Sahara (1943)

Three American soldiers fighting for the British in Libya are ordered to retreat south across the harsh terrain. Early in their journey, they pick up some British soldiers and, a bit later, a Sudanese sergeant with an Italian prisoner. They're also buzzed by a German pilot who they succeed in shooting down and capturing.

The group manages to find an almost-empty well and decide to make their stand there -- the better to fool the approaching enemy into thinking they've got water to spare. It falls into predictability in the last third, but the ending's enough to get a jaded American cheering. Yeah, it's propaganda, but it's entertaining propaganda -- so that's alright.

B-