The Lives of a Bengal Lancer

I picked this little beauty up simply because of Gary Cooper and the subject matter. Having loved Gunga Din, this seemed like a good choice. Cooper as Macgregor, the top billed hero of the piece gives a strong, warm and wry performance. The stand-out surprise of the piece though, is that he is up-staged at nearly every turn by Franchot Tone. The banter between the two is great and takes full advantage of the witty and cynical dialogue. Young Richard Cromwell on the other hand makes very little impression until the final scenes of the picture. The British institution that is C. Aubrey Smith, makes a wonderful patriotic speech from under his formidably bristling eyebrows that brings the house down.

The story-line is pretty standard stuff, three heroes in the face of overwhelming odds fight to uphold British dominance on the Indian Frontier. The strength of the film lies in the characterizations of the leads and the incredible settings and action sequences. A good deal of first rate horsemanship is also in evidence as we are treated to a full Lancer charge and scenes of tent pegging and pig sticking. The final battle is a glorious and exciting sequence that modern film makers would learn a great deal from. The script does have its goofy moments in the later torture sequences as we are treated to lines like "We have ways of making men talk" and are shown the old bamboo under the fingernails bit, but even the cliches seem fitting.

If grand adventure with an emphasis on style is your idea of a good time, you'd be hard put to find a better example than this film!

exotic, romantic, useful for discover the old virtues and conventional India, mixture of drama, humor and noble intentions/ gestures, with a legendary cast, it is a great show. maybe , a perfect one. the old scent is its great virtue. than - the story, impeccable in each detail. and the inspired image about duty and honor. it is an useful film. not only for acting or for the heroic scenes but for the grace to do a good job who has the opportunity to seems be remarkable. because each detail, the dialog, the same ingredients for Middle East policy are impressive. a film with taste of event for many viewers. for the status of piece from a precious lost world.

THE LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER can take its place among the best of the Hollywood version of Colonial India during the 1800s where the danger and excitement is derived from tales similar to the more famous GUNGA DIN, where the British Army has its share of conflict with the Indians who think their country is being occupied.

And like GUNGA DIN, it revolves around a threesome of male buddies played by GARY COOPER, FRANCHOT TONE and RICHARD CROMWELL. Cooper is the strongest of the leads, a Lt. McGregor who has been sent to welcome two new soldiers to the military post. One of them (Cromwell) is the naively inexperienced son of the post's commander and prone to go astray without guidance from Cooper and Tone. The relationships are not without friction (usually with humorous episodes thrown in), and, of course, there's the requisite loyalty, courage and danger involved in all of their undertakings.

Much of it feels similar to other stories of courage beyond endurance and scenes of torture where the captive soldiers exhibit the bravery instilled in them by the military. GARY COOPER is at his most Gary Cooper-like persona (stoic and brave) in the role of the heroic McGregor and FRANCHOT TONE does extremely well as his humorous buddy. RICHARD CROMWELL tends to overact in melodramatic '30s style, the only weakness in the cast.

Good support from a cast including DOUGLAS DUMBRILLE, J. CARROL NAISH, NOBLE JOHNSON and AKIM TAMIROFF.

Fans of GUNGA DIN should love this one.

Pretty good film. Surprisingly complex characters and plot elements for such an old film. Good action sequences and direction. The only criticism I can think of that I had on viewing this movie isn't even really fair, that the cobra didn't look real. I guess their computer graphics lab wasn't quite up to snuff! If you like old films, this one is worth a look.

In the very place where American and British troops are searching for Bin laden, the untamed Northwest frontier of modern Pakistan, the regiments of the Imperial British Raj ruled three hundred million with a hand full of men like Guy Standing and C. Aubrey Smith, who exemplified the very best of the military tradition. There are moments of this film that even transcend the story of outnumbered British soldiers, as when C. Aubrey Smith tells a hot headed Gary Cooper the meaning of honor and duty to the regiment. He explains that sometimes there may be a higher calling than fatherly love. Excellent portrayals by Gary Cooper and Franchot Tone and precise attention to detail ensure that this movie holds up nearly 70 years after it was made. This film should be required viewing for modern day Hollywood types, actors and directors alike who think they can make an action movie! This is one of the great films, I give it a 10!