La révolte des cipayes

The most surprising thing about this movie is that it was directed by Laslo Benedek ,a man associated with the more serious end of the movie market -as per Death of a Salesman and the Brando vehicle The Wild One .It is set in the year 1856 in British India ,more specifically on the North West Frontier .Rock Hudson is improbably cast as a British army Captain who is tried ,convicted and forced to resign his commission for disobeying the orders of a senior officer even though by doing so he was responsible for the capture of a key rebel stronghold .He becomes a big game hunter but continues to be devoted to the British cause and infiltrates a group of rebels plotting to overthrow the Raj .In between all these distractions he manages to make time to woo Vivian Morrow(Arlene Dahl)the daughter of the regimental commander Colonel Morrow (Tobin Thatcher) Hudson is miscast but battles valiantly with the role ,Dahl is merely decorative as is Ursula Thiess . The best performances -mostly because they are better cast-are given by Thatcher and Dan O'Herlihy as British soldiers

This is a good co-feature movie and will be enjoyed by lovers of the old style "ripping yarn

Another B movie that explains a hundred years of British occupation in India, l like this genre of movie, it are cheap entertainment but have a charming of those glorious days in 50', almost done in studios with fine sets gave us a good feeling of nostalgia, Arlene Dahl was so gorgeous, but Hudson didn't like to kiss, sorry for him missing a good opportunite to take in arms such beauty girl!! Fine casting with Arnold Moss, Michael Ansara, Torin Tatcher and the exotic beauty of Ursula Thiess as a friend mine said, how more B, more better it is!!

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First watch: 2018 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 6.5

This "Bengal brigade" is a far cry from Henry Hathaway's classic in the thirties starring Gary Cooper and Franchot Tone ,both more exciting than Rock Hudson -who nevertheless was about to find some of his best parts in Douglas Sirk's great works- Almost twenty years later ,it's the same old song: the British are here to help the Indians ,some of the natives are cruel (like Mohammed Khan in "lives of a Bengal lancer" ) but the moral remains:both her majesty's soldiers and the Indians have got to walk hand in hand and to become brothers.Rock Hudson portrays an officer forced to resign after an unfair trial.Will he betray his queen and country?He is helped by beautiful Latah (Ursula Thiess);actually ,without her,he would be defeated.Arlene Dahl is only decorative ,as the colonel's daughter. It lacks humor,panache ,excitement,magic ,poetry ,all that made Hathaway's movie a classic of the adventures movie,in spite of its reactionary side.

I can't imagine that a director such as Laslo Benedek made this adventure studio movie, a film that could be done by a Budd Boetticher, Joseph Pevney, Douglas Sirk - why not...All Universal home directors of this period, among many others: Nathan Juran, Jack Arnold...But Laslo Benedek;..I can't believe it. What happened to him? I can understand THE WILD ONE, but this adventure flick.... Ths director seemed to have greatest difficulties to find his own trademark. He worked for US movie and TV industry, European productions too. NIGHT VISITOR is a terrific story, but I still don't understand why Benedek made this however excellent adventure war yarn about the fall of the British colonialism. I recommend it.

In mid-19th-century India nationalistic feeling is running high. When a British officer, Captain Claybourne, is court-martialled and unfairly disgraced for rescuing his Sepoy troops against the orders of his commanding officer, he receives a tempting offer from a powerful rebel Rajah.

An enjoyable adventure starring Rock Hudson as an officer cashiered from the Regiment for disobeying a direct order, in order to save his men from slaughter. Still Loyal to the Raj and his men, he encounters a plan of an uprising and he intends to quell it. There's some good action scenes, though more in the beginning and end. It can be quite thought-provoking as well as lively and it basks in Technicolor. It's stunningly photographed and features lavish costumes and eye catching scenery. Ursula Theiss -Robert Taylor's 2nd wife - plays a native called Lata, who helps Hudson in his mission. Arlene Dahl adds some glamour. Arnold Moss is suitably oily as the villain. Hudson comes across sincere, emphatic as well as heroic.