On This Day...Gunga Din (1939).

 Cary Grant's 32nd full length film, Gunga Din, was released today in 1939.

Summary:

Born in British India, Gunga Din (Sam Jaffe) always wanted to join the British army like many of his fellow Indians, but Indians were not allowed to do so. So he starts observing the British and learns accordingly. He befriends Sgt. Archibald Cutter (Cary Grant) and warns him about a Thuggee uprising that may threaten their base.

 Sgt. Cutter and others are able to fend off the attack, but when Gunga gets information of a much larger rebel attack, Cutter accompanies him to the cult's temple embedded with gold statues of Hindu deities. Gunga finds out he is regarded as a traitor by his countrymen, and Cutter, as well as Sergeants MacChesney (Victor McLaglen) and Ballantine Douglas Fairbanks Jr.), is held captive by the Thuggees in a bid to force the British to leave India.

With Robert Coote.

"We are grateful...for Grant's cheery, Cockney sergeant, and for George Stevens's good direction..."

- Philip T. Hartung, The Commonweal.

Cast:

Cary Grant ... Sergeant Archibald Cutter
Victor McLaglen ... Sergeant MacChesney
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. ... Sergeant Thomas Ballantine
Sam Jaffe ... Gunga Din
Eduardo Ciannelli ... Guru
Joan Fontaine ... Emmy
Montagu Love ... Colonel Weed
Robert Coote ... Sergeant Higginbotham
Abner Biberman ... Chota
Lumsden Hare ... Major Mitchell

Did You Know?

Upon release, a campaign was launched by the Indian magazine "Filmindia" against what it called misrepresentation of Indian characters in the film and the displaying of insensitivity towards Hindu customs. Following riots in India and Malaya, the film was withdrawn by the censors.

Was second only to Gone with the Wind (1939) as the biggest money-maker of 1939.

The "bridge over the deep chasm" scene, in which Annie the elephant shakes a rope bridge while Cutter and Gunga Din are trying to cross it, was actually filmed on a bridge just eight feet off the ground. The background was a realistic painting of a chasm.

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. recounted how the backdrops and locations were so convincing that they fooled actual Indians who had visited the real Khyber Pass. They even refused to believe him when he told them the truth.

Director George Stevens had Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Cary Grant flip a coin for the role of Cutter. Grant won. However, there's also a report that Grant was dissatisfied with his original role of Ballantine and convinced producer Pandro S. Berman to allow him to switch roles with Fairbanks.

Quotes:

Sgt. Archibald Cutter: Eight feet away from where I'm sitting, right here, there's enough gold to make me sole owner and proprietor of a pub as big as the Crystal Palace. Best pub in Hampshire.



Sgt. Archibald Cutter: Now get me some tools. Something to rip these blinking bars out.
Gunga Din: Already bring all tools could find. Is this satisfactory, sahib?
[holds up a fork]
Sgt. Archibald Cutter: Look... What do you think I want to break out of - a bloomin' pudding? Now go on, get something big.
[Din returns with an elephant]
Sgt. Archibald Cutter: What are you doing, Din?
Gunga Din: The large tool you asked for, sahib.

With Victor McLaglen.

On set.

Lobby Cards:

Directed by George Stevens.

Produced and distributed bu RKO.

Running time: 117 minutes.

Artwork created by Rebekah Hawley.