THE REAL GLORY Movie Review

1939 Henry Hathaway

Director Henry Hathaway and star Gary Cooper don't really remake their hit Lives of a Bengal Lancer with this overlooked sleeper. It's more accurate to note that Hathaway cheerfully pillages his favorite plot elements, gives them a few twists, and relocates them in the Philippines. Cooper plays another soldier who's less flamboyant, more intelligent, and just as engaging as he was before. Together, they come up with another enjoyable entertainment, one that has acquired some unintentional historical resonance.

Army doctor Bill Canavan (Cooper) is newly arrived at Fort Mysang in 1906 just as the brass has decided that it's time for the locals to defend themselves from the murderous Moro rebels. Yes, the good doctor is about to join a small group of American advisors in an Asian civil war. The crafty rebel leader Alipang (Tetsu Komai) plans to lure the foreign devils out into the jungle where he will pick them off. But the Americans stay inside their compound and train the Philippine Constabulary (to whom the film is dedicated).

That group, led by Capt. Hartley (Reginald Owen), consists of Lt. McCool (David Niven), an alleged “one man army,” and Lt. Larson (Broderick Crawford), who's more interested in orchids than ordnance. Though Canavan lobbies for a psychological approach that will teach the people not to fear the Moro, Hartley is a by-the-book type who believes that drilling and marching and marching and drilling are the answer. As Alipang intensifies his efforts, Hartley's lovely daughter Linda (Andrea Leeds) arrives, setting off a flurry of competitive courtship among his officers.

That's a fairly standard premise, but it becomes considerably less predictable and more lively as it develops. The action takes several odd turns, some verging on the silly. (You won't believe what they do with the palm tree catapults.) Well-written characters and an attractive, talented cast keep the excesses in check. Hathaway directs with his customary unobtrusive, economical style. The main difference between The Real Glory and Lives of a Bengal Lancer is grittiness. This is a dirtier, sweatier adventure that's interested more in peasants than in officers. Though it's tempting to draw parallels between this story and the Hollywood films that came out of the Vietnam era, that's unproductive. Despite the fact that World War II was beginning in Europe when the film was made, it has no propaganda objectives, either overt or hidden. It's an entertainment without historical or political baggage.

Perhaps the reason the film remains relatively unknown is due to the timing of its release. It came out in 1939, Hollywood's famous golden year that also saw the releases of Gone with the Wind, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz, and Dark Victory. No wonder The Real Glory was elbowed into the background. Any fan of the period should take a look.

Cast: Gary Cooper (Dr. Bill Canavan), David Niven (Lt. McCool), Andrea Leeds (Linda Hartley), Reginald Owen (Capt. Hartley), Broderick Crawford (Lt. Larson), Kay Johnson (Mabel Manning), Russell Hicks (Capt. Manning), Vladimir Sokoloff (Datu), Rudy Robles (Lt. Yabo), Tetsu Komai (Alipang), Roy Gordon (Col. Hatch), Henry Kolker (The General), Soledad Jiminez (Old native woman); Written by: Robert Presnell, Jo Swerling; Cinematography by: Rudolph Mate; Music by: Alfred Newman; Technical Advisor: Col. William H. Shutan. Running Time: 95 minutes. Format: VHS.