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    The Man Who Would Be King

    • 19751975
    • PGPG
    • 2h 9min
    IMDb RATING
    7.8/10
    46K
    YOUR RATING
    • Cast & crew
    • User reviews
    • Trivia
    • IMDbPro
    Sean Connery and Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
    AdventureHistoryWar

    Two British former soldiers decide to set themselves up as Kings in Kafiristan, a land where no white man has set foot since Alexander the Great.Two British former soldiers decide to set themselves up as Kings in Kafiristan, a land where no white man has set foot since Alexander the Great.Two British former soldiers decide to set themselves up as Kings in Kafiristan, a land where no white man has set foot since Alexander the Great.Two British former soldiers decide to set themselves up as Kings in Kafiristan, a land where no white man has set foot since Alexander the Great.Two British former soldiers decide to set themselves up as Kings in Kafiristan, a land where no white man has set foot since Alexander the Great.

    • Director
      • John Huston
    • Writers
      • John Huston(screenplay)
      • Gladys Hill(screenplay)
      • Rudyard Kipling(based on the story by)
    • Stars
      • Sean Connery
      • Michael Caine
      • Christopher Plummer
    Top credits
    • Director
      • John Huston
    • Writers
      • John Huston(screenplay)
      • Gladys Hill(screenplay)
      • Rudyard Kipling(based on the story by)
    • Stars
      • Sean Connery
      • Michael Caine
      • Christopher Plummer
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 205User reviews
    • 45Critic reviews
    • 91Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Nominated for 4 Oscars
      • 8 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Man Who Would Be King
    Trailer 2:54
    The Man Who Would Be King

    Photos190

    Sean Connery and Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
    Sean Connery, Michael Caine, and Saeed Jaffrey in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
    Sean Connery and Karroom Ben Bouih in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
    Sean Connery and Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
    Sean Connery and Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
    Sean Connery and Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
    Sean Connery in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
    Sean Connery and Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
    Sean Connery and Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
    Sean Connery in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
    Sean Connery and Shakira Caine in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
    Sean Connery in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sean Connery
    Sean Connery
    • Daniel Dravotas Daniel Dravot
    Michael Caine
    Michael Caine
    • