633]

@@master-kq3nw This movie is about war!

[@master-kq3nw]

@@guycastonguay9633 so what this is movie

[@anthonyfrew1571]

This is the edited feature version of a 1933 -12 chapter series - shown over as many weeks - by this 1946 release John Wayne had become a huge star - it was not unknown for mascot and co to release their serials in feature form

[@randallulrich]

This isn't Lon Chaney. It's his son, Creighton Chaney, later billed as Lon Chaney, Jr. Lon Chaney had been dead for three years by the time this was originally made (1933).

[@leroyabernathy9934]

Firing a Lewis MG through the propeller is like walking between rain drops; only the Duke could get away with that.

[@richardmontgomery7221]

There was a device, called an "interrupter" gear, which enabled machine guns to fire through the propeller without shooting it to pieces. It was invented during the first world war. Google it sometime.

[@lamwen03]

And before the interrupter they just did fire through the prop and took their chances. The famous French WW1aviator Roland Garros had developed an early interruptor. The French open location is named for him.

[@1LSWilliam]

This is a most but truthful depiction of Jihadist sympathies of the day. There was no idea of negotiation, etc. Only Libs could think otherwise in the face of overwhelming fact.

[@spartacusall]

Never heard of the United States of North Africa, hmmm 1803

[@matta3968]

Nobody kicked more ass than the Duke.

[@larrybone4349]

I had a Siberian Husky l named Duke because he was so aggressive.

[@snowman374th]

14:01 "Rocky" The Rockford files.

[@BrokenTrout]

Sure enough!

[@dukecraig2402]

Also in the classic movie Sergeant York.

[@garfieldsmith332]

The graininess of the film and the sound did not seem to be from 1946, Also by then John Wayne was a big star. Checked it out and this is a film made from episodes of the 1933 serial The Three Musketeers which was updated to a modern day time frame and with the French Foreign legion.

[@supersami7748]

If I remember my useless trivia this was actually and early 1930’s B (possibly C) film when Wayne was still many years away from Stagecoach and stardom. As others have noted it’s really bad, so bad it’s almost a comedy.

[@paulmicelli5819]

The movie "Beau Geste" was popular when this was made in the 1930's.

[@retrobytes.v65]

Interesting that his characters surname is also Wayne!!:) Didn't anyone else spot this!:)

[@suev3339]

Sure did… many early black and whites used the actors real name. Seen any Tex Ritter films… he’s always Tex.

[@user-zq5jd7ee9n]

It was the only movie in which his character had his last name. He played in 32 movies with his first name of John.

[@ronaldweed6103]

Group movie 🎬 for its time

[@wessew6185]

The John Wayne Swagger even in Arabic robes.

[@thomasshoff6512]

It is not strange that cowboys and Indians were the heroes in the 30’s. So change the routine to Arabs and the desert- but keep the actions and dialogue the same. Serials to movies, all the same. Every kid in town loved it.

[@markdouglas2704]

Cool

[@rickypayne9192]

John wayne was the lead in 142 movies

[@kansasross]

Oh hell! It's a Western.

[@edcrayzys]

he always finds a way on to a horse lol

[@baxter5431]

This is more like 1936 because "Lon" Chaney Jr. is still using his actual given name of Creighton.

[@pingpong5000]

1933, the three musketeers.

[@howardkerr8174]

The music at the opening sure sounded like something from a 30s movie, a bit cheesey for 1946.

[@davidcoursey5041]

"The devil's circle" scene ~ like watching a NATO meeting in Ramstein AFB.

[@warrathblacktiger5566]

I seen this I bought the series for my dad yrs ago it was 1933 serial Looks like they chopped it to a single reel b movie for 1946 Thought the date was odd

[@trackdusty]

"Made over on the Botany sand hills".

[@johnlinden7398]

This film was produced in 1936 but not 1946 for sure !

[@user-zq5jd7ee9n]

Merely a 1946 re-release of a 1933 film.

[@MrWaterbugdesign]

First movie I've noticed the opening credits has the "Directed by" at the front instead of last.

[@leelarson107]

I wasn't until 1940 that the title, cast, crew, and director were listed in that order as a standard format.

[@suev3339]

That was the way early films were done.

[@gerardlombardo2723]

film de 1933 avec comme réalisateur ARMAND SCHAEFER👍

[@nobrenobre1]

By the style, the hair cuts, it looks more 1936 movie!

[@user-zq5jd7ee9n]

1933

[@madlenellul3430]

Edited version of the 1933 serial re-released in 1946…it’s a very young John folks..

[@cabana123100]

une guerre revue par hollywood....

