The Painted Desert selected Higgin to direct the film, as well as naming the stars of the film, William Boyd and Dorothy Burgess. Later in the month it was reported that Higgin would head to Arizona to begin location scouting for the film, accompanied by fellow director, Tay Garnett, however in August Higgin began scouting in the Arizona desert with the screenwriter, Tom Buckingham. It was announced that the film would employ over 300 extras. Higgin was familiar with the area, having working in and around Flagstaff, Arizona as a lumberjack prior to his entering the film industry. Towards the end of August
Libyan Desert Desert". The term "Western Desert" contrasts with the Eastern Desert to the east of the Nile River, which lies between the Nile and the Red Sea. The Libyan desert is said to be one of the least hospitable regions on Earth. Its climate is surprisingly variable, being hot in summer, with average daytime temperatures of and above, though this drops rapidly at night. In winter, days are cool, with temperatures averaging , but at night this can drop below freezing, with temperatures of recorded. At these times the formation of hoar frost is not uncommon, and are known as "White