Review of Gunga Din (1939) by Andrew U — 10 Aug 2009

Gunga Din (1939).

This pre-war movie, very losely based on Rudyard Kipling's poem about the misadventures of three soldiers, Cutter (Cary Grant), MacChesney (Victor McLaglen), and Ballantine (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) and an East Indian waterbearer, Gunga Din (Sam Jaffe).

There's lots of fighting and action, and the whole movie itself is played just for fun with the characters mugging it up for the camera. I loved MacChesney talking baby-talk to Annie, the elephant, and Ballantine being talked out of his wedding with his fiancé, Emmy (Joan Fontaine) and a civilian life as a tea merchant. And of course, Cutter's obsession with fortune hunting.

Then there's Gunga Din, who wants to be a soldier, but is also so good-hearted to everyone that he pours water for the dying enemy. All of these characters are thrown into the dangers trying to stop a Thuggee revolt in 19th century India.