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A few years earlier, Gary Cooper starred in the very entertaining LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER--an adventure film about an uprising in Afghanistan and the actions of the British army to crush this rebellion. In this case, the film cast made some sense, as Gary Cooper's accent could be explained away by his being a Canadian. But here, we once again have him playing a very similar role as a soldier in the American army but he is surrounded by British actors. They never really explained how the very-British Reginald Owen and David Niven were American soldiers! But, despite this silly casting, the film is highly entertaining and worth seeing--provided you ignore the strange accents. In addition, like LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER, there was a local tribal insurrection that must be eliminated by training loyal locals to fight to ensure the peace. In the case of this film, it is set in the Philippines and based on the very brief Moro uprising towards the beginning of the 20th century. It's the sort of adventure film you can enjoy provided you have only modest expectations--in other words, this isn't deep or philosophical, but more like a traditional Cowboy and Indian movie set in a tropical setting.

I had long been curious about this film as it took place in my parents' homeland of the Philippines during the years of the early 20th century when the U.S. had occupied it with some Army posts there for the purpose of teaching the natives to defend themselves against invading Moros. Though the disclaimer at the end says the movie is entirely fictional, it's safe to assume that the part of many of the country's citizens suffering from cholera has some basis in fact as that disease is common in many Asian countries. Anyway, Gary Cooper plays a military doctor who is in charge of treating many of the natives during the American occupation but decides to help many of them prepare for the eventual battle despite his captain's orders not to bother. Also on hand to offer support are fellow officers played by David Niven and Broderick Crawford who provide some amusing turns before things turn serious for both of them and Andrea Leeds who is charming as the leading lady who provides the buffer between Cooper and her stubborn captain father played by Reginald Owen. And leave it to veteran director Henry Hathaway to provide the rousing finish one usually expects from many of these '30s adventure movies. So on that note, The Real Glory is recommended.

THE REAL GLORY is a terrific follow-up to the adventure classic LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER (1936) which saw the previous pairing of star Gary Cooper with director Henry Hathaway. THE REAL GLORY is a 'Boy's Own' style adventure romp through the jungles of the Phillipines following the Spanish-American War. Cooper leads a small band of American soldiers and medical personnel as they train a police force to fight back against vicious Moro pirates who terrorize and prey upon the local villagers. Cooper and co-star David Niven are the perfect Hollywood mix of heroism, gallantry and self-sacrifice. Director Hathaway fills THE REAL GLORY to the brim with rousing action sequences, desperate derring-do and the kind of buckle-swashing that heavily influenced modern classics like Spielberg's RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. An absolutely top-notch film in every department. This is escapist entertainment as only Golden Age Hollywood could produce. If you like 'GUNGA DIN/RAIDERS' style filmmaking then this is a must-see. A perfect Saturday night popcorn film.

Back in 1999 I made a long planned journey to the Far East and the Phillipines was one of the stops. I learned two things there and they are key to understanding The Real Glory. The first is they are very proud of the fact they are the only Christian nation in the Far East. The second is that they gained their independence in 1898, but suffered American occupation until 1946.

The southern Phillipines are where the Moslem Moros reside and if we hadn't been there, they would still have a lovely religious war with the Christian northern islands. But we were also occupiers and it is part of an occupying army that new American officers Gary Cooper, David Niven, and Broderick Crawford arrive at a post in one of those southern Moslem dominated islands.

The events in this film take place in 1906, four years after the Filipino resistance was crushed. Our three American officers are assigned to a place where the local Osama is running roughshod over the populace and waging a nasty, brutal war on the Americans with tactics not unlike we see in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I can't say too much more about the plot of this film, it gets down right silly at times. But someone should screen this for this president and the one who'll succeed him. If the key to installing fear in Moslem hearts is as simple as Gary Cooper discovers, we'll beat them without any further ado.

Maybe one day someone will make a good film about the Phillipine resistance and our occupation. There's quite a story there, at different points in time, America is shown in a good or bad light. It's sad that this is the only film I can think of about the USA in the Phillipines.

This is a very enjoyable adventure that clearly influenced Raiders of the Lost Ark and the other Indiana Jones films. It is expertly directed by the unfairly forgotten Henry Hathaway and Gary Cooper is excellent in the lead role as a doctor assigned to help train Phillipine natives against the dangerous Moro tribesman who regularly invade their villages.

I must point out that another user comment, by one "skt171," attempts to make an analogy between this film and our current situation in Iraq. The analogy is correct, but not in the way the poster intended. This film is now widely considered both "historically and politically dubious," a fact pointed out by the well-respected Time Out Film Guide.

