north africa in the 1930 . to a small arab town on the edge of the sahara come a beautiful woman look for mean to her life and a handsome trappist monk flee from his crisis of faith . they will meet and passion will be stir and but not even the sand diviner know if they will find happiness or sorrow and here and in the garden of allah . the plot be pure hokum and but the film be still great fun and beautiful to look at . marlene dietrich and charles boyer be a superb screen couple . she be and to put it simply and gorgeous and and boyer give a most effective and understated performance and let his sensitive face do much of his act for him . the support cast be excellent represent basil rathbone and in a sympathetic role a a count who love the desert while joseph schildkraut a a friendly and talkative guide ( all the arabic he and others speak in the film be pure gibberish ) while lucile watson a a gentle mother superior while alan marshal a an honorable young french officer while tilly losch a a dangerous dancer while henry brandon a a comic porter while john carradine a the mysterious sand diviner while and magnificent sir c. aubrey smith a a wise old priest . movie maven will recognize helen jerome eddy a a nun while marcia mae jones and bonita granville ( peek over the nun shoulder ) a convent girl while gaunt nigel de brulier a a monastery lector while and ferdinand gottschalk a a hotel clerk and all uncredited . color film of the 1930 be both rare and lovely to look at and and this movie be no exception the cinematography be as colorful a the desert itself . the garden of allah be the first technicolor film to be shoot on location . yuma and arizona give the film maker all the sand dune they could desire and but contaminate drinking water and 135 degree heat soon have the company in revolt . when the daily rush show boyer face have burn a bright tomato red and producer david o. selznick finally give in . the remainder of the film be shoot on a hollywood sound stage .