Gunga Din (1939)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

George Stevens

Writers:

Joel Sayre (screenplay) &
Fred Guiol (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 February 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | War

Tagline:

Barbaric Splendor - Gasping Magnitude - Adventure !

Plot:

In 19th century India, three British soldiers and a native waterbearer must stop a secret mass revival of the murderous Thuggee cult before it can rampage across the land.

Plot Keywords:

British | India | Thuggee | Army | Sergeant

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

US TV Schedule:

Fri. July 17

2:00 AM

TCM

Cast

Cary Grant	...	Cutter
Victor McLaglen	...	MacChesney
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.	...	Ballantine
Sam Jaffe	...	Gunga Din
Eduardo Ciannelli	...	Guru
Joan Fontaine	...	Emmy
Montagu Love	...	Colonel Weed
Robert Coote	...	Higginbotham
Abner Biberman	...	Chota
Lumsden Hare	...	Major Mitchell
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Alban	...	(uncredited)
Charles Bennett	...	Telegraph operator (uncredited)
Joe De La Cruz	...	(uncredited)
George Du Count	...	Pandu Lal (uncredited)
Ann Evers	...	Girl at party (uncredited)
Richard Farnsworth	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Olin Francis	...	Fulad (uncredited)
Bryant Fryer	...	Scottish sergeant (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	(uncredited)
Jamiel Hasson	...	Thug chieftain (uncredited)
Cecil Kellaway	...	Mr. Stebbins (uncredited)
Frank Leyva	...	Merchant (uncredited)
Audrey Manners	...	Girl at party (uncredited)
Joe McGuinn	...	(uncredited)
Fay McKenzie	...	Girl at party (uncredited)
Lal Chand Mehra	...	Jadoo (uncredited)
Thom Metzetti	...	(uncredited)
Art Mix	...	(uncredited)
Clive Morgan	...	Lancer captain (uncredited)
Satini Pualoa	...	(uncredited)
George Regas	...	Thug chieftain (uncredited)
Allen Schute	...	(uncredited)
Reginald Sheffield	...	Rudyard Kipling, journalist (uncredited)
Paul Singh	...	(uncredited)
Leslie Sketchley	...	Corporal (uncredited)
Tom Tamarez	...	(uncredited)
Carlie Taylor	...	(uncredited)
Roland Varno	...	Lt. Markham (uncredited)
Bruce Wyndham	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
George Stevens

Writing credits
Joel Sayre		(screenplay) &
Fred Guiol		(screenplay)
Ben Hecht		(story) &
Charles MacArthur		(story)
Rudyard Kipling		(poem "Gunga Din")
Lester Cohen		(contributing writer) uncredited and
John Colton		(contributing writer) uncredited and
William Faulkner		(contributing writer) uncredited and
Vincent Lawrence		(contributing writer) uncredited and
Dudley Nichols		(contributing writer) uncredited and
Anthony Veiller		(contributing writer) uncredited

Produced by
George Stevens	....	producer

Original Music by
Alfred Newman

Cinematography by
Joseph H. August

Film Editing by
Henry Berman
John Lockert
John Sturges		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Van Nest Polglase

Set Decoration by
Darrell Silvera

Costume Design by
Edward Stevenson		(gowns)

