The Garden of Allah was producer David O. Selznick’s first complete Technicolor saga. Set in the picturesque deserts of Northern Africa, the film tells the story of two wandering foreigners who find each other during a moment of personal crisis. Each cast against type—Marlene Dietrich is a wealthy, pious woman on a pilgrimage to the Sahara while Charles Boyer is a tortured Trappist monk escaped from his monastery—they embark on a romantic quest, albeit one marred by gibberish “Arabic” and a cast of supporting characters chiefly in brownface. Recipient of a Special Award for its color cinematography, this three-strip tour de force also features the unforgettable Hollywood debut of the Austrian-born ballerina-turned-actress Tilly Losch as a sensual café performer.

Director: Richard Boleslawski. Cast: Marlene Dietrich, Charles Boyer, Basil Rathbone, C. Aubrey Smith. 1936. 80 min. USA. Color. English. 35mm. Restored by The Museum of Modern Art with support from the Celeste Bartos Fund for Film Preservation.

All film screenings of Vienna in Hollywood: Émigrés and Exiles in the Studio System are available here.