Sundown (1941)
In Africa, At the onset of World War Two, the Germans try to get the local tribes to rebel against the British colonials. Captain Bill Crawford (Bruce Cabot) is a local commissioner who, with the aide of Major Coombes (George Sanders), discovers a the German plot to run guns to the natives. Zia (Gene Tierney) is the adopted daughter of Pallain (Joseph Calleia) who runs some trading caravans and posts, She agrees to help the British and joins Kuypens (Carl Esmond) the local Nazi chief, in order to find out more about his plots.
Her beauty was a challenge to adventure!
Acoma Pueblo, Acoma, New Mexico, USA
Yuma, Arizona, USA
Mojave Desert, Arizona, USA
Crater Lake, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, USA
Gallup, New Mexico, USA
In the beginning, while flying over Africa, the co-pilot points to a rock formation on the map called Rhino Rocks. The rock used for the picture is Shiprock in New Mexico.
Coombe (George Sanders) arrives in a Stinson Model A.
Filmed in the the Bronson Caverns area of Hollywood Hills, the Mojave Desert, and the Shiprock area of New Mexico's plains.
Film debut of Woody Strode.
In January 1942 United Artists distributed this film on a double bill with All-American Co-Ed (1941) in some situations.
Continuity
When the plane is coming in for landing, Zia is looking out the window and sees a rhino. Next scene showing the plane landing from the view of the landing strip, the rhino is nowhere to be seen.
At the beginning of the film, in establishing location, there is a visual of the world, then zooming in on Africa, then Kenya, then a plane coming in for a landing with a Rhino seen running outside the aircraft window... and landing with Shiprock, New Mexico looming in the background.
When Kipsang is being buried, the soldiers are ordered to reverse their rifles (pointing down to the ground as a sign of respect). However when the coffin is being lowered into the ground the soldiers' rifles are resting in their shoulders in the usual position. No order was given to change the position of the rifles and probably would not have been given until after the coffin was lowered.
Factual errors
Zia's caravan uses Bactrian camels (two humps) which are native to central Asia. The camels found in Northern Kenya and Somalia are dromedary camels.
Character error
(at around 31 mins) The printed notice spells "defence" in American English, as "defense."