[@gsigs]

For God's sake people, before you comment about "It was really 1933" or "Lon Chaney Jr" PLEASE read the comments!

[@user-zq5jd7ee9n]

Nobody does that. Everyone thinks they are the only one who could possibly have the information and they figure that everyone else just HAS to see their comment.

[@CaptainNavman]

NOT Lon Chaney Jnr, as he errantly called himself but Creighton Chaney

[@Paul-lm5gv]

Clearly this is NOT a movie made in 1946. John Wayne is too young. I looked it up. "Desert Command (1946 release) is a feature length version of the 1933 12 chapter serial The Three Musketeers."

[@renwickhumphrey9498]

Yes you can also see how you LCJ is. Has to be early '30s

[@Ohnyet]

A10 Wart Hog at work.

[@scotthorton6289]

Better than the crap they put out today by a long shot.

[@leelarson107]

Yeah, no kidding. No nude scenes, no rotten language, no 'Political Correctness', and just enough violence to make it realistic.

[@frankdunstan5024]

This was so corny it was hilarious. Good for a laugh.

[@douglaswallace7680]

Strange to watch Lon Chaney as a normal person !

[@leelarson107]

You mean as something than an alcoholic trying to play a part? His boozing led to his death in 1973.

[@philiplagomarsino4086]

Didn’t realize at first it was Lon Chaney

[@leelarson107]

He was possibly still sober at that time.

[@randallulrich]

That's because it isn't Lon Chaney. It's his son, Creighton Chaney, later billed as Lon Chaney, Jr. Lon Chaney had been dead for three years by the time this was originally made (1933).

[@philiplagomarsino4086]

@@randallulrich thank you I didn’t know he had a son in movies

[@bubbascoutdog]

Hooper Atchley??? Wow, GREATNESS, or in other words...........WHO??? 😂😂😂

[@lordemed1]

"You're late, darling. Engine trouble?" "No, arabs"

[@BALOYBEACHBUM]

Wayne the Draft Dodger!!

[@user-zq5jd7ee9n]

No he wasn't. You're deluded, just like everyone else who says this same crap. He was exempted from service due to his age (34) and family status (3A - family deferment). Wayne repeatedly tried to enlist. The studios were very resistant to losing him, since he was their only A-list actor under contract. The president of Republic Studios threatened Wayne with a lawsuit if he walked away from his contract, and also requested Wayne's further deferment. Wayne did make an application to serve in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), but his bid was unsuccessful. There were also others who did not serve - Ben Johnson, Spencer Tracy, Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Robert Mitchum, etc. No one seems to be mad at them for not joining. Why is that? Besides, it has been over 80 years. You people REALLY need to let it go.

[@ronaldweed6103]

Commies everywhere

[@ianbarber311]

The guy that played Burn Em Up Barnes.

[@olddog6658]

Big hero when I was a kid, then I found out JW was a draft dogger, took exemption & stayed home with wife and kids. While a large numbers of actors joined up and put their lives and future on the line.

[@paulmiddleton4215]

JW was 34 with 3 or 4 kids at the breakout of the war. no way was he gonna be drafted, he did try but was rejected. hitler did have a bounty on him [and other stars].

[@user-zq5jd7ee9n]

No he wasn't. You're deluded, just like everyone else who says this same crap. He was exempted from service due to his age (34) and family status (3A - family deferment). Wayne repeatedly tried to enlist. The studios were very resistant to losing him, since he was their only A-list actor under contract. The president of Republic Studios threatened Wayne with a lawsuit if he walked away from his contract, and also requested Wayne's further deferment. Wayne did make an application to serve in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), but his bid was unsuccessful. There were also others who did not serve - Ben Johnson, Spencer Tracy, Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Robert Mitchum, etc. No one seems to be mad at them for not joining. Why is that? Besides, it has been over 80 years. You people REALLY need to let it go.

[@alfaalfa9764]

John Wayne one of his interesting movies ,the French Foreign Legion and gun runners and The three musketeers.illegal gun runners there is not to be a channel 8.

[@davidhull1481]

This is from 1946? It has the look and feel of a movie from the early 30’s.

[@user-zq5jd7ee9n]

1933

[@davidhull1481]

@@user-zq5jd7ee9n Thanks. I looked it up and it is indeed from 1933. The 1933 movie was edited into this one and released in 1946. At least I got it right.

[@DCH4487]

Is that Lon Chaney Jr. ? 😮

[@garfieldsmith332]

Yes. Creighton Chaney was his birth name.

[@fload46d]

This has to be earlier than '46.

[@user-zq5jd7ee9n]

1933

[@pfzinnc]

I think it's hilarious how Arab and even some French speak with an American accent.