LEGIONS OF THE LOST

Radio Record, 1 July 1938, Page 12

LEGIONS OF THE LOST

S INGING. with savage and bit- * ter pride, "Scum, scum, scum of the. carth, Here we come," Author P. C. Wren’s French Foreign Legionnaires, who marched on to the films some years ago, now march on to the air. Radio’s version of "Beau Geste,"’ to be heard from the four N.Z. commercial stations, is a good production. —

By

JACK

DAW

S regular as the economic cycle of boom, burst and depression, there is a steady procession these days of book, film and radio. The book booms, the film, in the hands of some gargantuan producer like Mr. de Mille-whom God preserve, since he has given us some of the funniest work on the screen since Charlie Chaplin -the film, one may say, sometimes bursts, but the radio version fortunately does not always end in depression. .

Latest work to fail into line and go through the march of this cycle of book, film and radio version is "Beau Geste," by P. C. ‘Wren, noted author, who left Oxford, to become sailor, navvy, tramp, schoolmaster, journalist, farm labourer, explorer, hunter and slum-dwell-ing costermonger.

"TILL tinding life dull after all this, P, C. Wren first joined a crack British cavalry regiment, und then enlisted with the French Foreign Legion. Thereafter life became a good deal lesg dull al many other people in the world. For, years later, when .he was "vounded in Hast Afriva fighting with the British forces in the World War, he ve gan to write his famous series of stories on the Foreig: Legion, ADIO’'S yersion of "Beau Geste," the most famous of these tales, is now to be heard from the Commercial stations in the four New Zealand centres, It begins at 1ZB and 3ZB'on July 4, and at 2ZB and 4ZB on July 11. gudged by the episodes I heard in a radio preview last week, it will be as keenly followed in the radio as it has been in print and on the films, Produced by an Australlan cast and script-writien by Hal Perey, it makes u first-rate thriller, faithful to the text and to the book’s exciting spirit. THERE is even'a pule reflection of filmland’s hustle (compare Gordon Mirims’s recent "Record" story of Sam Goldwyn saying "Get me Budapest" to the telephone operator in New Yorls) in the manner in which the radio version began. P, GO. Wren is a world trayeller. The Australian radio producety for station 3AW wanted the radio rights of "Beau (Gieste"’ in’ a hurry to replace the serial "For th@ aor of His Natural Life.’ They had trouble in finding, nt. .

By a stroke of luck he was not week-ending in Patagonia or Tibet or the deserts of Morocco. He was found in England. ° Two days after the first cable had been > sent from Melbourne, P. C. Wren‘s reply was received, Hal Percy had written the script for the opening, and "Beau Geste" was in production for its early debut. TN spite of the suspi-

cious speed Witb which the making of the production was begun, it is not possible to fault it. Hearing the pre view in the bitter weather of last week, one could not help but feel something of gratitude to the Commercial service for choosing the

tule of heat and desert sauv'ds for our New Zealand winter rather than a story of Antaretie¢ exploration, TPL technique is literary, the scene changing from place to place and from time to time, as freely and easily as in a novel, ud, happily, without any confusion to the listener. At first one is in the train with Major de Boujoulais, of ihe French Foreign Legion, and his friend, Colonel Lawrence. The bells ring and the engine whistles, avd tben, as the long journey goes ou-atd the train rattles most conyincingly over the sleepers-the Major begins to tell his friend 2 tale of mystery, ef a4 handful of stricken men in n North African fort, and an "offivier, mon omi, who lay dead in the hour of victory, most strangely murdered . . I" this doesn't make you’ prick your ears, told in the fascinating voice of Major de Boujoulais, with a few Irench words like "oflicier" thrown in that makes you think your knowledge of the French lunguage is pretty good after all, then you are missing something which can give you a fine amount of enjoyment. The fascinating voice of the major fades: out, and the scene flashes back to that strange business in the desert. The major ig leading his legionnnires to the retief of a French fort attacked by Arabs. After a forced match he sees the fort through his field-glasses, with men manning every post at the embrasure’ in the walls.. The men ‘do not move, Two shets sound fromthe fort, but still’ the silent men do, not moye.. And then, through his field-glasses, the major sees the kepi of one of (Continued on page 87.)

Legions of Lost

(Continued from page 12.) the men slip from his-head, sees in the forehead a little round bullet hole. Now he understands the immobility and the silence. The men who man the walls of the fort are all dead eee Inside the fort he finds the corpse of the officer in command, murdered by one of his own men and holding in his hand a crumpled message written in English: "For fear any innocent person may be accused, I confess that I stole the ‘Blue Water’ sapphire from the home of Lady Brandon. Signed Mishael Geste." PLASH back again to the train where V the Major is telling Colonel Lawence of this mystery, But Colonel ‘Lawrence knows of the theft of the famous ‘Blue Water" sapphire and knows that the three Gestes, Michael, Rigby. and John (Michael, trying to take the blame for the others) had left" one by one and joined the legion. Flash back to the house party of Lady Brandon at the time of the theft. One by one the Gestes have slipped away after the robbery. Flash back to the headquarters of the Foreign Legion in Paris, One by one, unknown to themselves, each of the Gestes has joined the Legion. TEP by step the story is built up again to the riddle of the fort and the dead man clutching the confession. Query: Will he turn out to be really Michael Geste? You are allowed only one guess, ee