The Lives Of A Bengal Lancer (1935)
HENRY HATHAWAY
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BBBB.5. USA, 1935. Paramount Pictures. Screenplay by Waldemar Young, John L. Balderston, Achmed Abdullah, adaptation by Grover Jones, William Slavens McNutt. Cinematography by Charles Lang. Produced by Louis D. Lighton. Music by Herman Hand, John Leipold, Milan Roder, Heinz Roemheld. Production Design by Roland Anderson, Hans Dreier. Costume Design by Travis Banton. Film Editing by Ellsworth Hoagland. Academy Awards 1935.
In this breathtaking adventure, Gary Cooper stars as a British soldier (originally from Canada) stationed in India who butts heads with his new socially superior barracks mate (Franchot Tone) until a common crisis unites them: their general (Guy Standing) has treated his son (Richard Cromwell) with so little affection or kindness that the boy has run off to infiltrate the enemy alone, leaving his two fellow officers to clean up the mess he leaves behind. Fantastic camera work, first-rate direction and a brilliant script combine with marvelous action sequences (especially for 1935) to make a terrific film that stands up to today’s most widely-scoped adventure films.
