The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
Director: Henry Hathaway
Year: 1935
Rating: 6.0
Jolly good, old boy. Sticking pigs at three and drinks at five? The British Raj and the movies of it. Though this film starred two American actors as Brits and a number as Indians, to some degree this kickstarted the heroic Raj films that lasted past the 1960s until it became unfashionable to depict white imperialists ruling over darker skinned men in all quarters of the world. But some fine films came out of it. Gunga Din, The Man Who Would be King and Zulu being perhaps the best. At the beginning of this film and repeated later, one of the British officers mention the White Man's Burden - that a relatively small force of army men in the Indian Northwest were protecting three hundred million Indians. Most of the army was of course comprised of Indians but led by white men. But the British were doing it out of the good of their heart. Stiff upper lip duty. The only ones making these sorts of films now are the Indians and the British do not come off as heroic. Hell, they can't even win in cricket.    



A regiment in the northwest is led by Col. Stone (Guy Standing) and his adjutant (C. Aubrey Smith). Just being in the video presence of Smith and his whiskers makes me want to burst out with Hail Britannia. There are rumblings of unease over the border and they suspect that Muhammed Khan is up to mischief. Khan is played by that famous Indian actor Douglass Dumbrille. The Emir and Vizier are also great Indian thespians - Akim Tamiroff and J. Carrol Naish. Other Indians are played by Noble Johnson, Mischa Auer and Monte Blue. Then on a few occasions the white men have to disguise themselves as Indians and smear on the mud. So, it is a Brown-face bonanza. Not at all controversial in 1935. Back then, I imagine what annoyed the British audience most was two Americans playing the main roles as British officers. And not even bothering to put on an accent. Ok - one is a Canadian.



Leading the men in their patrols is Lt. McGregor and thankfully Gary Cooper doesn't try a Scottish accent either. McGregor with his toothbrush moustache and lanky frame is not one to follow orders if he thinks they are wrong. In an early scene he is ordered not to fire back when fired upon. To hell with that when his friend is killed. Two new men are coming and he is told to look after them. One is Lt. Forsythe (Franchot Tone) and the other is Lt. Stone (Richard Cromwell), the son of the Commander and fresh out of Sandhurst. Stone has daddy issues and that is what most of the drama revolves around. And this film is mainly drama. Why doesn't he love me. Why doesn't he send me out on missions. Because you are spoiled twerp who doesn't even have the guts to stand up to splinters being stuck up your fingernails and set on fire. What a wimp.



Our boys Cooper and Tone just laugh it off. Who needs fingernails anyways. The film holds its powder dry till the end when we get the Gunga Din moment. You are a better man than I could ever be. The film was a big hit and Cooper was set on the path of adventure films. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards. It feels a bit dusty all these years later. Not just the racial and imperialistic aspects but the drama falls flat and it needed more action. We do learn that holding up pork to a Muslim's nose and threatening him with it will make him talk. Is that what is going on in Guantanamo?