The Lives of a Bengal Lancer

Buy This Item The Lives of a Bengal Lancer  Available from Amazon  Click 'BUY IT NOW' to get price.  on 11-15-2008     Lives of a Bengal Lancer is a film about strength, integrity, comradory, and intelligence. It has plenty of all of it. Set in British occupied India, the Bengal Lancers are striving to protect the area from aggressive Indians. Col. Stone (Guy Standing) orders together a group of men very different from each other to be his main defense against the enemy. Alan McGregor (Gary Cooper) is a strong man with a true allegiance to his country. He dislikes the colonel and expects his son to be the same, but Donald Stone (Richard Cromwell) turns out to be quite the opposite from his father and in constant need of his father's approval. The third and final piece to the group is a clever, sarcastic man, Lietenant Forsythe (Franchot Tone). The three become friends despite scuffles here and there, and they become part of an intense situation with the enemy in which their disobeying orders has good and bad results. <br /> <br />This film has something for everyone. Men can enjoy the male-dominated atmosphere and the strong tendencies toward morality and fearlessness in spite of danger. Women have a wonderful and diverse cast of characters to stare at. Cooper is rugged and sexy despite how different he looks with a moustache. Tone is smooth and sleek as always even in military garb. Cromwell is boyish and youthful, an underrated actor. <br /> <br />This film won two Oscars both for Assistant Directors. Reader Reviews The title of this 1935 Hollywood Raj classic was actually taken from the memoire book of Francis Yeats-Brown a British journalist that described his military life as a Lancer in Bengal but also many other military experiences, together with his love and discovery of Indian religion. Like in Gunga Din, the title is there to sound "familiar" and entice the spectators of those times. A classical product of the Hollywood Raj, this movie is not as well known as Gunga Din and Beau Geste, but it still has a particular fascination. The Regiment of the 41st Bengal Lancers is quatered in the North Western Territory (Bin Laden country!). Some fishy buisness is going on because Mohammed Khan (Douglas Dumbrille) is stealing amunition and supplying it to natives. Lieutenant McGregor (Gary Cooper) is a Scotch-Canadian that believes in action and initiative (his character is very "American" in this situation compared to the others that are more "Brit") and when his Captain gets killed in an action he disobeys orders of non aggression and stands up to the attackers. He is punished for this by Colonel Stone (Sir Guy Standing). In the mean time new soldiers arrive, among which the experienced Lieutenant Forsythe (nicknamed Fort by McGregor) (Franchot Tone) and the Colonel's son, fresh from the Sandhurst military college. Major Hamilton (C.Aubery Smith) has arranged this substitution without telling the Colonel of his son's arrival. The Colonel is not pleased even if he loves his son, fearing to show a preference toward the timid and insecure young soldier. Donald Stone (Richard Cromwell - Angela Landsbury's first husband) is quatered with Lt McGregore and Forsythe and the three become close friends. The scenes of their living together are the most hilarious, expecially that of the rivalry between McGregor and Forsythe with the prank of the snake. Mohammed Khan has a woman Tania (Kathleen Burke), who is a beautiful Russian spy, that intrigues Donald and contributes to his capture. Colonel Stone does not want to go to the rescue of his son because the Regiment is in a difficult political position with the Emir of Gopal, but the two buddies McGregor and Fort decide to go alone. Disguised as merchants they head toward Mogala, where Donald is emprisoned. Unfortunately they are recognized and imprisoned as well and tortured. And here we have Mohammed Khan's famous phrase "We have ways of having men talk", that used to send shivers down the spine of our fathers. By the way my father saw this movie translated into Italian before WWII and today that he is 80 he still remembers the torture with burning slivers of wood under the fingernails! Only Donald, because he is weak or because he hates is father reveals the information the Khan wants. However the Regiment is coming to the rescue, while the three buddies with acts of heroism stop single-handed the Khan. Donald redeems himself with his courage and stabs the Khan. McGregor is the most practical and heroically sacrifies himself so that the English may win the day. Henry Hathaway directed this now old fashioned Kiplingesque tale with the idea of showing men in desperate situations that are willing to die for their country and friends at a moments notice. But the main themes are "honor, loyalty and courage". Naturally as in all movies of that period (think of Gunga Din) humor was not denied and there are some really delightfull witty scenes. There is no "love-story" to distract from the soldierly message and the only woman is a real "dark-lady". Personally I liked this movie because of its atmosphere, for the fantastic manly character of Gary Cooper (there is one image of him with the high uniform of the Lancers that is really impressive) and because as I said, talking to its intended public (those that saw it from 1935 to the years just before WWII) I understood how it influenced their "immaginary thinking". The film was shot as others of the same kind in California (Paramount Ranch) and the set was also used for Cecil B. DeMille's "The Crusades". The same plot was utilized for "Geronimo" in 1939. Gary Cooper really became a star with this movie.

The Lives of a Bengal Lancer Available from Amazon Price: Click 'BUY IT NOW' to get price. Updated on 11-15-2008.

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