The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
Encyclopedia
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer is a 1935 American adventure film
loosely adapted from the 1930 book of the same name by Francis Yeats-Brown
. The plot of the movie, which bears little resemblance to Yeats-Brown's memoir, concerns British
soldiers defending the borders of India
against rebellious natives. It stars Gary Cooper
, Franchot Tone
, Richard Cromwell
, and Douglass Dumbrille
. The film was directed by Henry Hathaway
and written by Grover Jones
, William Slavens McNutt
, Waldemar Young
, John L. Balderston
and Achmed Abdullah
.
The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards
including Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture.
during the British Raj
, Scottish-Canadian Lieutenant Alan McGregor (Gary Cooper
) welcomes two replacements to the 41st Bengal Lancers, Lieutenant Forsythe (Franchot Tone
) and Lieutenant Donald Stone (Richard Cromwell
), the son of the unit's commander, Colonel Tom Stone (Guy Standing
). In an attempt to show impartiality, the colonel treats his son coldly, which is misinterpreted and causes resentment in the young man.
Lieutenant Barrett (Colin Tapley
) has been spying on Mohammed Khan (Douglass Dumbrille
) and reports that he has been preparing an uprising against the British. Khan kidnaps Lieutenant Stone in order to try to extract vital information about an ammunition caravan from him. When the colonel refuses to attempt his rescue, McGregor and Forsythe go without orders. Unfortunately, they are caught as well. Mohammed Khan says, "We have ways of making men talk" (a line which is frequently misquoted) and has his prisoners tortured. Stone cracks under the pain and reveals what he knows. As a result, the ammunition is captured.
The captives escape as the outmatched Bengal Lancers deploy to assault Khan's fortress. They manage to destroy the ammunition and Stone redeems himself by killing Khan, ensuring victory.
and Rex Wimpy to India to film location shots such as a tiger hunt.
Paiute
Native Americans were used as extras.
by Laurel and Hardy
in their film
Bonnie Scotland
.
Cromwell was mentioned in Gore Vidal
's satirical novel Myra Breckinridge
(1968) as "the late Richard Cromwell, so satisfyingly tortured in Lives of a Bengal Lancer."
German dictator Adolf Hitler
told British Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax
in 1937 that "one of his favourite films Lives of a Bengal Lancer, which he saw three times. He liked this film because it depicted a handful of Britons holding a continent in thrall. That was how a superior race must behave and the film was a compulsory viewing for the S.S."
Adventure film
Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....
loosely adapted from the 1930 book of the same name by Francis Yeats-Brown
Francis Yeats-Brown
Major Francis Charles Claypon Yeats-Brown, DFC was an officer in the British Indian army and the author of the celebrated memoir The Lives of a Bengal Lancer, for which he was awarded the 1930 James Tait Black Memorial Prize.-Life and career:Yeats-Brown was born in Genoa, the son of a British...
. The plot of the movie, which bears little resemblance to Yeats-Brown's memoir, concerns British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldiers defending the borders of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
against rebellious natives. It stars Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper
Frank James Cooper, known professionally as Gary Cooper, was an American film actor. He was renowned for his quiet, understated acting style and his stoic, but at times intense screen persona, which was particularly well suited to the many Westerns he made...
, Franchot Tone
Franchot Tone
Franchot Tone was an American stage, film, and television actor, star of Mutiny on the Bounty and many other films through the 1960s...
, Richard Cromwell
Richard Cromwell (actor)
Richard Cromwell, born LeRoy Melvin Radabaugh , was an American actor. His family and friends called him Roy, though he was also professionally known and signed autographs as Dick Cromwell. Cromwell's career was at its pinnacle with his work in Jezebel with Bette Davis and Henry Fonda and again...
, and Douglass Dumbrille
Douglass Dumbrille
Douglass Dumbrille was a Canadian actor and one of the Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood.-Life and career:...
. The film was directed by Henry Hathaway
Henry Hathaway
Henry Hathaway was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Westerns, especially starring John Wayne.-Background:...
and written by Grover Jones
Grover Jones
Grover Jones was an American screenwriter and film director. He wrote more than 104 films between 1920 and his death...
, William Slavens McNutt
William Slavens McNutt
William Slavens McNutt , was an American screenwriter. He wrote for 28 films between 1922 and 1939. He was nominated for an Academy Award on two separate occasions. At the 1932 awards he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Story for Lady and Gent...
, Waldemar Young
Waldemar Young
Waldemar Young , was an American screenwriter. He wrote for 81 films between 1917 and 1938.He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and died in Hollywood, California from pneumonia....
