Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Monday 27 April 1953, page 3


London Critics Praise

"The Desert Rats"

LONDON, April 26 (A.A.P.).-London Sunday newspapers generally praise the Hollywood film, "The Desert Rats," though, some critics make the point that the "Desert Rats" were not exclusively Australians.

The "Observer" says the film is an impressive one and a generous tribute to British achievement in a field of war where the Americans took no part.

"The Desert Rats' is con-cerned with the hardihood and resource of the Australian Ninth Division, which held Tobruk for 242 days in 1941 in the face of everything Rom-mel could throw against it," the newspaper says.

The newspaper praises Richard Burton, as the cap-tain commanding a group of Australians, James Mason as

Rommel, and says that Robert Douglas as the General in charge of operations, and Chips Rafferty as an Austra-lian sergeant, are helpful in their brief appearances.

"We hardly need tell you that the musical background consists mainly of "Waltzing Matilda" played by full orchestra or mouth-organ for-tissimo or pianissimo, fast or slow"' it says.

The "Sunday Dispatch" says: "Many nationalities were involved in the heroic defend of Tobruk, but the name of Chips Raffeity in the cast more than hints that it is the Aussies who are in the lime-light."

The "Sunday Pictorial" says: "It is a war story that makes you tingle wilh pride. Seldom does Hollywood do our Army so proud as in The Desert Rats.' "