Destination Gobi
Encyclopedia
Destination Gobi is a 1953 Technicolor
war film in which Sam McHale (Richard Widmark) heads a group of US Navy men, sent to Mongolia
for weather observation. McHale must lead his men across the treacherous Gobi desert to the freedom of the seacoast. Rescued from the Japanese by a Mongolian chief (Murvyn Vye), the men are compelled to repay their rescuer by securing enough saddles for his sixty horses. A flummoxed Pentagon
okays the requisition, and the chieftain leads Widmark's band to Okinawa.
After the picture's opening credits, a written foreword reads:
The unit involved was part of the Sino-American Cooperative Organization.
Sam McHale (Richard Widmark
) is aghast to learn that he is being transferred from the USS Enterprise
, his beloved aircraft carrier, to Argos 6, a Navy-operated weather station
in Inner Mongolia's Gobi Desert
. Capt. Gates (Willis Bouchey
) explains to McHale that accurate weather forecasts are crucial to the Allies' success in the Pacific theater, and that his practical experience is required by meteorologist Commander Hobart Wyatt (Russell Collins) and his crew of technicians: Jenkins (Don Taylor
), Walter Landers (Max Showalter
), Wilbur "Coney" Cohen (Darryl Hickman
), Elwood Halsey (Martin Milner
), Frank Swenson (Earl Holliman
) and Paul Sabatello (Ross Bagdasarian
). Despite his longing for the ocean, McHale adjusts to life in the desert during the following six months, although Wyatt is bemused by McHale's dependence on the military's strict chain of command
.
In July 1945, three weeks before they are to be relieved, the crew learns that Japanese cavalry
is scouring the desert for the weather stations, and McHale starts work constructing defenses for the outpost. The group is also baffled by the arrival of a tribe of nomadic
Mongols, who camp at the station's oasis
. After determining that the Navy men are not interested in the oasis' grass, the Mongols' leader, Kengtu (Murvyn Vye), expresses no further interest in them until Elwood attempts to take photographs of the tribe. The Mongols react with hostility, but McHale gains Kengtu's respect when he shows him how the camera works. Observing the Mongols' horsemanship, former cowboy
Jenkins muses that they would make an excellent cavalry. The next day, Kengtu orders his people to return the many things they have stolen from the station, although McHale allows them to keep his own cap and Wyatt's dress uniform
. Later that day, the Navy men learn that due to increasing pressure from the enemy, they will not be relieved. Hoping to persuade the Mongols to help them defend the station, McHale requisitions sixty saddles, and although the order is met with bewilderment, the saddles soon arrive and the delighted Mongols begin training with Commander Wyatt, who dubs them the "1st Mongolian Cavalry, U.S. Navy."
Before long, however, the camp is bombed by Japanese planes. Wyatt and several Mongols are killed. The radio is also destroyed, and McHale is disappointed when the Mongols disappear, leaving them alone and defenseless. Rather than walking 300 miles to the nearest weather station, which might also have been attacked, McHale decides that the team travel 800 miles to the sea. The men are skeptical, but McHale orders the evacuation in his authority as commander of the team. Hoping to reach north China
, and from there sail to Okinawa, captured by US forces, McHale drives the team onward, and they stop at an oasis at which some Chinese traders are camped. Also at the oasis are Kengtu and his people, and McHale confronts the chief for failing to help the navy as promised. Kengtu replies that he had to protect his people from the "birds in the sky," and agrees to put the question of heliping the Americans to his people. The next day Kengtu returns the saddles. Chinese trader Yin Tang (Edgar Barrier
) then barters for the saddle, offering McHale four camels, and suggests that the Americans travel with the Chinese. That night, however, the treacherous Yin Tang attempts to kill them, to steal back the camels, but is stopped by the arrival of Kengtu and his men.