, John L. Balderston
John L. Balderston
John L. Balderston was an American playwright and screenwriter best known for his horror and fantasy scripts....
and Achmed Abdullah
Achmed Abdullah
Achmed Abdullah , a pseudonym of Alexander Nicholayevitch Romanoff, was a Russian-born writer. He is most noted for his pulp stories of crime, mystery and adventure. He wrote screenplays for some successful films. He was the author of the progressive Siamese drama Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness,...
.
The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
including Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture.
Plot
On the northwest frontier of IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
during the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, Scottish-Canadian Lieutenant Alan McGregor (Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper
Frank James Cooper, known professionally as Gary Cooper, was an American film actor. He was renowned for his quiet, understated acting style and his stoic, but at times intense screen persona, which was particularly well suited to the many Westerns he made...
) welcomes two replacements to the 41st Bengal Lancers, Lieutenant Forsythe (Franchot Tone
Franchot Tone
Franchot Tone was an American stage, film, and television actor, star of Mutiny on the Bounty and many other films through the 1960s...
) and Lieutenant Donald Stone (Richard Cromwell
Richard Cromwell (actor)
Richard Cromwell, born LeRoy Melvin Radabaugh , was an American actor. His family and friends called him Roy, though he was also professionally known and signed autographs as Dick Cromwell. Cromwell's career was at its pinnacle with his work in Jezebel with Bette Davis and Henry Fonda and again...
), the son of the unit's commander, Colonel Tom Stone (Guy Standing
Guy Standing
Commander Sir Guy Standing KBE RNVR was an English actor.-Biography:Standing served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve throughout the First World War, reaching the rank of Commander. In 1918, he was part of the British War Mission to the United States...
). In an attempt to show impartiality, the colonel treats his son coldly, which is misinterpreted and causes resentment in the young man.
Lieutenant Barrett (Colin Tapley
Colin Tapley
Colin Tapley was a British actor. Born in New Zealand, he served in the Royal Air Force and an expedition to Antarctica before winning a Paramount Pictures talent contest and moving to Hollywood. He acted in several films before returning to Britain during the Second World War as a flight...
) has been spying on Mohammed Khan (Douglass Dumbrille
Douglass Dumbrille
Douglass Dumbrille was a Canadian actor and one of the Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood.-Life and career:...
) and reports that he has been preparing an uprising against the British. Khan kidnaps Lieutenant Stone in order to try to extract vital information about an ammunition caravan from him. When the colonel refuses to attempt his rescue, McGregor and Forsythe go without orders. Unfortunately, they are caught as well. Mohammed Khan says, "We have ways of making men talk" (a line which is frequently misquoted) and has his prisoners tortured. Stone cracks under the pain and reveals what he knows. As a result, the ammunition is captured.
The captives escape as the outmatched Bengal Lancers deploy to assault Khan's fortress. They manage to destroy the ammunition and Stone redeems himself by killing Khan, ensuring victory.
Cast
- Gary CooperGary CooperFrank James Cooper, known professionally as Gary Cooper, was an American film actor. He was renowned for his quiet, understated acting style and his stoic, but at times intense screen persona, which was particularly well suited to the many Westerns he made...
as Lieutenant Alan McGregor - Franchot ToneFranchot ToneFranchot Tone was an American stage, film, and television actor, star of Mutiny on the Bounty and many other films through the 1960s...
as Lieutenant Forsythe - Richard CromwellRichard Cromwell (actor)Richard Cromwell, born LeRoy Melvin Radabaugh , was an American actor. His family and friends called him Roy, though he was also professionally known and signed autographs as Dick Cromwell. Cromwell's career was at its pinnacle with his work in Jezebel with Bette Davis and Henry Fonda and again...
as Lieutenant Donald Stone - Guy StandingGuy StandingCommander Sir Guy Standing KBE RNVR was an English actor.-Biography:Standing served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve throughout the First World War, reaching the rank of Commander. In 1918, he was part of the British War Mission to the United States...
as Colonel Tom Stone (as Sir Guy Standing) - C. Aubrey Smith as Major Hamilton
- Kathleen BurkeKathleen BurkeKathleen Burke was an American movie actress of the 1930s.Burke worked as a dental assistant in Chicago, before winning a talent contest sponsored by Paramount Pictures. Her film debut was as Lota, the "Panther Woman" in Island of Lost Souls , the first screen version of H.G. Wells's novel The...
as Tania Volkanskaya - Douglass DumbrilleDouglass DumbrilleDouglass Dumbrille was a Canadian actor and one of the Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood.-Life and career:...
