Set of eight lobby cards for the film, “Sword in the Desert,” released in the United States in August 1949. Lobby cards are promotional materials placed in theater lobby windows to highlight specific movie scenes, rather than the broader themes often depicted on posters. The film follows an American cargo ship captain who finds himself stranded in a Jewish settlement after smuggling a group of illegal Jewish immigrants to British-controlled Palestine. Initially self-interested and unsympathetic to the refugees, the captain has a change in heart after he is captured, imprisoned, and later escapes with them. “Sword in the Desert” was the first film made in Hollywood that depicted the Jewish struggle to establish the state of Israel in May 1948. Britain was given control of Palestine following World War I, and severely restricted the immigration of Jewish refugees who wanted to establish a new Jewish State. This led many refugees to enter the country via “illegal” or “clandestine” immigration on ships. The mass immigration of refugees also led to bitter clashes between the Arab locals and the Jewish paramilitary organization, the Haganah. The film received some criticism for portraying the British as villains, and not showing any of the conflict with the Arab population. In England, the film was perceived as anti-British and sparked outrage and several violent incidents. “Sword in the Desert” also established a new archetype of a rough-and-tumble female character that can hold her own with the Haganah fighters. This object is one of more than 1,200 objects in the Cinema Judaica Collection of materials related to films about World War II and the Holocaust as well as Jewish, Israeli, and biblical themes.
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Set of eight lobby cards for the film “Sword in the Desert” (1949)
.1 Lobby card printed on rectangular, off-white cardstock, with a narrow white margin on all four sides, and illustrations in the center. Across the top of the card are two lines of red advertising copy over a white background below. The center of the card has a large, rectangular, orange background. Across the top are the names of the principal cast members, printed in large, black text. Below is the film title in red-and-white block text. Behind the title are faint shadows cast by the letters and a small sword entwined in a leafy vine. On the left side of the card is an illustration of four people: a kneeling man and woman armed with guns, a man lying face-down with a gun below his hand, and a man crouched down wearing a captain’s hat and holding a flashlight. At the bottom of the card is a night scene of people engaged in a gunfight in a camp. On the left, a group of fighters are shown with a tank, in front of an exploding barracks and a tower with a searchlight. On the right, people are emerging from a fence topped with razor wire. The film credits are printed in black along the bottom edge of the poster, and the bottom margin contains copyright and printing information in blue ink. The edges are dirty and worn, and on the left and right sides are small rectangles of tape residue. There is faint ink transfer from another image on the back. Depicted: Dana Andrews as Captain Mike Dillon, Märta Torén as Sabra, Stephen McNally as David Vogel, others unidentified .2 Lobby card printed on rectangular off-white cardstock, with a narrow white margin on all four sides and a photographic image in the center. The image depicts a woman with dark, curly hair and wearing a brown jacket and pants, standing in a room surrounded by four men in dark blue military uniforms. Her head is turned toward the uniformed man wearing a beret, on the left side of the image. Overlaid on the left side of the image is a large red-and-white wedge. In the top, narrower section is an illustration of a sword with its tip down, entwined in a leafy vine. Below is a small, tan illustration of three people: an armed man and woman kneeling with rifles, and one man standing. They are placed on top of a canted black rectangle, outlined in white and containing the film title in white. Spanning the bottom of the card is a narrow, blue bar outlined in white, and containing a red company logo in the left corner, along with the name of the production company in white, and a white number in the right corner. The bottom margin contains copyright and printing information in blue ink. There is faint ink transfer from another image on the back. Depicted: Lowell Gilmore as Major Stephens, Märta Torén as Sabra, Hayden Rorke as Captain Beaumont, Stanley Logan as Colonel Bruce Evans .3 Lobby card printed on rectangular off-white cardstock, with a narrow, white margin on all four sides and a photographic image in the center. The image depicts a dark-haired man and woman from the chest up. On the left, the woman is wearing a red jacket, and is in right-facing profile with her head turned. The man on the right is wearing a blue jacket and is kissing her cheek, his