The Real Glory (1939)

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

Charles L. Clifford (novel)
Jo Swerling (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

29 September 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Action | History | War

Tagline:

Mighty Thrills With The Screen's Most Romantic Adventurer!

Plot:

A small American contingent tries to train rural tribesmen to defend themselves against fanatical Muskim radicals in 1906 Philippines.

Plot Keywords:

Philippines | Doctor | Dam | Filipino | Vaccination

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Dr. Bill Canavan
David Niven	...	Lt. Terence McCool
Andrea Leeds	...	Linda Hartley
Reginald Owen	...	Capt. Steve Hartley
Broderick Crawford	...	Lt. Larson
Kay Johnson	...	Mrs. Mabel Manning
Russell Hicks	...	Capt. George Manning
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	The Datu
Benny Inocencio	...	Miguel
Charles Waldron	...	Padre Rafael
Rudy Robles	...	Lt. Yabo (as Ruby Robles)
Tetsu Komai	...	Alipang
Roy Gordon	...	Col. Hatch
Henry Kolker	...	The General

Runtime:

96 min (copyright length)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #5441) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:K-16 | Spain:13

Filming Locations:

Hunt-Salto Canyon, California, USA

Company:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Trivia:

David Niven felt badly miscast in the film, and did not even attempt an American accent.

Quotes:

Dr. Bill Canavan: [Referring to the many soldiers in sick bay] The Moro that struck Captain Manning down struck them down too, but not with a bolo. They're down with a disease medicine can't cure.
Capt. Steve Hartley: They'll be all right when they learn how to use a gun, when they're properly drilled!
Dr. Bill Canavan: The trouble is that you're trying to drill things into them when you should be drilling things out of them. What good's a gun when your finger's so paralyzed with fright that you can't pull a trigger?

A grand adventure in the classic Hollywood tradition!

THE REAL GLORY is a terrific follow-up to the adventure classic LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER (1936) which saw the previous pairing of star Gary Cooper with director Henry Hathaway. THE REAL GLORY is a 'Boy's Own' style adventure romp through the jungles of the Phillipines following the Spanish-American War. Cooper leads a small band of American soldiers and medical personnel as they train a police force to fight back against vicious Moro pirates who terrorize and prey upon the local villagers. Cooper and co-star David Niven are the perfect Hollywood mix of heroism, gallantry and self-sacrifice. Director Hathaway fills THE REAL GLORY to the brim with rousing action sequences, desperate derring-do and the kind of buckle-swashing that heavily influenced modern classics like Spielberg's RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. An absolutely top-notch film in every department. This is escapist entertainment as only Golden Age Hollywood could produce. If you like 'GUNGA DIN/RAIDERS' style filmmaking then this is a must-see. A perfect Saturday night popcorn film.