For this reason, it is hard for me to take the poster's assertions seriously, particularly when he tries to point out how our media would have "ruined" our successful intervention in Phillipine affairs as it (presumably) is ruining our involvement in Iraq. Except for one problem...our involvement in the Philippines was neither as noble nor as successful as this film depicts.

One other interesting point: this film is being shown repeatedly on the Fox Movie Channel prior to an important election in which Iraq is perhaps the most pressing issue. In fact, they are "celebrating" the legacy of studio-system "product" (their term, not mine) Henry Hathaway all month. Hathaway, of course, made MANY pro-war films during his career...which basically consisted of him taking whatever job the studio gave him. I can just see the Fox executives thinking to themselves, "if only movies were still like this...those Democrats wouldn't have a leg to stand on! Lets show nothing but Hathaway films until after the election." Im sure the reason for this is to prompt others to liken this inaccurate film to Iraq...it seems to have worked for skt171 (although he saw the film on VHS), thats for sure! Bottom line: enjoy this film as an adventure story. It works beautifully in this way. But look elsewhere for accurate history. And please, do not use this film as a basis for supporting our presence in Iraq, but rather as a blueprint for what a pro-Iraq War film would be like if we still lived in an era when movies were allowed to function as a propaganda arm of the US Government's military policy.

Adventure and military movie set after the US capture of the Philippine Island during the Spanish-American War (1898) , set in 1906 the Island of Mindanao, there takes place an uprising of Moro tribesmen spreading terror and massacre . After most of islands are evacuated only a small group of Army officers is left to lead the Filipino soldiers against rebels . Along the way a sympathetic trumvirate : Gary Cooper , Broderick Crawford , David Niven attempt to save Philippine patriots from savage insurgents at a fort . Love and danger, the two strongest challenges to a soldier's heart . With the savage rhythm of jungle drums beating in his brain , a devil-may-care soldier faces the crises of his life beside the girl he loves. Always outnumbered never outfought . With the screen's most romantic adventurer ¡.

An overwhelming and adventurous movie with mighty thrills and particularly fine interpretation from Gary Cooper and Broderick Crawford. Henry Hathaway and producers attempted to make a similar film to "Lives of a Bengal Lancer" 1935 but set in Philippines , copying likeness elements as terror of the fanatic Muslims to be wrapped in pig skin , and equally starred by a trío of brave soldiers . It includes an enjoyable relationship among three protagonists : Gary Cooper/David Niven/Broderick Crawford Including an exciting and breathtaking finale when Cooper comes to rescue of the heavily besieged fort . Gary Cooper is nice , as always, as a heroic doctor called Bill Canavan who is not afraid to fight . Support cast is frankly good such as : Andrea Leeds , Vladimir Sokoloff, Reginald Owen , Kay Johnson, Russell Hicks, among others. This moving and patriotic film was initially titled Revolt of Manilla, Black of Manilla, and The Last Frontier. It was shot on various locations in California : Chatworth, Kernville, Point Magu and Hunt Salto Canyon.

The picture released thru United Artists was well directed with dash by Henry Hathaway. He was a good professional with a long career of spendour in Hollywood , as he directed all kinds of genres with penchant for Western : "When West was young, Man of the Forest, Go West Young Man, Brigham Young, Gundown ,North to Alaska, Sony of Kathy Elder, How the West was won, Nevada Smith, Five Card Stud, True Grit, Shoot out" and Adventure movie : " The lives of a Bengal Lancer, Souls at Sea , The Racers , Legend of the Lost , Sundown, Spawn of the North, Prince Valiant, Circus World, The Last Safari and this The Real Glory" . The yarn will appeal to adventure films enthusiasts and Gary Cooper fans .

Amazingly, the first 15 minutes of this movie, describes the withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan in August 2021. This movie is about a similar situation in 1906 in the Philippines.

Despite objections from the locals, the order has been given for US to leave the island, leaving a small band of US soldiers to train the islanders to defend themselves from the fanatical Muslim Moros.

The comradery between Gary Cooper, David Niven and Broderick Crawford is similar to the trio of Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr and Victor Mclaglen from Gunga Din.

Lots of action/battle scenes, some hard to believe. But not a waste of your viewing time.

I had never even heard of this movie until I viewed it today. Thank God for the library's VHS collection. The plot, five US Army officers are tasked to be military advisors in the establishment of the Phillipine constabulary in 1906. Despite the colonel's plea, the war Department has decided US troops will no longer be responsible for protecting the local people because they will never learn to do it themselves if the US Army does it all. Sound familiar to anyone? The enemy are the Moro insurgents, who just happen to be Muslim. They are bent on establishing a Muslim state and are not too particular about how they do it. The movie points out that not all Moros are bad, not all agree with the radicals and some are quite helpful to the advisors. The plot cautions us however not to take everyone at face value. There are traitors in their midst.

