The Lives of a Bengal Lancer

The Lives of a Bengal Lancer is a 1930 book, a memoir by Francis Yeats-Brown, and a 1935 movie loosely adapted from the book. Yeats-Brown served in India 1905-1914 (the focus of his book) and briefly after the Great War. The book actually has chapters called "Polo" and "Pig-Sticking" and emphasizes cantonment life at and around Bareilly in present-day Uttar Pradesh. The movie plot concerns the story of British soldiers defending the borders of India from nomadic raiders. It stars Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell, Monte Blue, Akim Tamiroff, Sir Guy Standing, C. Aubrey Smith, Kathleen Burke, Douglas Dumbrille, and J. Carrol Naish. The film was written by Grover Jones, William Slavens McNutt, Waldemar Young, John L. Balderston and Achmed Abdullah. The plot of the movie bears little resemblance to the book. It was directed by Henry Hathaway. On the positive side, Yeats-Brown was openminded towards other cultures and reported sensitively on Indian culture, becoming a student of Yoga himself. On the other hand, in later life, Yeats-Brown was active in right wing politics in England, and firmly endorsed Hitler's 3rd Reich, asserting that Hitler had solved Germany's unemployment.

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The Lives of a Bengal Lancer

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:01:33

(imam chanting)

:01:42

(peopIe chattering)

:01:57

(cIerk)
AII right. 2:30 tomorrow.
Thank you. Goodbye.

:02:01

Thanks, Sergeant.

:02:03

Report of horse rations,
Thirtieth Hussars.

:02:05

RegimentaI
and generaI fiIes.

:02:07

Now, each of these buttons
represents troops.
Do you understand?

:02:09

Yes, sir.
Good.

:02:11

The buttons
are thickest up near
the Northwest Frontier.

:02:14

Oh, yes, aIways.

:02:15

We have 300 miIIion
peopIe to protect.

:02:19

And most of the danger
is there.

:02:20

It's so romantic
to a greenhorn Iike me.

:02:23

KipIing and aII that,
you know.

:02:24

Romantic?

:02:26

WeII, at first, yes.

:02:29

A-another button
to move.

:02:32

41st BengaI Lancers.

:02:36

Here, near the pass.

:02:38

The pass?
Does that mean--

:02:40

It means nothing
but maneuvers.

:02:42

As CoI. Stone says
in his report here.

:02:49

(gun firing)

:02:53

You hear that firing,
HamiIton?

:02:55

TypicaI sniping fire, sir.

:02:57

Yes, and Afridi muskets
every one of them.

:02:59

Not a shot
from our detachment.

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