''Bengal Brigade'' is a 1954 American
adventure
An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
war film
War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...
directed by
Laslo Benedek and starring
Rock Hudson,
Arlene Dahl and
Ursula Thiess. The film was produced and distributed by
Universal Pictures
Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
, based on the 1952 novel ''The Bengal Tiger: a Tale of India'' by
Edison Marshall writing as Hall Hunter. It was released in Britain as ''Bengal Rifles''.
Plot
Set in
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
in 1857, at the outbreak of the
Indian Mutiny. A British officer, Captain Claybourne (
Rock Hudson), is
cashiered from his
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation.
In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...
over a charge of disobeying orders, but finds that his duty to his men is far from over. He loves his Colonel's daughter (
Arlene Dahl) and redeems himself in fighting renegade
Sepoy
''Sepoy'' () is a term related to ''sipahi'', denoting professional Indian infantrymen, traditionally armed with a musket, in the armies of the Mughal Empire and the Maratha.
In the 18th century, the French East India Company and its Euro ...
s.
Cast
*
Rock Hudson as Capt. Jeffrey Claybourne
*
Arlene Dahl as Vivian Morrow
*
Ursula Thiess as Latah
*
Torin Thatcher as Col. Morrow
*
Arnold Moss as Rajah Karam
*
Dan O'Herlihy as Capt. Ronald Blaine
* Harold Gordon as Hari Lal
*
Michael Ansara as Sgt. Maj. Furan Singh
*
Leonard Strong as Mahindra
*
Shepard Menken as Bulbir
*
Sujata Rubener as Indian Dancer
*
Asoka Rubener as Indian Dancer
*
Jack Raine as Col. Rivers
*
Ramsay Hill as Maj. Jennings
* Leslie Denison as Capt. Ian McLeod
*
John Dodsworth as Capt. Guy Fitz-Morell
*
Paul Marion as Hardev
*
Charles Wagenheim as Headman
*
Robert Bice as Native Sergeant
*
Hy Anzell as Sepoy
*
Mel Welles as Merchant
*
Frank Lackteen as Merchant
Production
Rock Hudson replaced
Tyrone Power, who instead starred in 20th Century Fox's ''
King of the Khyber Rifles''. The production was shot on Universal's backlot and the
Iverson Movie Ranch
A movie ranch is a ranch that is at least partially dedicated for use as a set in the creation and production of motion pictures and television shows. These were developed in the United States in southern California, because of the climate.
Movi ...
where ''
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer'' (1935) and ''
The Charge of the Light Brigade'' (1936) were also filmed.
References
Bibliography
* Bego, Mark. ''Rock Hudson: Public and Private : an Unauthorized Biography''. New American Library, 1986.
* Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999.
* Richards, Jeffrey. ''Visions of Yesterday''. Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1973.
External links
*
1954 films
American historical films
Universal Pictures films
Films directed by László Benedek
1950s action films
1950s historical films
Films set in the British Raj
Films set in the 1850s
Films about the Indian Rebellion of 1857
War adventure films
1950s English-language films
1950s American films
English-language action films
English-language historical films
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