I find the lead (Cooper's) character solutions to winning hearts and minds to be fantastic. The guy could have been a role model for counter insurgency. Perhaps he was the first Green Beret. I won't go into his methods, watch them yourself and then think IRAQ. Of course with 24/7 news cycles and instant communication blended with micro-management it is hard to see this happening today. If we had those things back then, well, the course of history in the Phillipines would have been very different.

All in all, an excellent movie with a great cast highlighting an interesting period of US History that is all but forgotten today. It is interesting to think that people who actually participated in the Phillipine Insurrection were still around when it debuted in 1939.

Starring three eventual Oscar winners, Gary Cooper, David Niven, and Broderick Crawford, and helmed by Henry Hathaway, a veteran director of several distinguished westerns, "The Real Glory" is a solid, if flawed, entertainment that will please fans of Cooper and of such classics as "Gunga Din," "Lives of a Bengal Lancer," and "The Four Feathers." However, the 1939 film, set in the early 20th century on the Philippine island of Mindanao, fails to reach par with those other historical action films, weighed down with a predictable story line, a pallid leading lady, and dated treatment of colonialism.

Local Moro people wage a struggle against the American-backed Filipino government, and, espousing an imperialist attitude, the Philippines Constabulary needs American leadership and knowledge to defend their own country. Reducing a Moro fighter to tears with a pigskin, even the progressive Cooper refers to the Filipino soldiers as "boys." As Doctor Bill Canavan, Cooper is the American super hero, who inspires the Filipino troops, battles cholera, and treks through the jungle on a mission to destroy a dam and save the local settlement. In his spare time, Coop romances the base captain's daughter, consoles a grieving widow, and tosses out the Latin names of local orchids, which are the unlikely passion of tough guy, Broderick Crawford. As Swede Larsen, Crawford is also smitten by the captain's daughter, played by a colorless Andrea Leeds, who must have had qualities the camera failed to catch, because David Niven as Terence McCool is also attracted by the petite Miss Leeds.

While a sometimes-convincing Mindanao was reconstructed on a back lot at the Samuel Goldwyn Studios in Hollywood, the casting director evidently had difficulty hiring Filipino actors in pre-World War II California. Although Lieutenant Yabu is played by Rudy Robles, a Filipino from Leyte, the local chief or Datu, is played by a Russian actor, the Moro leader, Alipang, is portrayed by a Japanese, and Hawaiians, Spaniards, Indians, Chinese, Chileans, and Americans played other Filipino soldiers and villagers. American actors may also have been in short supply as London-born Niven portrays the American McCool.

However, setting aside the politically-incorrect tone and racially insensitive casting, which were typical of that Hollywood period, and, once the courting nonsense is left behind, Hathaway ramps up the action, and the film holds audience attention with some rousing fighting and battle scenes. Not the best, but far from the worst, "The Real Glory" offers Cooper, Niven, and Crawford under the direction of Henry Hathaway for an above-average Saturday afternoon's entertainment.

The film comes to life in some brief flashes of proto-Indiana Jones action. Otherwise, it's a standard melodrama of an occupying fort holding on in hostile country. The unusual setting in the Philippines circa 1910 is under-utilized. For all the difference it makes, the film could easily have been set in the British Raj- or, with only a little rewriting, in a post-Civil War U.S. frontier fort.

A handful of American army officers in the Philippines attempt to train the natives to fight against Muslim radicals.

The Real Glory is tremendously entertaining. Gary Cooper is an actor I don't really care for, but he's quite good here. The action scenes are spectacular and it's a handsomely made production. David Niven and Broderick Crawford are excellent in supporting parts, and Reginald Owen was good as the commanding officer who is slowly going blind.

Recommended. First time viewing. 3.5/5

This movie is entertaining. It's not intellectually challenging, nor does it have a serious message.

Its moral tone is neutral. It is not didactic: it does not attempt to teach viewers anything (except perhaps how to survive in the Phillipine jungle).

The plot contains many suspenseful situations, and reminded me of the plots of the series of "cliffhanger" short movies I used to see at the cinema. Each item in the series ended in a crisis in which it appeared the hero would certainly perish. This benefited cinema owners by attracting patrons back to see the next item in the series. With this movie, I didn't have to wait a week to view the resolution.

