IMDb RATING
7.0/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
Three British soldiers on the Northwest Frontier of India struggle against the enemy - and themselves.Three British soldiers on the Northwest Frontier of India struggle against the enemy - and themselves.Three British soldiers on the Northwest Frontier of India struggle against the enemy - and themselves.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 2 wins & 6 nominations total
Guy Standing
- Col. Stone
- (as Sir Guy Standing)
Douglass Dumbrille
- Mohammed Khan
- (as Douglas Dumbrille)
F.A. Armenta
- Indian Officer
- (uncredited)
Mischa Auer
- Captured Afridi
- (uncredited)
James Bell
- Indian Officer
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaParamount had planned to produce the film in 1931 and sent cinematographers Ernest B. Schoedsack and Rex Wimpy to India to film location shots such as a tiger hunt. However, much of the film stock deteriorated in boiling heat, so when the film was eventually made in 1934, much of the production took place in the hills surrounding Los Angeles.
- GoofsMcGregor lifts and moves the Vickers machine gun with no apparent effort. However, the gun with the tripod could weigh between 29 and 36 kg (65-80 lb) so it is unlikely that it would be moved as easily as it is in the film. The Vickers was a water-cooled machine gun. The ones seen in the film lack the water condenser can which was usually attached to the barrel.
- Quotes
Mohammed Khan: We have ways to make men talk.
- ConnectionsEdited into The Opium War (1943)
- SoundtracksMother Machree
(1910) (uncredited)
Music by Chauncey Olcott and Ernest Ball
Lyrics by Rida Johnson Young
Sung a cappella twice by Franchot Tone with modified lyrics
Played on a pungi by Franchot Tone several times
Featured review
Patrolling the Northwest Frontier
It's hard to remember sometimes when you get caught up in watching a film like Lives of a Benger Lancer that in fact the British were the occupiers and the bandits were in fact fighting against who they considered invaders.
The British didn't take over India in a classical war of armed conquest. During the 17th and 18th centuries they were among a whole series of European powers who were looking for trading rights and who gradually made deals with several of the local rulers like the ones you see portrayed in this film. A guy named Robert Clive finally defeated the French and the British were the only ones left on the subcontinent except for two Portugese enclaves on the Indian west coast.
Great Britain ruled very little of India directly. They only could run it with a LOT of collaboration which they had. They were seen as occupiers however, even by those who collaborated.
Having said that the British Army over its period in India established a great military tradition. In fact their army in India was viewed as almost a wholly separate entity.
The Lives of the Bengal Lancers is part of that tradition. True to Hollywood in order to have Americans star in a British location we make them Canadians. Well, Gary Cooper was from Montana and that's close enough to Canada. Franchot Tone with his clipped and professionally stage trained speech patterns I guess Paramount figured could pass for British. And Richard Cromwell was given an American mother.
Cooper is a frontier officer who is sent to meet two new arrivals, Tone from another regiment and Cromwell straight from Sandhurst. Cromwell is the son of the post commander a real spit and polish type played by Sir Guy Standing. Their clash is what sets off the events of this film.
Douglass Dumbrille plays a very smooth and deadly villain as bandit leader Mohammed Khan. And C. Aubrey Smith is fine as the fort's second in command.
The later and more comic Gunga Din had a lot of the same plot in it. The final battle between the British lancers and Dumbrille's forces is pretty exciting though the heroics of our three officers today's audience might find a bit much.
Still The Lives of a Bengal Lancer is a good action adventure saga and a fine tribute to the men who served in the lancers.
The British didn't take over India in a classical war of armed conquest. During the 17th and 18th centuries they were among a whole series of European powers who were looking for trading rights and who gradually made deals with several of the local rulers like the ones you see portrayed in this film. A guy named Robert Clive finally defeated the French and the British were the only ones left on the subcontinent except for two Portugese enclaves on the Indian west coast.
Great Britain ruled very little of India directly. They only could run it with a LOT of collaboration which they had. They were seen as occupiers however, even by those who collaborated.
Having said that the British Army over its period in India established a great military tradition. In fact their army in India was viewed as almost a wholly separate entity.
The Lives of the Bengal Lancers is part of that tradition. True to Hollywood in order to have Americans star in a British location we make them Canadians. Well, Gary Cooper was from Montana and that's close enough to Canada. Franchot Tone with his clipped and professionally stage trained speech patterns I guess Paramount figured could pass for British. And Richard Cromwell was given an American mother.
Cooper is a frontier officer who is sent to meet two new arrivals, Tone from another regiment and Cromwell straight from Sandhurst. Cromwell is the son of the post commander a real spit and polish type played by Sir Guy Standing. Their clash is what sets off the events of this film.
Douglass Dumbrille plays a very smooth and deadly villain as bandit leader Mohammed Khan. And C. Aubrey Smith is fine as the fort's second in command.
The later and more comic Gunga Din had a lot of the same plot in it. The final battle between the British lancers and Dumbrille's forces is pretty exciting though the heroics of our three officers today's audience might find a bit much.
Still The Lives of a Bengal Lancer is a good action adventure saga and a fine tribute to the men who served in the lancers.
helpful•1510
- bkoganbing
- Sep 13, 2006
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- More Lives of a Bengal Lancer
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,180,000
- Gross worldwide
- $3,270,000
- Runtime1 hour 49 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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By what name was The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935) officially released in India in English?
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