Kengtu tells McHale that his people want the saddles back and are willing to escort the Americans to China, provided that they dress in native garb to deceive the Japanese. McHale agrees, although the men worry that they will be considered spies if they are captured because they will be out of uniform. Kengtu's plan appears to be working, however, until they reach the Chinese village of Sangchien, which is a garrison
for the Japanese. Power-hungry Mongol Tomec (Rodolfo Acosta
), fed up with the troublesome Americans, appears to persuade Kengtu to turn them in, and later, McHale is angry when Kengtu leads them into an ambush by Japanese soldiers. The Navy men are taken to a prisoner-of-war camp
on the coast. Questioned by a Japanese officer (Richard Loo
), McHale refuses to divulge any information about the remaining weather stations. Angered, the officer holds the men as spies rather than POWs
, which means they will be shot
. Their depression is lifted, however, when one of Kengtu's men, Wali-Akhun (Leonard Strong
), allows gimself to be arrested while wearing Wyatt's stolen uniform. Wali reveals that Kengtu has arranged for their escape, and that night, they break out of the camp and to the docks, where Kengtu is waiting with a Chinese junk
. Kengtu explains to McHale that he did not betray them, but rather tricked the Japanese soldiers into transporting them to the ocean. Coney is killed during the escape, however, and the novice sailors soberly set sail for Okinawa.
Eleven days later, the junk is spotted by American planes, which are about to bomb it until they see a large sign, with the inscription "U.S.S. Cohen" painted on it. The men are rescued, and soon after, Kengtu is returned to his people, along with sixty saddle blankets. Kengtu and McHale say farewell, and when McHale tries to explain that he is not the head chief of the Navy, as Kengtu had mistakenly thought, Kengtu replies that it is the Navy's mistake, not his.
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
war film in which Sam McHale (Richard Widmark) heads a group of US Navy men, sent to Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
for weather observation. McHale must lead his men across the treacherous Gobi desert to the freedom of the seacoast. Rescued from the Japanese by a Mongolian chief (Murvyn Vye), the men are compelled to repay their rescuer by securing enough saddles for his sixty horses. A flummoxed Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
okays the requisition, and the chieftain leads Widmark's band to Okinawa.
After the picture's opening credits, a written foreword reads:
"In the Navy records in Washington, there is an obscure entry reading 'Saddles for Gobi.' This film is based on the story behind that entry--one of the strangest stories of World War II."
The unit involved was part of the Sino-American Cooperative Organization.
Plot
In November 1944, Chief Boatswain's MateBoatswain's Mate
A Boatswain's mate is a job classification in Navies and Coast Guards.*Boatswain's mate , a job classification in the United States Navy*Boatswain's mate , a job classification in the United States Coast Guard...
Sam McHale (Richard Widmark
Richard Widmark
Richard Weedt Widmark was an American film, stage and television actor.He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, Kiss of Death...
) is aghast to learn that he is being transferred from the USS Enterprise
USS Enterprise (CV-6)
USS Enterprise , colloquially referred to as the "Big E," was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Launched in 1936, she was a ship of the Yorktown class, and one of only three American carriers commissioned prior to World War II to...
, his beloved aircraft carrier, to Argos 6, a Navy-operated weather station
Weather station
A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for observing atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind...
in Inner Mongolia's Gobi Desert
Gobi Desert
The Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the...
. Capt. Gates (Willis Bouchey
Willis Bouchey
Willis Ben Bouchey was an American character actor who appeared in almost 150 films and television shows. He was born in Vernon, Michigan, but reared by his mother and stepfather in Washington State....
) explains to McHale that accurate weather forecasts are crucial to the Allies' success in the Pacific theater, and that his practical experience is required by meteorologist Commander Hobart Wyatt (Russell Collins) and his crew of technicians: Jenkins (Don Taylor
Don Taylor (actor)
Don Taylor was an American movie actor and director best known for his performances in 1950s classics like Stalag 17 and Father of the Bride and the 1948 film noir The Naked City...
), Walter Landers (Max Showalter
Max Showalter
Max Showalter was an American film, television, and stage actor, as well as a composer, pianist, and singer. One of Showalter's most memorable roles was as Jean Peters' character's husband in the 1953 film Niagara...
), Wilbur "Coney" Cohen (Darryl Hickman
Darryl Hickman
Darryl Gerard Hickman is an American film and television actor, former television executive, and child star of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:...
