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| | AFI: Robert Wise - The Desert Rats |
 | | After James Mason's star turn as Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in the successful 1951 Fox picture THE DESERT FOX, the studio recast him in the role, hoping for similar results at the box office. |
 | | The film's authentic look is remarkable, considering it was not shot in the North African desert, but in the small town of Borrego Springs, California, just a short drive from Palm Springs. |
 | | Captain Tammy MacRoberts is a tough British officer who takes over command of the 9th Australian Division at Tobruk in 1941, while the desert fortress is surrounded and hard pressed by Rommel's Africa Corps. |
| www.afi.com /wise/films/desert_rats/dr.html (451 words) |
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