Armor guys-what movie is this?

I know the movie your talking about. It was on cable here about a week ago. Don't remember the name off-hand, but I think Bogey was in it as the sergent leading the group.

"Sahara" is the movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036323/).  Humphrey Bogart has the leading role of the American Sargent. Classic movie, haven't seen it for a while.  Have to see if I can get it from Netflix.

Paul

padakr

"Sahara" is the movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036323/).  Humphrey Bogart has the leading role of the American Sargent. Classic movie, haven't seen it for a while.  Have to see if I can get it from Netflix.

Paul

Awe, Paul beat me to it. Yes Sahara. A great propaganda movie even if there were some inaccuracies. In other words, Americans weren't on the battlefield before El Alamein.

Lulubelle is a great M3 Lee medium tank.  In an early shot, you see a cast hull M3A1 Lee in the background.

Here is another movie along the same line. The Steel Lady. You can see a clip on you tube. Enjoy. Ted Nichols. occasional poster.

As stated, it is the Bogart classic Sahara, if you saw the movie in black and white. If you saw the movie in color starring James Belushi, then you saw the Austrailian TV movie remake. It is pretty good with only minor dialog differences and a couple of scene situations changed.

The American's presence in North Africa is explained as a detachment sent to train the British on the M3 tank and to gain some desert warfare experience. The US light and medium tank quality was so far ahead of British armor at the time.

I've got the VHS tape of the original (still with a Kmart price tag of $2.99). I just burned it to DVD a week or so ago. I've also got the Belushi remake on DVD. I got it from the clearance bin of a mall video store for something like $5.99 or $9.99 in the early 2000s; sometime before I moved to Ft. Knox in Jan 2005.

I watched them both last week to see the differences between the two.

Didn't see this thread until it was too late.  Yep, it was "Sahara" with Humphrey Bogart.  It was a remake of a Russian/Soviet movie of the same time period.

Never saw the remake with Jim Bulishi, thinl I'll pass on that.

Always wanted to make a model of "Lulubelle".

Talk about inaccuracies,I always wondered why the tank hunkered down at the well.The attacking Germans had no heavy weapons,I think Bogey could have attacked with the tank and blown the hell out of the Germans,but I guess it's just hollywood.Great movie though,both versions.

anthony2779

Talk about inaccuracies,I always wondered why the tank hunkered down at the well.The attacking Germans had no heavy weapons,I think Bogey could have attacked with the tank and blown the hell out of the Germans,but I guess it's just hollywood.Great movie though,both versions.

One tank against 500 infantrymen would not have worked, especially since the tank crew consisted of the commander, gunner and radioman, only half of its allotted crew of 6. The 37mm gun was designed as an anti-tank weapon and only fired a solid shot. The 75mm main gun was a bunker buster designed for use against fortified targets or trenches, not infantrymen in the open. It was also not effective while the tank was on the move. Also in tactics, it favors the defenders. The tank in a defensive position is more effective to defend the well. If it went off and chased down the Germans, dozens would have still made it to the well while the tank was running around in the sand.

Also the Germans had land mines. The good guys acquired some when they captured the halftrack, but the rest of the battalion would have just chucked a few into the tank's path and could have damged or destroyed it.

thank you Rob for your comments,fun discussion,I certainly  respect your knowledge of equipment and tactics

It's now at the top of my Netflix queue.  Just have to watch Das Boot that came today and get it back in the mail quick. 

Yup,, Sahara

A very good movie!

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the one I remember was the remake.  I do remember it in color I think.  I'll have to stick that on my Netflix list too.    Thanks, guys!

The original is a classic, with a real US M3 Lee. The remake used an Austrailian/Commonwealth M3 Lee as a US tank. Some of the differences is the lack of a commander's cupola (Commonwealth used a .30 cal in a pintle mount) and the double I bar rubber track.

The remake tank is currently in the Canadian War Museum in Ontario.