), Elwood Halsey (Martin Milner
Martin Milner
Martin Sam Milner is an American actor best known for his performances in two popular television series, Adam-12 and Route 66....
), Frank Swenson (Earl Holliman
Earl Holliman
-Early life:Earl Holliman was born at Delhi in Richland Parish of northeastern Louisiana. Holliman’s biological father died before he was born, and his biological mother, living in poverty with several other children, gave him up for adoption at birth...
) and Paul Sabatello (Ross Bagdasarian
Ross Bagdasarian
Rostom Sipan "Ross" Bagdasarian was an Armenian-American pianist, singer, songwriter, actor and record producer...
). Despite his longing for the ocean, McHale adjusts to life in the desert during the following six months, although Wyatt is bemused by McHale's dependence on the military's strict chain of command
Chain of Command
Chain of Command may refer to:* Chain of command, in a military context, the line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed* "Chain of Command" , the fifth episode of the first season of Beast Wars...
.
In July 1945, three weeks before they are to be relieved, the crew learns that Japanese cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
is scouring the desert for the weather stations, and McHale starts work constructing defenses for the outpost. The group is also baffled by the arrival of a tribe of nomadic
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
Mongols, who camp at the station's oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
. After determining that the Navy men are not interested in the oasis' grass, the Mongols' leader, Kengtu (Murvyn Vye), expresses no further interest in them until Elwood attempts to take photographs of the tribe. The Mongols react with hostility, but McHale gains Kengtu's respect when he shows him how the camera works. Observing the Mongols' horsemanship, former cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
Jenkins muses that they would make an excellent cavalry. The next day, Kengtu orders his people to return the many things they have stolen from the station, although McHale allows them to keep his own cap and Wyatt's dress uniform
Dress uniform
Dress uniform , is the most formal military uniform, typically worn at ceremonies, official receptions, and other special occasions; with order insignias and full size medals...
. Later that day, the Navy men learn that due to increasing pressure from the enemy, they will not be relieved. Hoping to persuade the Mongols to help them defend the station, McHale requisitions sixty saddles, and although the order is met with bewilderment, the saddles soon arrive and the delighted Mongols begin training with Commander Wyatt, who dubs them the "1st Mongolian Cavalry, U.S. Navy."
Before long, however, the camp is bombed by Japanese planes. Wyatt and several Mongols are killed. The radio is also destroyed, and McHale is disappointed when the Mongols disappear, leaving them alone and defenseless. Rather than walking 300 miles to the nearest weather station, which might also have been attacked, McHale decides that the team travel 800 miles to the sea. The men are skeptical, but McHale orders the evacuation in his authority as commander of the team. Hoping to reach north China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and from there sail to Okinawa, captured by US forces, McHale drives the team onward, and they stop at an oasis at which some Chinese traders are camped. Also at the oasis are Kengtu and his people, and McHale confronts the chief for failing to help the navy as promised. Kengtu replies that he had to protect his people from the "birds in the sky," and agrees to put the question of heliping the Americans to his people. The next day Kengtu returns the saddles. Chinese trader Yin Tang (Edgar Barrier
Edgar Barrier
Edgar Barrier was an American actor who appeared on radio, stage, and screen. In the 1930s he was a member of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre and played Simon Templar on The Saint radio show....
) then barters for the saddle, offering McHale four camels, and suggests that the Americans travel with the Chinese. That night, however, the treacherous Yin Tang attempts to kill them, to steal back the camels, but is stopped by the arrival of Kengtu and his men.
Kengtu tells McHale that his people want the saddles back and are willing to escort the Americans to China, provided that they dress in native garb to deceive the Japanese. McHale agrees, although the men worry that they will be considered spies if they are captured because they will be out of uniform. Kengtu's plan appears to be working, however, until they reach the Chinese village of Sangchien, which is a garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
for the Japanese. Power-hungry Mongol Tomec (Rodolfo Acosta
Rodolfo Acosta
Rodolfo Acosta was a Mexican character actor, typically playing heavies in Hollywood westerns. Acosta was also a regular as Vaquero on The High Chaparral from 1967-69...
