An apparent typographical error in the Copyright Catalog indicates that this film was copyrighted in 1929, but the registration number, as well as the month of registration, suggests that the film was copyrighted in 1928.
       According to a 16 June 1928 Harrison’s Reports brief, an early announcement stated that the The Desert Bride was based on a story by screenwriter Frances Marion. However, the film was ultimately based on “The Adventuress” by Ewart Adamson, which Harrison’s Reports called “a clear story substitution.”
       Principal photography was underway by mid-February 1928. Some location shooting took place in the sand dunes of Guadalupe, CA, and at the nearby Charles Maretti ranch. The 22 February 1928 [Santa Maria, CA] Santa Maria Times noted that filmmakers brought “a special Pullman car” and a host of automobiles to the location, where they planned to shoot and camp on site for three-to-four days. On 5 March 1928, Los Angeles Times reported that the film was in the cutting room. Theatrical release was scheduled for 26 March 1928.
       Jamiel Hassom, a Syrian actor and technical advisor on other films, commented on The Desert Bride in a November 1928 Motion Picture Magazine article. Discussing the many inaccuracies found in Hollywood films portraying Arabian countries and their people, Hassom pointed to The Desert Bride as an example. He noted that in the setting of his hometown of Damascus, Syria, the film showed a villain using gold pieces to buy Betty Compson’s character, “Diane Duval,” as a slave girl. Hassom argued that such an occurrence was unthinkable in modern-day Syria, although it may have occurred two thousand years ago.
       While the 21 April 1928 Harrison’s Reports cited a length of 5,425 feet, the 15 September 1928 Motion Picture News review listed this film as 5,528 feet long.
       This film is extant. A print was screened at Cinecon 54 in Hollywood, CA, on 1 September 2018.