as Mohammed Khan - Monte BlueMonte BlueMonte Blue was a movie actor who began his career as a romantic leading man in the silent film era, and later progressed to character roles....
as Hamzulla Khan - Colin TapleyColin TapleyColin Tapley was a British actor. Born in New Zealand, he served in the Royal Air Force and an expedition to Antarctica before winning a Paramount Pictures talent contest and moving to Hollywood. He acted in several films before returning to Britain during the Second World War as a flight...
as Lieutenant Barrett - Akim TamiroffAkim TamiroffAkim Mikhailovich Tamiroff was an Armenian actor. He won the first Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.Tamiroff was born in Tiflis, Russian Empire , of Armenian ethnicity. He trained at the Moscow Art Theatre drama school. He arrived in the U.S. in 1923 on a tour with a troupe of actors...
as Otamanu, Emir of Gopal - J. Carrol NaishJ. Carrol NaishJoseph Patrick Carrol Naish was an American character actor born in New York City. Naish was twice nominated for an Academy Award for film roles, and he later found fame in the title role of CBS Radio's Life With Luigi , which was also on CBS Television .Naish appeared on stage for several years...
as Grand Vizier - Noble JohnsonNoble JohnsonNoble Johnson was an African American actor and film producer.-Biography:Standing 6'2" at 215 pounds, his impressive physique and handsome features made him in demand as a character actor and bit player...
as Ram Singh - Lumsden HareLumsden HareLumsden Hare was an Irish born film and theatre actor. He was also a theatre director and theatrical producer....
as Major General Sir Thomas Woodley - Jameson ThomasJameson ThomasJameson Thomas was an English film actor. He appeared in 82 films between 1923 and 1939.He was born in London and died in Sierra Madre, California, it is said from Tuberculosis....
as Hendrickson
Production
Paramount had planned on producing the film in 1931 and sent Ernest B. SchoedsackErnest B. Schoedsack
Ernest Beaumont Schoedsack was an American motion picture cinematographer, director, and producer.Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Schoedsack is probably best remembered for being the co-director of the 1933 film, King Kong....
and Rex Wimpy to India to film location shots such as a tiger hunt.
Paiute
Paiute
Paiute refers to three closely related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon; the Owens Valley Paiute of California and Nevada; and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California and Nevada, and Utah.-Origin of name:The origin of...
Native Americans were used as extras.
Awards
The film was nominated for the following Academy Awards, winning in one category:- Art Direction (Hans DreierHans DreierHans Dreier was a film art director.Born in Bremen, Germany, Dreier began his career in German film in 1919 and by the end of the 1920s had relocated to Hollywood....
, Roland AndersonRoland AndersonRoland Anderson was an acclaimed movie art director, famous for receiving 15 Academy Award nominations but never winning an Oscar. Anderson's fist Oscar nomination was for his first film in 1933, "A Farewell to Arms". A frequent collaborator with Cecil B...
) - Assistant Director (Clem Beauchamp, Paul Wing) (Won)
- Directing (Henry Hathaway)
- Film Editing (Ellsworth Hoagland)
- Outstanding Production
- Sound Recording (Franklin B. Hansen)
- Writing (Screenplay)
Influence
The film was parodiedParody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
by Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
in their film
Laurel and Hardy films
This is the complete list of films which either star or feature the comedy team of Laurel and Hardy. Together, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy appeared in 107 short films and features....
Bonnie Scotland
Bonnie Scotland
Bonnie Scotland is a 1935 American film starring Laurel and Hardy, produced by Hal Roach for Hal Roach Studios and directed by James W. Horne...
.
Cromwell was mentioned in Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar , outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality...
's satirical novel Myra Breckinridge
Myra Breckinridge
Myra Breckinridge is a 1968 satirical novel by Gore Vidal written in the form of a diary. It was made into a movie in 1970. Described by the critic Dennis Altman as "part of a major cultural assault on the assumed norms of gender and sexuality which swept the western world in the late 1960s and...
(1968) as "the late Richard Cromwell, so satisfyingly tortured in Lives of a Bengal Lancer."
German dictator Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
told British Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax
E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax
Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, , known as The Lord Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and as The Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was one of the most senior British Conservative politicians of the 1930s, during which he held several senior ministerial posts, most notably as...
in 1937 that "one of his favourite films Lives of a Bengal Lancer, which he saw three times. He liked this film because it depicted a handful of Britons holding a continent in thrall. That was how a superior race must behave and the film was a compulsory viewing for the S.S."