The Desert Sheik

Corinne Adams, a young American girl touring Egypt, meets a British soldier, Maj. Egerton, in Cairo, and they fall in love. She doesn't know that the major is suffering from a terminal illness. They and some friends take a trip into the desert and are attacked by a Bedouin tribe. The women are captured and the major is knocked out and left for dead. Can British troops arrive in time to save the women from a fate worse than death?

Directed by Tom Terriss, The Desert Sheik leans on a strong ensemble — Wanda Hawley, Nigel Barrie, Pedro de Cordoba — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about adventure titles of 1924.