Gunga Din [videorecording] / RKO Radio Pictures presents ; screenplay by Joel Sayre and Fred Guiol ; story by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur ; produced and directed by George Stevens.
Material type:
FilmPublisher number: T6836 | Warner Home VideoLanguage: English Original language: English Publication details: Burbank, CA : Warner Home Video, c2004.Edition: Fullscreen format (1:33:1)Description: 1 videodisc (117 min.) : sd., b&w ; 4 3/4 inISBN: - 0780648714
- 9780780648715
- Gunga Din (Motion picture).
- Music by Alfred Newman ; cinematography by Joseph H. August ; edited by John E. Tribby and James Stewart.
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult DVD
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Dr. James Carlson Library | DVD | ACTION Gunga Di | Available | 33111005784612 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
Though Rudyard Kipling's poem Gunga Din makes a swell recital piece, it cannot be said to have much of a plot. It's simply a crude cockney soldier's tribute to a native Indian water boy who remains at his job even after being mortally wounded. Hardly the sort of material upon which to build 118 minutes' worth of screen time-at least, it wasn't until RKO producer Pandro S. Berman decided to convert Gunga Din into an A-budgeted feature film. Now it became the tale of three eternally brawling British sergeants stationed in colonial India: Cutter (Cary Grant), McChesney (Victor McLaglen) and Ballantine (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.). Ballantine intends to break up the threesome by marrying lovely Emmy Stebbins (Joan Fontaine), while Cutter and McChesney begin hatching diabolical schemes to keep Ballantine in the army (if this plot element sounds a lot like something from the Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur play The Front Page, bear in mind that Hecht and McArthur shared writing credit on Gunga Din with Joel Sayre and Fred Guiol; also contributing to the screenplay, uncredited, was William Faulkner). All three sergeants are kept occupied with a native revolt fomented by the Thuggees, a fanatical religious cult headed by a Napoleonic Guru (Eduardo Ciannelli). Unexpectedly coming to the rescue of our three heroes-not to mention every white man, woman and child in the region-is humble water carrier Gunga Din (Sam Jaffe), who aspires to become the regimental trumpeter. Originally slated to be directed by Howard Hawks, Gunga Din was taken out of Hawks' hands when the director proved to be too slow during the filming of Bringing Up Baby. His replacement was George Stevens, who proved to be slower and more exacting than Hawks had ever been! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
"Dual layer format"--Container.
Based on the poem: Gunga Din / by Rudyard Kipling.
Originally released as a motion picture in 1939.
Special features: Optional commentary by historian Rudy Behlmer; "On location with Gunga Din" making-of documentary (12 min.); "The film fan" 1939 Porky Pig Looney Tunes cartoon (7 min.); 1939 original theatrical release trailer (2 min); 1957 re-release theatrical trailer (2 min.).
Special features: Standard version -- Making-of documentary on location with Gunga Din -- Commentary by historian Rudy Behlmer -- Vintage Porky Pig Looney Tunes cartoon "The film fan" -- Original and reissue theatrical trailers -- Language: English mono -- Subtitles: English, French, Spanish.
Music by Alfred Newman ; cinematography by Joseph H. August ; edited by John E. Tribby and James Stewart.
Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Sam Jaffe, Eduardo Cianelli, Joan Fontaine, Mantagu Love, Robert Coote, Abner Biberman.
Three English soldier comrades battle the punjabs in India while accompanied by their lowly water-bearer Gunga Din, who longs to be a fighter himself.
MPAA rating: Not rated.
DVD, region 1; Dolby Digital mono.
Closed-captioned.
In English; with optional English, French or Spanish subtitles.