The Desert Hawk is a 1944 Columbia film serial. It was the 23rd serial produced by Columbia. Gilbert Roland played a dual role in this serial, that of Kasim, The Desert Hawk and also Hassan, his evil twin brother. Co-stars included serial regulars Charles Middleton, Frank Lackteen and I. Stanford Jolley.
Contents
Plot
The sinister Hassan starts plotting against the recently crowned Caliph, his twin brother Kasim. The evil twin engages the help of Faud who sends his man to the palace to kidnap the Caliph and murder him. These henchmen enter the palace and wound Kasim who manages to escape. A beggar named Omar finds him and cares for him until his health is restored. By the time the wounded Kasim recovers, his brother has taken over the throne. Hassan plans to marry Princess Azala, the daughter of the Emir of Telif, who does not know that the current Caliph is an impostor. Kasim decides to fight for the throne and the princess after he finds a suit of chainmail displaying a hawk on the front.
Production
The Desert Hawk is a "western" set in the Middle East with swashbuckling elements.
Critical reception
According to reviewer William Cline, Gilbert Roland was "superbly convincing as the dashing Hawk, and made memorable an otherwise routine thriller."
Chapter titles
The Twin Brothers
The Evil Eye
The Mark of the Scimitar
A Caliph's Treachery
The Secret of the Palace
The Feast of the Beggars
Double Jeopardy
The Slave Traders
The Underground River
The Fateful Wheel
The Mystery of the Mosque
The Hand of Vengeance
Swords of Fate
The Wizard's Story
The Triumph of Kasim
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