The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935)

Directed by

Henry Hathaway

Genre

war film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 48m

Rated

NR

Rating

6.6 of 10 from 54 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This film follows a group of British cavalry officers stationed in colonial India as they defend their fort against local rebels. It focuses on their military duties, personal conflicts, and a young officer's strained relationship with his strict father.

adventurousbriskstirringnostalgicdramaticstraightforwardheroic

What happens

The Lives of a Bengal Lancer is a 1935 American adventure film starring Gary Cooper, directed by Henry Hathaway, and written by Grover Jones, William Slavens McNutt, Waldemar Young, John L. Balderston, and Achmed Abdullah. The setting and title come from the 1930 autobiography of the British soldier Francis Yeats-Brown. The story, which has little in common with Yeats-Brown's book, tells of a group of British cavalrymen and high-ranking officers desperately trying to defend their stronghold and headquarters at Bengal against the rebellious natives during the days of the British Raj. Cooper plays Lieutenant Alan McGregor, Franchot Tone, Lieutenant John Forsythe, Richard Cromwell, Lieutenant Donald Stone, Guy Standing, Colonel Tom Stone, and Douglass Dumbrille plays the rebel leader Mohammed Khan, who speaks the now often-misquoted line "We have ways to make men talk." The film was produced and released by Paramount Pictures. Planning began in 1931, and Paramount had expected the film to be released that same year. However, most of the location footage deteriorated due to the high temperatures, and the project was delayed. It was eventually released in the US in 1935. It met with positive reviews and good box office results, and was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning Assistant Director, with other nominations including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. The film grossed $1.5 million in worldwide theatrical rentals. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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