Beau Ideal

Beau Ideal (1931)

LIPS PRESSED IN ONE FIERCE KISS!

An American joins the French Foreign Legion in order to rescue a boyhood friend.

Date of release
1931-01-25
TMDB
4.5 / 10 (12)
Runtime
1h 22m
Genres
War, Adventure, Romance
Director
Herbert Brenon

Casting

Interesting facts

Beau Ideal is a 1931 American pre-Code adventure film directed by Herbert Brenon and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film was based on the 1927 adventure novel Beau Ideal by P. C. Wren, the third novel in a series of five novels based around the same characters. Brenon had directed the first in the series, Beau Geste, which was a very successful silent film in 1926. The screenplay was adapted from Wren's novel by Paul Schofield, who had also written the screenplay for the 1926 Beau Geste, with contributions from Elizabeth Meehan and Marie Halvey.

Production

The precursor to Paramount Pictures, Famous Players–Lasky Corp, produced the film Beau Geste, in 1926. It was based on P. C. Wren's novel of life in the French Foreign Legion. The second book in the series, Beau Sabreur, was made into a film in 1928, starring Gary Cooper, also by Paramount.

In August it was announced that Ralph Forbes would reprise his role of John Geste, which he had originated in the original film.

In the beginning of September it was announced that Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. would have a leading role in the film, on loan from Warner Brothers; also announced to the cast were Ralph Forbes and Leni Stengel. In September 1930, RKO hired an Arab chieftain, Abdeslam ben Mohammed, as a technical consultant for the film. Initial reports also indicated that he would appear in the film, but no sources credit him with appearing.

Also in September, it was decided that the film would use the same location as the earlier Geste film, in Yuma, Arizona. Besides the Yuma location, some location filming was done in the Sonora Desert in Mexico, as well as studio work on the RKO lot in Hollywood. Later in September, Otto Matieson, Paul McAllister, Hale Hamilton, and Don Alvarado were announced as joining the cast.

Production on the film began in late September 1930, and would finish in late October. Two new technological improvements were inaugurated in this film. The "Dunning Process" was used to adapt the film for foreign-language versions. The concentrator microphone was developed by RKO to be used in productions to filter noise in exterior shots, was first used during this film's production.

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