JohnHowardReid Copyright 24 January 1935 by Paramount Productions, Inc. Presented by Adolph Zukor. New York opening at the Paramount, 11 January 1935 (ran 3 weeks). Sydney opening at the Prince Edward, 16 February 1935 (ran a staggering 8 weeks, the theater's biggest success since 1931 — and continuing so until a 10-week season of French Without Tears in 1940). 11 reels. 109 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Two new officers of the 41st Regiment of Bengal Lancers arrive in north-west India and are placed under the wing of an old hand. (There's a mixed metaphor for you – from the movie's Press Sheet).NOTES: Academy Award, Clem Beauchamp and Paul Wing, Assistant Directors (defeating Eric Stacey for Les Miserables, and Joseph Newman for David Copperfield).Also nominated for Best Picture (Mutiny on the Bounty), Directing (John Ford for The Informer), Screenplay (The Informer), Art Direction (The Dark Angel), Film Editing (A Midsummer Night's Dream), and Sound Recording (Naughty Marietta).Second only to David Copperfield in The Film Daily 1935 poll of U.S. film critics. A New York Times "Ten Best". Number 7 on the National Board of Review list.COMMENT: Hathaway had previously directed Cooper and Shirley Temple in Now and Forever, but Lives of a Bengal Lancer was the movie that really made his reputation. Of course he had a great script to begin with, a marvelous cast, and some superb technicians. One of the most exciting adventures ever filmed, the gripping, witty script perfectly captures the India of Kipling and the British raj (much more so than movies like Gandhi and Heat and Dust). The dialogue with its smart wise-cracking lines, and the characters so memorably and indelibly drawn, are given perfect life by an absolutely first-rate cast. Cooper never had a better role, serving as an effective stooge for Tone and a remarkable catalyst for the rest of the players, particularly Smith and Cromwell. Tone has the best of the witty lines, delivering them with such delightful ease and polished suavity as to win over even those skeptics to whom adventure films are hardly flavor-of-the-month. Sir Guy Standing also contributes a beautifully rounded characterization. He is one of the empire breed, floundering in personal relationships, yet parrying the villainous Douglas Dumbrille with diplomatic skill. Mr. Dumbrille makes with the menacing sneer with his usual oleaginous charm, while Kathleen Burke purrs seductively as his accomplice in a small but memorably villainous role. And we cannot leave the players without singling out Akim Tamiroff for his deliciously wheezy portrait of a friendly Emir.Directed with such flair as to make the whole exotic action and background thoroughly believable, superbly photographed (even if the masterfully lit studio material tends to show up the cruder 2nd unit and location footage), with eye-catching sets and a rousing music score, Lives of a Bengal Lancer is one of the greatest adventure movies of all time.Using an astonishingly literate script which spoofs the romanticism of Kilpingesque narrative clichés while retaining the essence of Kipling's imperial philosophy (doubtless carried over from the autobiographical original novel), director Henry Hathaway certainly creates a solid impression of authenticity. . But Hathaway's talent is not the only one to admire in this remarkable film: The photography of Charles Lang, stunning in its deep focus shots of cavalry winding through rocky defile, breathtaking in its group shots where a skillful deployment of light and shadow give the illusion of a third dimension. I must also commend the distinguished playing of Sir Guy Standing as Colonel Stone, — note especially those scenes in which he changes from a ramrod martinet to a stammering father, note the brief, despairing glance of his eyes; — or note their twinkle when he deals suave diplomacy under the guise of a harmless old buffer of the pukka sahib school. C. Aubrey Smith is also a stand-out as Major Hamilton, whose resonant voice so beautifully expounds the glories of empire; and I must also commend the disarmingly relaxed, easy performance of Franchot Tone. Douglas Dumbrille as Ahmed Khan has some effective dialogue exchanges — I love the scene where he haggles over the price of rugs with Cooper and Tone, who are disguised as Indian merchants. Suddenly his face breaks into a sarcastic smile: "Come, come, gentlemen!" he says. "Is this becoming officers of the King's 41st Lancers?"