With the American troops retreating from the Philippines due to the strength of the Moro uprising and leaving the locals open to massacre, they leave a few men including Gary Cooper, David Niven and Broderick Crawford behind to train the natives how to defend themselves. The Moro are though determined to lure everyone to the jungle where they can attack them.

Like many gung ho adventures created largely for propaganda purposes in thirties and forties this plays fast and loose with the truth generally in favour of the Americans. Interesting the film was banned in 1942 given that it showed the Moro as blood thirty savages who became allies in WWII.

All this aside, this is a stirring quite brutal gung ho adventure with plenty of high drama, a cholera epidemic, a frightened commanding officer and a number of impressive action packed set pieces. This and Cooper, Niven and Crawford our fearless go getters out to save the locals and battle the blood thirsty savages, what more could one ask for.

The uprising is or was real. The doctor played by Cooper, was a real person forced to take over a military barracks because he was the highest ranking officer left after a Muslim Suicide attack as I recall.. The movie is a diagram of how to treat Muslim terrorists and should be watched by those in today's world who want to stop terror. Cooper uses their religion in order to fight them. Watch the movie for how this works. The characters are developed well, and while the story might seem like a rehash of another movie, it is a fairly representative movie of a real life hero. Not Gary Coopers finest work, but is a good movie and will give insight into Muslim Fundamentalist mindset.

Can you imagine a love triangle, where a woman has to choose between Gary Cooper, David Niven, and Broderick Crawford? Of course, everyone in their right mind would choose David Niven in a heartbeat, but when Broderick breeds and names a unique species of flowers after his love interest, it's pretty cute.

Unfortunately, the best part of The Real Glory is the beginning romance with the three men trying to court Andrea Leeds. Then, the war starts, and it goes downhill. Gary Cooper, the biggest star of the three at the time, soars to take up the most screen time, and the plot is hardly interesting. I like Gary Cooper in a couple of movies, but when he's cast as in a strong, decisive role, he just isn't convincing. This is far from the best war movie you'll see in your lifetime, so unless you're a total Gary Cooper fan, I suggest you skip it and find a better one.

1939 is known as the greatest year in the history of Hollywood--and for good reason. The Wizard of Oz, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Gone With the Wind, Ninotchka, Stagecoach, and dozens of other great and influential films were all released in 1939. In addition to those films, two adventure films starring Gary Cooper came out that year. While they're not as well-known as the top-grossing films listed above, they're still very entertaining and worth checking out. Those films are Beau Geste and The Real Glory. Both are set in exotic locations, involve military conflict with natives, and feature Cooper as part of a trio of men (in Beau Geste, he plays one of three brothers).

I enjoyed both films and thought Beau Geste had a more compelling story, but was more impressed by the action sequence in The Real Glory. Cooper is very likeable and perfectly cast here as an Army doctor who does it all: he gives cholera vaccine shots, carries sick and injured people, rafts down a river, fights the bad guys in a jungle, and throws dynamites. His character seems like an early, more polished version of Indiana Jones, and Cooper is great at playing heroes who are smart, caring, earnest, rugged, and badass all at once. David Niven and Broderick Crawford also star in the film, but Cooper has such a strong screen presence that I felt bad for the other actors, as well as the actress who plays the love interest. The only reason why I give this film 9 stars (instead of 10) is that it ends very abruptly, but that's not unusual for older films.

This film is typical of American films that present us as benevolent occupiers rather than the aggressive colonizers we were.

Contrary to the film's assertion, Filipinos were not simple people who were happy to have Americans occupying their country. The bloody Philippine-American War, during which Filipinos fought for their independence, lasted for four years. Some Americans, including William Jennings Bryan, Mark Twain, and Andrew Carnegie, strongly objected to the annexation of the Philippines. The U.S. declared victory in 1902, but in the south, Muslim Filipinos resisted until 1913, and the Americans never acquired complete control over the Muslim areas of Mindanao.

The word "moro" used in the film to refer to the Muslims is a pejorative term used by the non-Muslim (i.e., Christian) majority, and Muslims o that time would not call themselves "moro." While it is historically accurate that there were Muslims pirates that attacked coastal villages, this film represents most Muslims as "native devils" and the non-Muslim Filipinos s as frightened children who need brave Americans to teach them courage. The reality is that Muslim Filipinos refused to be subjugated by American rule and fought a drawn-ought guerrilla war, the first of its kind in modern history and the only kind possible when faced with the wealth and power of the U.S colonial machinery.

When you are fighting against troops that are illegally occupying your country, is that a rebellion or is it self-defense? The current situation in Iraq shows that not much has changed over 100 years later.