Makeup Department
James R. Barker	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Dan Berns	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Irving Berns	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Mel Berns	....	makeup department head (uncredited)
Layne Britton	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Russell Drake	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Charles Gemora	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Abe Haberman	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Joe Hadley	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Walter Hermann	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Dick Johnson	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Ben Libizer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Harry Pringle	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Louis Saintly	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Al Senator	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Howard Smit	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Armand Triller	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
William Woods	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Pandro S. Berman	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Edward Killy	....	assistant director
Dewey Starkey	....	assistant director
Robert Parrish	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Perry Ferguson	....	associate art director
Nathan Barrager	....	props (uncredited)
Claude E. Carpenter	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Thomas Grady	....	props (uncredited)
Maxwell O. Henry	....	props (uncredited)
James Lane	....	props (uncredited)
Kennie Marstella	....	props (uncredited)
Gene Rossi	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
James G. Stewart	....	sound recordist (as James Stewart)
John E. Tribby	....	sound recordist
George C. Emick	....	sound (uncredited)
John C. Grubb	....	sound (uncredited)
S.G. Haughton	....	sound (uncredited)
Aubrey C. Lind	....	sound (uncredited)
Jack Mark	....	sound (uncredited)
Gordon McLean	....	sound (uncredited)
Eric Meisel	....	sound (uncredited)
Arthur C. Robbins	....	sound (uncredited)
Fred Rodgers	....	sound (uncredited)
Cecil Shephard	....	sound (uncredited)
Kenneth C. Wesson	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	special effects
Russell A. Cully	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
P. Brook	....	photographic effects (uncredited)
Horace L. Hulburd	....	photographic effects (uncredited)
Roger Sherman	....	photographic effects (uncredited)
G. Swartz	....	photographic effects (uncredited)
M. Zamora	....	photographic effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Richard Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)
David Sharpe	....	stunts (uncredited)
Barlow Simpson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Joseph A. August Jr.	....	second camera operator (uncredited)
H. Barrett	....	grip (uncredited)
Pete Bernard	....	grip (uncredited)
H. Brandon	....	grip (uncredited)
Charles Burke	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Tom Clement	....	grip (uncredited)
William Collins	....	assistant camera: camera effects (uncredited)
T. Connelly	....	grip (uncredited)
Charles Davis	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Thomas East	....	best boy (uncredited)
Earl Gilpin	....	grip (uncredited)
Alexander Kahle	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Mario Larrinaga	....	camera effects artist (uncredited)
George Marquenie	....	gaffer (uncredited)
C. Noren	....	grip (uncredited)
W. Norton	....	grip (uncredited)
Eddie Pyle	....	second camera operator (uncredited)
William Record	....	grip (uncredited)
F. Reed	....	grip (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Clifford Stine	....	second camera: camera effects (uncredited)
Charles Straumer	....	second camera operator (uncredited)
Leon Turen	....	camera operator (uncredited)
William Whitaker	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Joe Zaslove	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ray Camp	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Harold Clandenning	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Bill Durant	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Harry Lawrence	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Bill Rabb	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Fred Starns	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Wesley Trist	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Pat Williams	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Robert Russell Bennett	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Sergeant Major William Briers	....	technical advisor
Robert Erskine Holland	....	technical advisor (as Sir Robert Erskine Holland)
Clive Morgan	....	technical advisor (as Captain Clive Morgan)
Art Bruggerman	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Phoebe Campbell	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Gordon Clark	....	stand-in: Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (uncredited)
Hilda Grenier	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Sam Harris	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Mal Merrihugh	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Barlow Simpson	....	elephant trainer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1939) (USA) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1942) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1957) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Filmituonti (1939) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Lii-Filmi (1959) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Castle Video (1989) (Finland) (VHS)
• Continental Home Vídeo (Brazil) (video)
• Media Home Entertainment (198?) (USA) (VHS) (as Nostalgia Merchant)
• Pan Vision Oy (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. Television (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1988) (2002) (2003) (2006) (Finland) (TV)

Runtime:

117 min | 96 min (reissue)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

Norway:16 | Finland:K-16 | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #4452)

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Howard Hawks was the original director, but was fired from the project after his previous film, Bringing Up Baby (1938), was a box office bomb.

Goofs:

Continuity: Ballentine and MacChesney are bound and gagged when the last Thuggee is about to behead them after Gunga Din sounds the alarm. Cutter shoots the Thuggee and Ballentine and MacChesney are unbound as they rush to Cutter's side.

Quotes:

[Sgt. Cutter confronts the Thugs in their stronghold]
Sgt. Archibald Cutter: Well if it ain't young toadface. Fancy meeting you here.
Guru: Vile dog! For that insolence you shall grovel before my son. You shall grovel, I say!
Sgt. Archibald Cutter: Look here! I'm a soldier of her Majesty, the Queen. I don't grovel before any 'eathen.
Guru: Tabul, take him to the tower and teach him the error of false pride. Take him away!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Watchmen (2009)

Soundtrack:

Blue Bonnets Over the Border

or The Three Musketeers go to India...great fun...

'Gunga Din' is the kind of film you cherish after the first viewing and then want to revisit from time to time. It stays in the memory and for valid reasons--the casting is perfect with the three buddies entering into the spirit of the whole thing--the perfect buddy movie. Cary Grant gave many fine performances on film but this is one of his greatest--heroic and funny at the same time. Sam Jaffe is excellent as the water carrier who eventually saves the regiment in what has to be one of the most thrilling endings ever conceived for an action movie. Today some of it is politcally incorrect but this is a minor flaw in a great movie. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Victor McLaglen and Eduardo Ciannelli are all perfectly cast. Joan Fontaine has a couple of brief scenes as the only femme in the story--but fails to ignite any interest in her bland role. Based on the famous Rudyard Kipling poem, it deserves a place at the top of the list of great adventure films produced in the 1930s. I'd love to see a technicolor version today with someone like Brendan Fraser leading the "musketeers". A real gem.