left hand resting on her upper arm. Overlaid on the left side of the image is a large red-and-white wedge. In the top, narrower section is an illustration of a sword with its tip down, entwined in a leafy vine. Below is a small, tan illustration of three people: an armed man and woman kneeling with rifles, and one man standing. They are placed on top of a canted black rectangle, outlined in white and containing the film title in white. Spanning the bottom of the card is a narrow, blue bar outlined in white, and containing a red company logo in the left corner, along with the name of the production company in white, and a white number in the right corner. The bottom margin contains copyright and printing information in blue ink. There is a black ink stain in the upper margin, and faint ink transfer from another image on the back. Depicted: Märta Torén as Sabra, Stephen McNally as David Vogel .4 Lobby card printed on rectangular off-white cardstock, with a narrow white margin on all four sides and a photographic image in the center. The image depicts three men in the desert, two of whom are engaged in a fight. The man in the center, wearing a dark blue blazer over a red sweater, has his right arm cocked back, with his hand in a fist, ready to punch the man on the right. His left arm is raised, and grabs the right wrist of the other man, who is holding-up a pistol, the barrel pointing skyward. The man on the right is leaning backwards, wearing a dark military uniform with a brown belt and yellow patches on his upper arm. A man on the far left watches the struggle, and he is wearing a brown-toned jacket, shirt, pants, and captain’s hat. Overlaid on the left side of the image is a large red-and-white wedge. In the top, narrower section is an illustration of a sword with its tip down, entwined in a leafy vine. Below is a small, tan illustration of three people: an armed man and woman kneeling with rifles, and one man standing. They are placed on top of a canted black rectangle, outlined in white and containing the film title in white. Spanning the bottom of the card is a narrow, blue bar, outlined in white, and containing a red company logo in the left corner, along with the name of the production company in white, and a white number in the right corner. The bottom margin contains copyright and printing information in blue ink. The edges of the card are slightly creased, and there is faint ink transfer from another image on the back. Depicted: Dana Andrews as Captain Mike Dillon, Stephen McNally as David Vogel, other unidentified .5 Lobby card printed on rectangular off-white cardstock, with a narrow white margin on all four sides and a photographic image in the center. The image depicts four people on top of a sand dune, with a bright blue sky and wispy clouds in the background. On the left, a man is lying face-down in the sand at the feet of a man standing to his right wearing a captain’s hat. To the captain’s right, a man and woman are kneeling, each holding a rifle. Overlaid on the left side of the image is a large red-and-white wedge. In the top, narrower section is an illustration of a sword with its tip down, entwined in a leafy vine. Below is a small, tan illustration of three people: an armed man and woman kneeling with rifles, and one man standing. They are placed on top of a canted black rectangle, outlined in white and containing the film title in white. Spanning the bottom of the card is a narrow, blue bar, outlined in white, and containing a red company logo in the left corner, along with the name of the production company in white, and a white number in the right corner. The bottom margin contains copyright and printing information in blue ink. There is staining along the top margin, and faint ink transfer from another image on the back. Depicted: Jeff Chandler as Asvan Kurta, Dana Andrews as Captain Mike Dillon, Stephen McNally as David Vogel, Märta Torén as Sabra .6 Lobby card printed on rectangular off-white cardstock, with a narrow white margin on all four sides and a photographic image in the center. The image depicts a night scene with a group of people speaking through a tall wire fence. On the left side of the card, behind the fence, is a tall man with red hair, wearing a brown jacket, and an older man wearing a black coat and hat. The red-haired man is exchanging looks through the fence with a dark-haired man, who has three guards in blue military uniforms behind him. In the background, behind the fence, are several other men, wearing coats and hats. Overlaid on the left side of the image is a large red-and-white wedge. In the top, narrower section is an illustration of a sword with its tip down, entwined in a leafy vine. Below is a small, tan illustration of three people: an armed man and woman kneeling with rifles, and one man standing. They are placed on top of a canted black rectangle, outlined in white and containing the film title in white. Spanning the bottom of the card is a narrow, blue bar, outlined