ARMIES AND ELEPHANTS… LOVE AND LAUGHTER… BREATHLESS ADVENTURE TUNED TO THE ROLLING THUNDER OF RED DRUMFIRE IN SEETHING INDIA.
There are certain film classics from 1939 that modern audiences struggle with because of cultural sensitivity. The depiction of the old South in Gone With the Wind hasn’t aged well. Stagecoach has its ”Indian” issue. And then there’s Gunga Din, which has an Indian issue of a different kind. Set in India when the country was colonized by the British, the story presents a challenge that a mature, modern audience should accept: find the ability to appreciate a classic film while also acknowledging the fact that its depiction of colonialism is painfully dated.
An outpost goes silent
We’re in British India in the 1880s, a territory that now belongs to Pakistan. Something has happened at an outpost; after losing contact, the army sends troops to investigate, including three boisterous buddies who are a constant dilemma to their superiors. Sergeants Cutter, MacChesney and Ballantine (Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) of the Royal Engineers always end up in trouble, but are too good to ignore when it comes to missions of this type. When the troops arrive at the outpost, they find it deserted – until they’re attacked by bloodthirsty locals.
The survivors make it back to camp where they reach the conclusion that the enemy they’re up against are the Thuggee, a murder cult.
Going into the tea business
The primary charm here are the rowdy adventures that the three sergeants throw themselves into, including a subplot where Ballantine intends to leave the army, marry the woman he loves (Joan Fontaine) and go into the tea business, an idea that the other two find utterly absurd and do their best to prevent. Anyone who’s seen The Front Page (1931) or any of its remakes will recognize Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur’s fingerprints here.
There’s also a cheeky charisma in Sam Jaffe’s performance.
The three leads are all terrific, with Grant chosen for the part of Cutter because of its comedic potential and Fairbanks, Jr. cast as a hero reminiscent of his famous father’s work on screen. There’s also a cheeky charisma in Sam Jaffe’s performance. He plays the titular Gunga Din, an Indian camp worker who dreams of serving as a soldier and becomes the key to finding the Thuggee, leading Cutter on a quest to find a temple of gold. There are several ingredients here that obviously inspired Steven Spielberg during the making of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), including a rickety bridge, the cult dedicated to Kali the death goddess – and the stereotypical depiction of natives.
Gunga Din was inspired by the works of Rudyard Kipling, both a poem he wrote in 1890 and a collection of short stories called ”Soldiers Three”, and the film was controversial internationally already at its premiere, banned in some countries, including parts of India. It’s obvious throughout the movie that no one involved had any genuine interest in this part of the world, with a cast of Italians, Jews and Greeks doing their best to look as Indian as possible. Oscar-nominated cinematographer Joseph H. August may have been an exception, turning California’s Alabama Hills into a serviceable stand-in for the Khyber Pass.
Gunga Din was a tremendous hit, sparking the imagination of boys all over the world and inspiring future directors and writers. It takes all of Hollywood’s filmmaking skills to gloss over salutes to colonialism – and director George Stevens and his crew deliver. We’re indeed served spectacular action set pieces, accompanied by one of Alfred Newman’s greatest scores.
Gunga Din 1939-U.S. 117 min. B/W. Produced and directed by George Stevens. Screenplay: Joel Sayre, Fred Guiol. Story: Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur. Cinematography: Joseph H. August. Music: Alfred Newman. Cast: Cary Grant (Archibald Cutter), Victor McLaglen (”Mac” MacChesney), Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (Thomas ”Tommy” Ballantine), Sam Jaffe (Gunga Din), Eduardo Ciannelli, Joan Fontaine.
Trivia: Howard Hawks was initially slated to direct; Sabu was reportedly considered for the part of Gunga Din. Remade as Sergeants 3 (1962).
Last word: “I was under contract at RKO to do one more picture. One day Cary Grant asked me if I wanted to play in something called Gunga Din, inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Soldiers Three’. When I asked him which part he intended to play, he answered, ‘Whichever part you don’t want.’ He just wanted us to be together in this so badly. He said, ‘I think the two of us, plus old [Victor] McLaglen as our top sergeant, will make this picture more than just another big special.’ We finally settled the matter by tossing a coin. That’s how I became Sergeant Ballantine, who wants to leave the Army for Joan Fontaine, and Cary became Sergeant Cutter. Until he died, Grant and I always addressed each other as Cutter and Ballantine.” (Fairbanks, Jr., Film Talk)
