The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

Two British soldiers in India decide to resign from the Army and set themselves up as deities in Kafiristan--a land where no white man has set foot since Alexander.

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

John Huston (screenplay), Gladys Hill (screenplay),

Stars:

Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sean Connery	...	Daniel Dravot
Michael Caine	...	Peachy Carnehan
Christopher Plummer	...	Rudyard Kipling
Saeed Jaffrey	...	Billy Fish
Doghmi Larbi	...	Ootah
Jack May	...	District Commissioner
Karroom Ben Bouih	...	Kafu Selim
Mohammad Shamsi	...	Babu
Albert Moses	...	Ghulam
Paul Antrim	...	Mulvaney
Graham Acres	...	Officer
The Blue Dancers of Goulamine	...	Dancers
Shakira Caine	...	Roxanne

Storyline

This adaptation of the famous short story by Rudyard Kipling tells the story of Daniel Dravot and Peachy Carnahan, two ex-soldiers in India when it was under British rule. They decide that the country is too small for them, so they head off to Kafiristan in order to become Kings in their own right. Kipling is seen as a character that was there at the beginning, and at the end of this glorious tale.

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Plot Keywords:

india | king | fall | soldier | rifle | 

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Taglines:

Rudyard Kipling's epic of splendor, spectacle and high adventure at the top of a legendary world.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 December 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rudyard Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King

Filming Locations:

Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Devon/Persky-Bright, Allied Artists Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director John Huston had failed to cast the role of Roxanne before shooting started. During filming, at a small dinner party for some cast and crew, Huston was asked if he had yet filled the part. When he answered no, all heads turned toward Shakira Caine, the wife of star Michael Caine. Huston cast her on the spot.

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Goofs

When Peachy and Danny travel with the caravan into the Khyber Pass, all of the camels are Arabian (aka dromedaries), rather than Asian (Bactrian) beasts. This is not an error. Despite their names, both species are present and available in their domestic form in eastern Afghanistan, where the Khyber Pass is, and have been for centuries before the events of the movie take place.

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Quotes

Billy Fish: [On being offered a horse to escape the lost battle] Gurkha is foot soldier, not cavalry.

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Connections

Spoofed in SCTV: The Man Who Would Be King of the Popes (1977)

User Reviews

Is it possible EVERYONE missed the point?

Top of my list of 10 films. But I cannot believe ALL the user comments to date have completely missed the emotional foundation of the film. Read Kipling's "Tommy" aloud if you don't understand why Peachy and Daniel (NOT "Danny") seemed so desperate for a new place in life. Otherwise, the best movie all the participants (except Saied Jaffery...you really need to explore his Bollywood career) have ever worked. Although "Zulu" is a close near-miss for Caine.

"The Man Who Would Be King" is (as has been noted by others) one of the very rare occasions of a motion picture improving upon brilliant literature. My "A Complete Kipling", dog-eared as each volume is, has not been as often read as my VHS and then DVD of THIS film. Should a writer/director of John Houston's capacity (demonstrated, of course) appear on the scene, I'm willing to suggest a dozen other projects.