Starring: Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell, Sir Guy Standing, C Aubrey Smith, Monte Blue, Kathleen Burke
Director: Henry Hathaway
Screenplay: Waldemar Young, John L Balderston, Achmed Abdullah
Adaptation by: Grover Jones and William Slavens McNutt
Suggested by the book by: Francis Yeats-Brown
Country: United States
Running Time: 109 min
Year: 1935
BBFC Certificate: PG
Henry Hathaway started his career as a film director in the 1930s after a near decade as an assistant director, and would go on to make some much loved classics including the original 1969 version of western True Grit starring John Wayne, and Marilyn Monroe’s Niagara in 1953. But among his breakthrough films as a director was The Lives of a Bengal Lancer in 1935, which starred Gary Cooper, an actor with whom Hathaway would work a number of times, including on seven films which he directed.
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer is based on a memoir by Francis Yeats-Brown, although it bears little resemblance to the book. It follows the 41st Bengal Lancers, a British regiment which is defending its stronghold at Bengal, India, against locals, during the days of the British Raj.
The story focuses on Lieutenant Alan McGregor (Gary Cooper), whom we first see being described as impulsive by his commanding officer. McGregor is in charge of newcomers for the 41st Bengal Lancers, and he takes two new recruits under his wing: Lieutenant John Forsythe (Franchot Tone) and Lieutenant Donald Stone (Richard Cromwell), the son of the unit’s commander, Colonel Tom Stone (Guy Standing).
Much of the story focuses on the human drama, specifically an ever-growing tension between the father and sons Stone. Colonel Stone doesn’t give any advantage to his son despite their familial bond, and their conflict is one of the more poignant moments: both seem to want to have their father-son relationship but can’t whilst serving in the forces, as their military ranks take precedent.
This conflict reaches a head when Colonel Stone blocks his son from joining McGregor on a raid, and later attempts to prevent McGregor from leading a raid to save the Colonel’s son who has been captured. McGregor also has an interesting arc, though by the end of the film he’s just as likely to throw himself headfirst into a battle and adventure as he is at the start.
All of the principal actors play their roles well, the heroes each being very different in their approaches but complementing each other, and I felt Cooper was very convincing in his role, contrary to some other views on the film I’ve read.
The human conflict was what kept me gripped throughout but at its heart this is an adventure film, and when the action takes hold, it’s thrilling. There are rip roaring battle scenes, cameras shooting from beneath horses as they ride past, close-ups of gunfire and some brief but well-choreographed battles.
Special mention too for the finale, which I’ve briefly referenced earlier. It sees Stone’s son captured, his father refusing to go after him, but McGregor leading a daring rescue mission with Forsythe. But they too get captured. This all leads to an excellent closing as they manage to escape and commandeer a mounted machine gun which leads to a striking image of Cooper and the gun and a battle against local forces. It’s a fantastic finale that feels ahead of its time in the staging, cinematography and excitement.
An element that’s very effective and a tough watch is the use of torture and threat of torture. The British troops threaten some pretty nasty ends for the locals and later we see Cooper’s McGregor tortured after being captured, with bamboo shoots stuck under his fingernails with the shoots set on fire. This is all shown with an establishing shot of the bamboo sticks, then all through the reactions on the faces of McGregor and his torturers, and finally through a reflection from a table, the shoots seen under McGregor’s fingernails and set alight. It’s an incredibly powerful scene.
In other areas the film feels very much of its time; it’s very much a tale of the West overcoming the locals in India, and the depiction of the local people on screen caused a controversy at the time, including being raised in Parliament by an MP who was concerned about how the film would affect Anglo-Indian relations. Watching the film through a 2025 lens, it’s easy to see why it caused controversy.
The cinematography by Charles Lang, who would later lens the fantastic Fritz Lang 1953 noir The Big Heat, is excellent. Much of the film is shot around the Sierra Mountains, famed for so many Westerns, specifically Lone Pine, and the gorgeous landscapes are beautifully shot. We also get to see some location footage shot in India, which is fascinating but all too brief. Sadly, much of the footage was unusable as the camera film deteriorated in the heat.
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also has the infamy of apparently being one of Adolf Hitler’s favourite films, some commentators saying his absolute favourite, as he apparently enjoyed it for being a film of one race’s battle with another.
Overall, I enjoyed the film, particularly the action and adventure sequences, and the human conflict between McGregor and his superiors, and the father-son Stones. It’s beautifully shot, well-acted and features a number of memorable scenes and some striking images, not least in the finale.
Film: 
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer is released on limited edition Blu-ray by Powerhouse Films on their Indicator label on 20th January 2025. It’s a UK Blu-ray premiere for the film, which looks excellent in its 4K restoration. The picture is sharp, detail is strong throughout and the blacks, greys and whites of the black and white cinematography look fabulous. There are some blemishes and print damage here and there, but overall it’s a very good restoration for a 90-year-old film. The audio, which has also been restored, is also good, everything sounding clear and given room to breathe.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
4K restoration
Original mono audio
Audio commentary with screenwriter and novelist C Courtney Joyner and filmmaker Steve Latshaw (2025)
Sheldon Hall on ‘The Lives of a Bengal Lancer’ (2025): critical appreciation by the academic and film historian
Lux Radio Theatre: ‘The Lives of a Bengal Lancer’ (1939): radio adaptation of the film’s screenplay starring Errol Flynn, Brian Aherne and Jackie Cooper, alongside original cast members C Aubrey Smith and Douglass Dumbrille
Original theatrical trailer
Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Sam Wigley, an archival production report, an extract from an archival interview with Henry Hathaway, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
UK premiere on Blu-ray
Limited edition of 3,000 copies for the UK
The new commentary with screenwriter and novelist C Courtney Joyner and filmmaker Steve Latshaw is fantastic, and the pair clearly love the movie. They talk very fondly about it, giving an overview of the production and key players – actors and those behind the camera – and giving a critical appraisal of the movie and the elements which they feel work very well. It’s a marvellous commentary.
Sheldon Hall is always great value and his 26-minute piece on this disc is no different. He gives a brilliant overview of the production of the film, from its inception through to release, its legacy, his take on elements that other commentators have criticised, like Cooper’s performance, and plenty more. There’s a lot to glean from the piece.
The Lux Radio Theatre adaptation is from 1939 and features a strong cast including Errol Flynn, Brian Aherne and Jackie Cooper, alongside original cast members C Aubrey Smith and Douglass Dumbrille. It runs for 54 minutes and does a decent and evocative job of bringing the story to life. These classic radio adaptations are always a welcome inclusion.
The trailer runs for two minutes, running through the cast and a few scenes that sell the McGregor character and action.
The booklet is 40 pages long and lavishly illustrated with black and white stills and other images. It opens with a new essay A Man’s Got to be Seasoned by Sam Wigley, who provides an excellent overview of the film and its production. Next is a 1934 piece by Hollywood columnist Molly Marsh which looks at the challenges of turning the book into a film. It’s a good piece, as is one from 1973, which features extracts from an interview with director Henry Hathaway. Rounding out the booklet are critical responses, two positive and one about controversy the film caused that led to an outcry in Parliament by an MP deeply unhappy with the film and concerned about its potential impact on Anglo-Indian relations.
The almost 80 images in the gallery include production and promotional stills plus posters.
Indicator’s release of The Lives of a Bengal Lancer is incredibly welcomed. The film is important in the career of director Henry Hathaway and features a strong central human drama, gorgeous cinematography and some effective action sequences. It’s well served on the new disc from Indicator, which includes a very good 4K restoration and some insightful extras, headlined by an excellent commentary and an equally good appreciation by Sheldon Hall.
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