DVD Review: John Wayne in Legend of the Lost (1957)

Kino Lorber’s classics division continues its tradition of releasing some of the more interesting films from the silent era through the 1970s, including this offbeat John Wayne movie that also stars Sophia Loren and Rossano Brazzi.

Wayne leads an expedition across the Sahara with Brazzi and Loren in tow, their attempts to find a lost city that was handed down as lore by the Brazzi character’s father. The desolate vastness of the desert scenes and the actors who fluctuate from romantic triangle to struggling survival are the focal points of this emotionally stirring feature.

This film is an offbeat one for Wayne not only because of its location filming in Rome and Libya, but also for the decision to pair him up with a couple of popular international stars. While the setting and characters offer a different approach, Wayne’s performance draws from the established screen persona that had made him a top level star by this time. More than merely trading off an image, John Wayne was a master at anchoring the narrative of any setting with his character, and enjoys real success in this film.

Rossano Brazzi is also great as the obsessive man who passionately wants to prove his father’s claim of a lost city. Sophia Loren’s striking beauty is matched only by her captivating performance as a woman of loose morals and a sordid past who is drawn to the forgiving Brazzi as well as the rugged Wayne. It is also worth mentioning the comic support offered by the always welcome Kurt Kasznar

Critics at the time were dismissive of “Legend of the Lost,” but, as with many films that were not well appreciated in their time, the movie has since enjoyed greater appreciation. There were complaints that the film offered too little action, but the point of the narrative was more an evolving character study where the central figures attempted to survive the elements on their journey. Others claimed there was no chemistry among the leading players, but this reviewer would argue that Wayne’s noted screen persona blends effectively with the two international stars.

Wayne made this for his own Batjac productions, so the idea to explore a different setting for his character was at least partially his own. Director Henry Hathaway gives attention to the widescreen visual imagery as much as the character-driven human drama. He would direct Wayne’s Oscar winning performance in “True Grit” a dozen years later. The camerawork by Jack Cardiff and the script by Ben Hecht and Robert Presnell are also worth noting. Pre-dating “Lawrence of Arabia,” the visual brilliance of “Legend of the Lost” is the portent for later such films.

Kino Lorber’s blu ray is sharp and colorful, really bringing out Hathaway’s choice of shots and clever use of the widescreen image, as well as Cardiff’s cinematography. Including this film in any library or collection will extend the range of the John Wayne or the Sophia Loren films already owned.

The film is available here.