Film historian Alun Evans in "Brassey's Guide to War Films", considered the production, "... something of a classic, if only for the number of copy-cat pictures it spawned." The film made a profit of $84,000. Film reviewer Paul Tatara claims, "Critics have alternately hailed "The Lost Patrol" as a flawed masterpiece and a failed experiment. In reality, it's probably a little bit of both." In a contemporary review, Mourdant Hall of "The New York Times", noted: "In "The Lost Patrol", a picture now sojourning at the Rialto, women are conspicuous by their absence. It is an audible adaptation of Philip MacDonald's novel "Patrol", which was exhibited here in silent film form several years ago. The present production is highly effective from a photographic standpoint, but the incidents are often strained."