File:LesterVailRalphForbesInBeauIdeal.jpg File:Lester Vail-Paul McAllister in Beau Ideal.jpg The last two surviving members of a French Foreign Legion detachment consigned to a grain pit in the desert await death. The two soldiers who know each other as Smith and Brown recognize each other as the childhood friends, John Geste (Ralph Forbes) and Lester Vail (Otis Madison), respectively. The two flashback to their boyhood friendship in England, followed by Otis’ return to England and discovery that John has joined the French Foreign Legion. Otis also learns that Isobel Landon (Loretta Young), who is enamored with, is betrothed to John. Despite this betrothal, he vows to follow John to Africa and return him to England. Upon his arrival in Africa, Otis, through a series of coincidences, ends up in the same penal detail as John, which puts them both in the pit where the film begins. Back in the present, as they are about to die, they are miraculously rescued by a passing band of Arabs. Unknown to the two friends is that the Arabs intend to use them as bait to draw their fellow legionnaires into a death trap. Fortunately for the friends, the girlfriend of the Emir, Zuleika (Leni Stengel), also known as “the Angel of Death”, is attracted to Otis. After Otis agrees to marry her, Zuleika informs him of the impending attack by the Arabs, and then helps Otis and John to escape. The two legionnaires race to the fort, and help to repel the Arab attack, which earns both of them their freedom. After Otis is relieved of his matrimonial duties to the exotic Zuleika, whose romantic attention has moved on from him to Major LeBaudy (Hale Hamilton), Otis and John return to England, where John relinquishes his claim on Isobel, clearing the way for Otis to marry her.
