On This Day...The Last Outpost (1935)

Cary Grant's 20th full length film, The Last Outpost, was released on this day in 1935.

Summary:

During WW1, the destinies of British officers Michael Andrews (Cary Grant) and John Stevenson (Claude Rains) seem intertwined on the battle front as much as on a more personal level.

Cast:

Cary Grant...Michael Andrews

Gertrude Michael... Rosemary

Claude Rains...John Stevenson

Margaret Swope...Nurse Rowland

Jameson Thomas...Cullen

Nick Shaid...Haidar

Kathleen Burke...Ilya

Colin Tapley...Lieutenant Prescott

Billy Bevan...Private Foster

Claude King...General

Did You Know?

Cary Grant, impersonating a nobleman, uses a fictitious title. When Gertrude Michael asks about the name, he says, "It's from Burke's Peerage by way of Ananias." Burke's Peerage lists all the genuine titles in the United Kingdom, but Ananias is an early Christian who was struck dead for lying, so the name has come to mean "liar."

The shots of the native migration are taken from Merian C. Cooper's silent documentary Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life (1925) which traces the arduous journey of Iranian nomads. It is probable that the first half of the story was written to take advantage of this footage and the production value it provided.  Stock footage from Four Feathers (1929) is used to augment the battle scenes in the later half of the film.

Taglines:

Men of steel in an empire of fire! (original poster)

They wanted an assignment in Hell...and a woman gave them the job! (original-ad)

The Grandest Adventure Picture Ever Filmed!

The woman they both desired fired one man to murderous hatred and vengeance! (Print Ad- Washington Reporter, ((Washington, Penna.)) 4 November 1935)

SPECTACLE!...ACTION!...ROMANCE! (print ad - Lubbock Morning Avalanche - Texan Theatre- Lubbock, Texas - Feb. 27, 1936 - all caps)

Lobby Cards:

Directed by Charles Barton and Lois Gasnier.
Distributed by Paramount Pictures.
Running time: 75 minutes.

Artwork by Rebekah Hawley of Studio 36.