in white, and containing a red company logo in the left corner, the name of the production company in white, and a white number in the right corner. The bottom margin contains copyright and printing information in blue ink. There is faint ink transfer from another image on the back. Depicted: Jeff Chandler as Asvan Kurta, Dana Andrews as Captain Mike Dillon, Lowell Gilmore as Maj. Stephens, Stanley Logan as Col. Bruce Evans, Hayden Rorke as Capt. Beaumont, others unidentified .7 Lobby card printed on rectangular off-white cardstock, with a narrow white margin on all four sides and a photographic image in the center. The image depicts two uniformed soldiers, one holding a pistol, looking through an open car door at a dark-haired woman wearing a brown jacket and pants. The woman is sitting inside the vehicle with one arm braced behind her. The interior of the car is partially colored in a solid, dark blue. Behind the two soldiers is a group of soldiers in front of a truck with lush, green foliage behind. Overlaid on the left side of the image is a large red-and-white wedge. In the top, narrower section is an illustration of a sword with its tip down, entwined in a leafy vine. Below is a small, tan illustration of three people: an armed man and woman kneeling with rifles, and one man standing. They are placed on top of a canted black rectangle, outlined in white and containing the film title in white. Spanning the bottom of the card is a narrow, blue bar, outlined in white, and containing a red company logo in the left corner, the name of the production company in white, and a white number in the right corner. The bottom margin contains copyright and printing information in blue ink. Depicted: Hugh French as Maj. Sorrell, Philip Friend as Lt. Ellerton, Märta Torén as Sabra .8 Lobby card printed on rectangular off-white cardstock, with a narrow white margin on all four sides and a photographic image in the center. The image depicts three men outside, with a building and large, green trucks in the background. The man on the left is standing in right-facing profile, with one hand on his hip, and is wearing a brown jacket, tan shirt, and captain’s hat. He is looking at a taller man on the right, who is standing in left-facing profile, and also wearing a brown jacket and tan shirt. Between them is a shorter man in a blue hat and jacket with a red shirt. He is pointing a gun at the man on the left. Overlaid on the left side of the image is a large red-and-white wedge. In the top, narrower section is an illustration of a sword with its tip down, entwined in a leafy vine. Below is a small, tan illustration of three people: an armed man and woman kneeling with rifles, and one man standing. They are placed on top of a canted black rectangle, outlined in white and containing the film title in white. Spanning the bottom of the card is a narrow, blue bar, outlined in white, and containing a red company logo in the left corner, the name of the production company in white, and a white number in the right corner. The bottom margin contains copyright and printing information in blue ink. The upper portion or the image and the margins are discolored. Depicted: Dana Andrews as Captain Mike Dillon, Liam Redmond as Jerry McCarthy, Jeff Chandler as Asvan Kurta
The lobby cards were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2018 by Ken Sutak and Sherri Venokur.
Restrictions on use. Copyright status is unknown.
.1: Height: 11.000 inches (27.94 cm) | Width: 14.000 inches (35.56 cm) .2: Height: 11.000 inches (27.94 cm) | Width: 14.000 inches (35.56 cm) .3: Height: 11.000 inches (27.94 cm) | Width: 14.000 inches (35.56 cm) .4: Height: 11.000 inches (27.94 cm) | Width: 14.000 inches (35.56 cm) .5: Height: 11.000 inches (27.94 cm) | Width: 14.000 inches (35.56 cm) .6: Height: 11.000 inches (27.94 cm) | Width: 14.000 inches (35.56 cm) .7: Height: 11.000 inches (27.94 cm) | Width: 14.000 inches (35.56 cm) .8: Height: 11.000 inches (27.94 cm) | Width: 14.000 inches (35.56 cm)
The Cinema Judaica Collection consists of more than 1,200 objects relating to films about World War II and the Holocaust as well as Jewish, Israeli, and biblical subjects, from 1923 to 2000, from the United States, Europe, Israel, Canada, Mexico, and Argentina. The collection was amassed by film memorabilia collector Ken Sutak, to document Holocaust-and Jewish-themed movies of the World War II era and the postwar years. The collection includes posters, lobby and photo cards, scene stills, pressbooks, trade ads, programs, magazines, books, VHS tapes, DVDS, and 78 rpm records. Sutak organized these materials into two groups, “Cinema Judaica: The War Years, 1939–1949” and “Cinema Judaica: The Epic Cycle, 1950–1972” and, in conjunction with the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Museum (now the Dr. Bernard Heller Museum in New York), organized exhibitions on these two themes in 2007 and 2008. Sutak subsequently authored companion books with the same titles.