), fed up with the troublesome Americans, appears to persuade Kengtu to turn them in, and later, McHale is angry when Kengtu leads them into an ambush by Japanese soldiers. The Navy men are taken to a prisoner-of-war camp
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
on the coast. Questioned by a Japanese officer (Richard Loo
Richard Loo
Richard Loo was a Chinese American film actor who was one of the most familiar Asian character actors in American films of the 1930s and 1940s. A prolific actor, he appeared in over 120 films between 1931 and 1982....
), McHale refuses to divulge any information about the remaining weather stations. Angered, the officer holds the men as spies rather than POWs
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
, which means they will be shot
Execution by firing squad
Execution by firing squad, sometimes called fusillading , is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war.Execution by shooting is a fairly old practice...
. Their depression is lifted, however, when one of Kengtu's men, Wali-Akhun (Leonard Strong
Leonard Strong (actor)
Leonard Clarence Strong Leonard Clarence Strong Leonard Clarence Strong (b. 12 August 1908, Utah - d. 23 January 1980, Glendale, California was a prolific American character actor specialising in playing Asian roles....
), allows gimself to be arrested while wearing Wyatt's stolen uniform. Wali reveals that Kengtu has arranged for their escape, and that night, they break out of the camp and to the docks, where Kengtu is waiting with a Chinese junk
Junk (ship)
A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel design still in use today. Junks were developed during the Han Dynasty and were used as sea-going vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. They evolved in the later dynasties, and were used throughout Asia for extensive ocean voyages...
. Kengtu explains to McHale that he did not betray them, but rather tricked the Japanese soldiers into transporting them to the ocean. Coney is killed during the escape, however, and the novice sailors soberly set sail for Okinawa.
Eleven days later, the junk is spotted by American planes, which are about to bomb it until they see a large sign, with the inscription "U.S.S. Cohen" painted on it. The men are rescued, and soon after, Kengtu is returned to his people, along with sixty saddle blankets. Kengtu and McHale say farewell, and when McHale tries to explain that he is not the head chief of the Navy, as Kengtu had mistakenly thought, Kengtu replies that it is the Navy's mistake, not his.
Cast
- Richard Widmark...CPO Samuel T. McHale
- Don Taylor...Jenkins
- Max ShowalterMax ShowalterMax Showalter was an American film, television, and stage actor, as well as a composer, pianist, and singer. One of Showalter's most memorable roles was as Jean Peters' character's husband in the 1953 film Niagara...
...Walter Landers (as Casey Adams) - Murvyn Vye...Kengtu
- Darryl HickmanDarryl HickmanDarryl Gerard Hickman is an American film and television actor, former television executive, and child star of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:...
...Wilbur 'Coney' Cohen - Martin MilnerMartin MilnerMartin Sam Milner is an American actor best known for his performances in two popular television series, Adam-12 and Route 66....
...Elwood Halsey - Ross Bagdasarian Sr. (credited as Ross Bagdasarian)...Paul Sabatello
- Judy Dan...Nura-Salu (as Judy Dann)
- Rodolfo AcostaRodolfo AcostaRodolfo Acosta was a Mexican character actor, typically playing heavies in Hollywood westerns. Acosta was also a regular as Vaquero on The High Chaparral from 1967-69...
...Tomec - Russell Collins...Lt. Cmdr. Hobart Wyatt
- Leonard StrongLeonard Strong (actor)Leonard Clarence Strong Leonard Clarence Strong Leonard Clarence Strong (b. 12 August 1908, Utah - d. 23 January 1980, Glendale, California was a prolific American character actor specialising in playing Asian roles....
...Wali-Akhun - Richard Allan...Naval Officer (scenes deleted)
- Russ ConwayRuss Conway (actor)Russ Conway was a Canadian-American character actor who appeared on film and television between 1947 and 1975.-Early years:...
...Operations Man (scenes deleted) - William ForrestWilliam ForrestWilliam Forrest was an American film actor. He appeared in over 250 films between 1932 and 1976.He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and died in Santa Monica, California from heart failure....
...Skipper (scenes deleted) - Robert Kino...Japanese Officer (scenes deleted)