Like Robert Mitchum, Gary Cooper had a deceptively lazy delivery that endeared him to millions, although he had a gentler style than Mitchum, and there was nearly always a twinkle of humour behind the eyes. Here he is Beau (of course) in the best screen version of PC Wren's classic yarn of three brothers who join the Foreign Legion. The climax at the fort littered with dead men gave rise to a thousand comedy skits, and Brian Donlevy gave one of his most memorable screen portrayals as the scarred and sadistic sergeant.

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