Spikeopath It's the Northwest Frontier of India and we are in the company of the 41st Bengal Lancers. Led by Colonel Tom Stone , they are having mounting troubles with rebel leader Mohammed Khan. Lieutenant Alan McGregor is a tough experienced soldier who is never afraid to speak his mind or disobey orders, Stone is the complete opposite, he's a military man thru and thru. When two new recruits arrive as replacements, one of them being Colonel Stone's son, the Lancers must stop the rebels from stealing ammunition from the Emir of Gopal, all parties must put aside their problems to help the war effort.Henry Hathaway's adaptation of Francis Yeats-Brown's novel is one of the best war films of the 30s, wonderfully scripted by Grover Jones, it's laced with army humour and tells a great story of friendships and family ties. The Indian heavy atmosphere is gorgeous, something Hathaway clearly excelled at portraying, with Charles Lang & Ernest Schoedsack's photography beautifully realising this period in history. For sure the imperialistic nature of the piece is prominent, but it is never overdone, with the rebel Indians painted more as a resourceful enemy than in other notable pictures of the time. The action sequences are adroitly handled and the acting {particularly from Gary Cooper as McGregor} is on the money, whilst the ending hits hard and quite frankly stirs the blood. The Lives Of A Bengal Lancer is a golden picture from a golden age, an adventure yarn to watch each and every year. 8/10

classicsoncall The epic scope of the film is particularly impressive considering it's release in 1935, and without the complexity of today's computer generated effects. Director Henry Hathaway relocates his experiences with the American Wild West to the more exotic locales of northwest India above the Khyber Pass. There he focuses on the good natured rivalry between Lieutenant Alan McGregor (Gary Cooper) and two newly assigned junior officers, Forsythe (Franchot Tone) and Stone (Richard Cromwell), members of the 41st Bengal Lancers. The plot is thickened by the authority of Colonel Tom Stone (Guy Standing), father of Mr. Stone from Sandhurst, immediately creating a dynamic tension between familial and military concerns.There's a bit more to it than that as well, weighing on the Colonel's mind are an impending retirement and the responsibility of his assignment to protect the Indian Emir from a coalition of hostile tribes led by Mohammed Khan (Douglas Dumbrille). His 'service comes first' mentality is repeatedly tested by Cooper's character, who refers to the Colonel as 'old ramrod'; in fact, McGregor is probably one of the most insubordinate officers in film history if you count the number of times he disobeys orders.The younger Stone is at odds throughout the story as to how to impress his overbearing father. The boar hunt goes badly, and later he falls victim to the Khan's kidnap plot, utilizing the wiles of the sultry Tania (Kathleen Burke). Ultimately he earns his redemption, but at a high price, as the officer trio reunites to destroy Khan's stolen ammunition supply. That he didn't have the courage to resist torture like his comrades is inexorably relived during the presentation of the Distinguished Service Order, when he has all he can do to hold back his welling tears.Any story set in India probably wouldn't be complete without the obligatory dancing cobra scene. Here it's done to somewhat comic effect when the bantering Forsythe finally receives his comeuppance from the older officer McGregor. Of course as with most films, this one doesn't get it scientifically accurate either. Cobras are not enchanted by the music they can't hear, but the swaying motion of the player and his instrument; for his part, Forsythe looked a bit too terrified to sway.Curiously, Canadian born Douglass Dumbrille has just the right look to be plausible as a foreigner. His character here exudes both charm and malice, and he would go on to portray a varied assemblage of international characters in film. One that immediately comes to mind was a comic turn in the 1950 team-up with "Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion".As a fan of the classics, I have a preferred taste for black and white films, but every once in a while there's a scene that simply begs for the color treatment. As guests of the Emir, the Lancers are shown in full ceremonial regalia which look quite stunning. Kind of makes you wish for a modern day remake, if only they would stay away from the CGI.

hairytick Was there ever a better actor on film than Gary Cooper? In "Lives of a Bengal Lancer" he shows the natural talent, the effortless pretense, that few others could match..... well Sean Penn or Ingrid Bergman maybe. Franchot Tone plays the best friend part to a tee, both infuriating and endearing himself to Cooper's character.... always makes me laugh when he plays "Mother MacCree" on the pipe, needling Coop at first, but then begging for help when a cobra is attracted to the sound.This is where they got the material for flicks like "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." This film was made in Hollywood's golden era, when movies were fantastic adventures to be treasured, not necessarily believed. This is a very grim tale of war and sacrifice, but fun nonetheless. That the imperialists are the good guys is just a sign of the time when it was made. I wonder how bigoted the movies being made today will look to audiences 70 years from now? The sets were, of course, very well done and the photography was superb. During the mid to late thirties the art of the film reached it's zenith.Before then such spectacle was rare, but by 1939 it had become common. A very enjoyable combination of comedy and adventure makes this film one of the true classics.