BY LEE PFEIFFER

The 1965 adventure film "Sands of the Kalahari" was the follow-up project for star Stanley Baker and writer/director Cy Endfield, who had triumphed the year before with Zulu. The plot centers on a small group of strangers in a South African airport who are frustrated when their plane is delayed for mechanical reasons. They opt to charter their own flight to Johannesburg, which mandates that they fly over the vast Kalahari Desert. A swarm of locusts disables the engine and the plane ditches in a remote area, far from civilization. The survivors are a diverse lot. There's Stanley Baker as an alcoholic who suffers a severe leg injury. Stuart Whitman is a macho All American with a passion for rifles, hunting and making sure he gets the advantage in every situation. Theodore Bikel is a timid, kindly doctor. Harry Andrews is an aging German with knowledge of the terrain and Nigel Davenport is the pilot. The lone female is (naturally) a stunner with strong sexual desires. She's played by Susannah York, one of the most beautiful British actresses to emerge during the 60s.

The survivors find shelter in a cave and, using their ingenuity and Whitman's rifle, manage to sustain themselves. However, they are in midst of a band of savage baboons who pose a constant threat. It doesn't take long before the small group devolves into petty feuds and sexual jealousy, with Whitman emerging as a self-centered villain intent on keeping the food supplies and the woman for himself. The film, which is similar in content to Flight of the Phoenix, boasts an impressive screenplay by Endfield, who does yeoman work as director.  He presents the landscape in such a harsh manner that you'll run for a cold glass of water the second the film ends. The performances are all excellent, with Whitman particularly good as the charismatic villain. His last scene in the movie is one that will haunt you. There are many memorable sequences in the film but to divulge them would spoil the fun of watching this superior, testosterone-driven adventure. Make this one another "must" for your video library.

Although Olive Films has done justice to this magnificent looking film with a fine Blu-ray presentation, there are no bonus extras included.

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