Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers
Encyclopedia
Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers is a television series broadcast in the United States
by NBC
during its 1956-57 season.
In a period in which much of the programming on U.S. television consisted of Westerns
, Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers could best be described as an "Eastern". It consisted of the adventures of a fictional regiment
of the famed real-life cavalry of the British Indian Army
. The leading characters were the 77th's officers: the commander, Colonel
Standish (Patrick Whyte) and two of his lieutenants, William Storm (Warren Stevens
) and Michael Rhodes (Phil Carey). Rhodes was portrayed as a Canadian
, purportedly because the actor portraying him, a native of New Jersey
, could not be coached to produce a credible British accent.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
during its 1956-57 season.
In a period in which much of the programming on U.S. television consisted of Westerns
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
, Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers could best be described as an "Eastern". It consisted of the adventures of a fictional regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the famed real-life cavalry of the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
. The leading characters were the 77th's officers: the commander, Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Standish (Patrick Whyte) and two of his lieutenants, William Storm (Warren Stevens
Warren Stevens
Warren Stevens is an American stage, screen, and television actor.Born in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, Stevens began his acting career after serving in the U.S. Army Air Force as a pilot during World War II. He trained at The Actor's Studio in New York, received notice on Broadway, and thereafter...
) and Michael Rhodes (Phil Carey). Rhodes was portrayed as a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, purportedly because the actor portraying him, a native of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, could not be coached to produce a credible British accent.