Capitaine King

Based on Talbot Mundy's best and most famous novel, which unfortunately I was an expert on, this film was a total disappointment, in spite of its great assets of mainly stupendous mountain scenery and Bernard Herrmann's music. But the mountain scenery was nothing at all about the famous Khyber pass but all shot in California, and above all, the splendid story of Talbot Mundy's secret agent thriller of jihadism and the cutting of heads even 160 years ago by taliban rebels and with a dancing queen of beauty at the centre of intrigue, also involving some archaeology and reminiscenses of Alexander the Great's famous visit to Afghanistan, was reduced to a cheap and petty pulp fiction of the commonest of Hollywood clichés. The acting is not very good either. The only one making a strong impression by his stage presence and acting is Guy Rolfe as the villain, the rebel king, while supporting parts, such as John Justin and Michael Rennie, also make a good job, while Terry Moore is a complete disaster. However could Tyrone Power fall in love with such a nuisance of a bobby-soxer? It's as far from credible as anything could be. Tyrone Power is himself, and that's enough for him - with such a face he never even needed to act.

A great pity for a great story to be so poorly handled and reduced to mere superficial entertainment. Talbot Mundy was a theosophist and mystic who wrote many books, and this one could have been made into as great a Kipling epic as "The Man who Wanted to be King".

Quite a few of those machine-tooled early CinemaScope productions from Twentieth Century Fox seem to be consigned to the dustbins of the memories of those of us who had the good fortune to see them in their full widescreen ratio with a magnetic stereophonic soundtrack during their initial release.

This one, directed with unusual energy by that Hollywood veteran, Henry King; lensed by that master of the color cameras, Leon Shamroy; and graced with a suitably sweeping score by Bernard Herrmann, looks like its lost in the archives where, let us hope, the master negative survives until the day that keepers of the Twentieth vaults come to their senses and favor us with a DVD release in the original (not reduced to anything less, please!) widescreen anamorphic format.

Terry Moore, who enjoyed a brief run as one of Fox's oft-used ingenues (and ladies of somewhat easier virtue, as in "Peyton Place") did seem a bit miscast, but Tyrone Power, Michael Rennie and well-chosen supporting players outshone her shortcomings. I recall that TIME magazine gave this quite a positive review and I remember that its use of mountainous California locations were quite convincing as a substitute for sending a company (or just a second unit) all the way to India's probably less hospitable subcontinent.

King of the Khyber Rifles is getting its second film adaption in this 1953 remake of Black Watch. Our version stars 20th Century Fox mainstay Tyrone Power who was coming to an end of his long term studio contract.

This was also the ninth of eleven films Power did with director Henry King and they rate right up there with John Wayne-John Ford and Martin Scorsese-Robert DeNiro as a successful director/actor team. King directed Power's breakthrough film role in Lloyds of London and his collaborations with Power is some of the best work for either men.

I wouldn't rate King of the Khyber Rifles as one of the best for either man. Yet it's entertaining enough and full of enough action to satisfy those who crave it in their films.

Power plays a British Army captain of mixed racial parentage and religious background as his mother was Moslem. He encounters a lot of hostility from both sides, similar to what Ava Gardner faced in Bhowani Junction.

It turns out that the leader of the local rebels is his former childhood play mate and son of the Moslem cleric who took young Power in when he was orphaned. Guy Rolfe is the rebel chief and he's a cunning and vicious foe of the British occupation. Rolfe also did a superb job in Ivanhoe as King John and these two roles are probably his career parts. Rolfe's the best one in the film.

It might have been a bit better had someone other than Terry Moore played the daughter of the English colonel. Another reviewer says she comes off like a débutante and she really does. Michael Rennie as her father is a stalwart defender of the Empire.

King of the Khyber Rifles is decent enough entertainment, but it wasn't in any contention for any awards in 1953.

Sweeping, exciting spectacle, though on a bit lesser scale than usual. Power is a mixed-race (half British/half Indian) British officer in India battling the British class system on one side, the Indian caste system on the other side, racism from both sides, and rampaging, rebellious natives on all sides. Although he lacked the dynamism and ebullient personality of fellow swashbuckler Errol Flynn, Power nevertheless handled these kinds of action roles well, and was a good enough actor to pull them off believably. Terry Moore is, as always, miscast--she has the sunny demeanor of a USC cheerleader rather than the demure, dignified charm one would expect of the daughter of a senior, upper-class British officer. Michael Rennie's lip is properly stiff as the British commander, and Guy Rolfe is thoroughly effective as Power's megalomaniacal, menacing half-brother who is the leader of the rebels. Several extremely well staged action scenes--particularly at the climax--some very tense moments, crisp and beautiful Technicolor photography and Power's not-inconsiderable presence and charm make this a must-see for adventure fans--if they can ever find the damn thing. As mentioned previously, it hardly ever shows up on television and it's not out--legitimately, at least--on video or DVD yet.

I agree with a few other reviewers here - why the hell does this never show up on TV, cable or even old video warehouses? I have seen it but once, in London the week of its initial release almost 50 years ago. I was 7. Thing is, I remember it perfectly, way better than SHOWTIME and I only saw THAT yesterday!

Top desert caper that was all audiences wanted to see in the 50's. No-one swashbuckled better than Tyrone Power during this period and KING OF THE KHYBER RIFLES was a handsome production, especially on the gigantic CINEMASCOPE screen. Directed by action-specialist Henry King, who worked with Power in almost a dozen movies, the story was that of half-caste British soldier Alan King (Power) who had to battle not only Army etiquette but a rampaging uprising around the Khyber Pass! The well remembered image from this flick was the spearing of the helpless British soldiers at the stake. Power of course, gaining a last minute reprieve so he could complete the movie, take down the villains and win the girl.

Good supporting cast, Michael Rennie in particular cutting an impressive figure as Brigadier Maitland whose stiff upper lip was stiffer than most!

Good companion piece to this was ZARAK (Also reviewed somewhere!)