The Desert Song (Max Liebman Presents)

The Desert Song is an American live telecast of the 1926 operetta The Desert Song, which was based on a true event - an uprising of the Riff tribes against French colonial rule in Morocco in 1925.

The music for the operetta was composed by Sigmund Romberg. The book and the lyrics were written by Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach, Frank Mandel, and Laurence Schwab. Writers for the television adaptation were William Friedberg, Will Glickman and Neil Simon. First telecast live in the United States on May 7, 1955, the conductor for the production was Charles Sanford - while the choreographer for all of the dances and musical segments was Rod Alexander. Due to the time constraints for a live telecast, the television version had to be abridged and adapted and is therefore slightly different from the original operetta. It was made two years after the The Desert Song (1953 film) version with Gordon MacRae and Kathryn Grayson.

The television version features the only surviving footage of Nelson Eddy in a complete live musical.^[1][2]

Max Liebman Presents was a United States series of spectaculars - presenting full musicals, plays or revues in live telecasts on NBC (from 1954 to 1956). The Desert Song was the fifteenth live broadcast of the series.^[2][3]

French efforts to turn Morocco into a modern colony are balked by a native Riff rebellion, led by the mysterious Red Shadow. Unknown to all, including his own father, the daring and fearless rebel leader is none other than Pierre, the unassuming son of the French commanding officer, General Birabeau. At the French military outpost, Pierre effectively conceals his Red Shadow identity by assuming a meek persona.

Pierre loves Margot Bonvalet, but Margot, who wants excitement and adventure in her life, only thinks of Pierre as a friend because of his mild manner. So Pierre, in his disguise as the Red Shadow, kidnaps Margot and takes her to the desert fortress of his friend, the Riff Caid^[4][5][6] Ali Ben Ali. It is at the fortress that the Red Shadow declares his love for Margot, and where Margot falls in love with the Red Shadow, despite not knowing his true identity.

When the Red Shadow refuses to fight a duel with General Birabeau, he loses the respect of his men and is banished to the desert. Later, Pierre's dual identity as the Red Shadow is revealed to the General and Margot and all ends happily.

• Pierre Birabeau / the fearless Red Shadow, leader of the Riffs — Nelson Eddy
• Margot Bonvalet — Gale Sherwood
• General Birabeau — Otto Kruger
• Captain Paul Fontaine — John Conte
• Hassi (the Red Shadow's lieutenant, his second in command) — Earl William
• Ali Ben Ali (a Moroccan Caid) — Salvatore Baccaloni
• Azuri — Viola Essen
• Dancers — Bambi Linn & Rod Alexander
• Castagnette Dancer — Felisa Conde

1. Overture (music only)
2. "Ho! Bold Men of Morocco" — Red Shadow, Riffs
3. "The Riff Song" — Red Shadow, Riffs
4. "Why Did We Marry Soldiers?" — wives of the soldiers
5. "French Military Marching Song" — soldiers and wives
6. "O! Pretty Maid of France" / "Margot" — Paul, Margot, soldiers
7. "Romance" — Margot, women's ensemble
8. "Soft as a Pigeon Lights Upon the Sand" — Hassi
9. "Then You Will Know" — Pierre, Margot
10. "Romance" (last part of song, only) — Margot
11. "The Desert Song" — Red Shadow, Margot

1. "My Little Castagnette" — women's ensemble singing off stage, accompanying dance
2. "Let Love Go" — Ali Ben Ali
3. "One Flower In Your Garden" — Hassi
4. "One Alone" — Red Shadow
5. "The Sabre Song" — Margot
6. "One Alone" (reprise) — Red Shadow
7. "French Military Marching Song" (reprise) — Paul, soldiers and soldiers' wives
8. "The Desert Song" (reprise) — Pierre, Margot
9. "One Alone" (reprise) — sung by the entire company during the closing credits

1. Arabian dance — a woman dancer (name unknown - uncredited)
2. French dance — some soldiers' wives, with Moroccan men as their partners, before the soldiers return from the desert
3. Azuri's Arabian dance — Viola Essen with men and women ensemble — dance music: Soft as a Pigeon Lands Upon the Sand
4. Ballet — Bambi Linn and Rod Alexander in pas de deux as the Red Shadow and Margot — dance music: The Desert Song
5. Spanish dance — Felisa Conde with women ensemble — dance song: My Little Castagnette (sung off-stage)
6. Another Azuri Arabian dance — Viola Essen with men and women ensemble — dance music: One Alone

The live operetta was originally telecast on May, 7, 1955 on NBC.^{[7][8][9][10]}

A DVD-version was published by Video Artists International.^[1]

A retrospective review wrote, "The picture is a kinescope (a camera filming a television screen) and the sound is obviously not up to today’s standards. But it is such fun and a must for lovers of the old romantic times when Romberg gave the people what they wanted."^[11]

• The Desert Song - Max Liebman Presents, at trakt.tv
• "The Desert Song". dandugan.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2006.
• The Desert Song at IMDb (includes reviews and photos of the live telecast)
• The Desert Song at AllMusic
• The Desert Song at VAI Music - Video Artists International, at Pinterest
• Soundtrack recording of the operetta (includes an interview about the operetta with Gale Sherwood), at Apple Music
• A listing of tracks on the soundtrack recording of the operetta, Stanford University Library
• CastAlbums - 'The Desert Song > (TV)
• Detailed cast on Ovrtur
• The Desert Song at CultCritic
• The Desert Song at CTVA
• The Desert Song at Letterbox