Gunga Din (1939)

Based on a Rudyard Kipling poem, this is a very entertaining adventure film with an excellent cast including Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Victor McLaglen, Sam Jaffe (in the title role), Eduardo Ciannelli and Joan Fontaine. Directed by George Stevens, after Howard Hawks was removed when Bringing Up Baby (1938) bombed at the box office; it was added to the National Film Registry in 1999. Oscar nominated for its Cinematography (the first of two unrewarded Academy Award nominations for Joseph August). Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's story was adapted by Joel Sayre and Fred Guiol.Grant, Fairbanks Jr., and McLaglen play three Sergeants in the British Army that find themselves defending the Empire against an uprising in India. Jaffe plays a local who's befriended, primarily by Grant, that wants to join up and serve in the military unit he idolizes. Fairbanks Jr.'s character is engaged to Fontaine's and, since his service time is almost up, is replaced in the trio by another (played by Robert Coote) ... this is, until the action begins.Great set pieces (including a hanging bridge over a deep canyon), battle sequences, dialogue, and even an elephant, with humor mixed in, make this yet another of the many must-see films from that great classic movie year of 1939. #74 on AFI's 100 Most Inspiring Movies list.

" . . . of jeweled swords and mustache wax," the Thug guru informs the featured British sergeant trio of GUNGA DIN. The Guru's band of Thugs were the ISIS of their day in Victorian India. The British Empire used to be larger than Russia or China, but an over-abundance of mustache wax at the top has reduced it to a puny island tagging along today as a European afterthought. Though we humor the Brits by continuing to call the American language "English," GUNGA DIN illustrates how England historically launched one suicide attack after another (see THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE) unless there was a foreigner handy, such as Mr. Din, to save them from their own folly. GUNGA DIN was the original "Bhisti Boy," who saved thousands of Brits from going to their slaughter like bag-piping sheep, with his own timely bugling. (Of course, Mr. Din's tribute band modernized the spelling of his rank to "Beastie Boys.") The main lesson of GUNGA DIN--repeated again and again--is that, "Pride (and mustache wax) goes before the Fall."

Truly a shame! This film not to be in the top 250 is criminal.Film history will record this as a glorious combination of epic proportion and love story. Even the love story includes traditional and siblings in arms.If I were to create a syllabus for film history class this picture would be included for certain.Though nearly eighty years old this premise is in a 2015 relevant form. Religious zealots killing for killing sake. Historical yet timely.Kipling was the most powerful poet I have ever read.As good as it gets. Enjoy

There's a segment of the population that loves this stuff. Generally speaking it consists of men who like watching other men get nearly naked together and then roll around on the floor while their muscular bodies glisten with sweat and oily residue. Intermingled with lots of brotherly slaps on the back and an unhealthy overdose of deep hearty laughter. It's all very rousing and robust with enough male bonding to satisfy all but the most extreme closet cases. This is a movie that men can introduce to their sons as a rite of manhood, a demonstration of all that is powerfully good about penile worship while brimming over with natural husky maleness.