The Desert Hawk (1944): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1944, The Desert Hawk is an action, comedy, drama and adventure film directed by B. Reeves Eason, running about 285 minutes. “GASP as the Hawk uncovers buried treasure! THRILL as he outwits ruthless bandits! CHEER as he rescues his beautiful Queen!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Evil Hassan slips back into his native land of Ahad and plots to overthrow his twin bother, Kasim, who has just been crowned the Caliph. Hassan enlists the aid of the chief Chamberlain, Faud and they send several henchmen into the royal palace, who then knock Kasim unconscious. Faud and Hassan dispatch a couple of different hirelings to take Kasim into another part of the town and murder him.Kasin comes to and gets away, but has been wounded. Omar, a beggar, takes Kasim to his home and nurses him back to health. But, it takes a few weeks for Kasin to get healthy and, by that time, Hassan has a firm grip on the duties of a Caliph. In a storeroom, Kasim finds a coat of mail with a great hawk emblazoned across the chest and promptly decides this is the costume he will wear while fighting to get his old job back. Meanwhile, the Emir of Telif shows up with his daughter, Princess Azala, with the intent of marrying her off to the local Caliph.

Who’s in it. The Desert Hawk stars Gilbert Roland as Kasim, The Desert Hawk / Hassan, Evil Twin Brother, Mona Maris as Princess Azala, Ben Welden as Omar, the Beggar and Kenneth MacDonald as Akbar, among others.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Desert Hawk page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Desert Hawk tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.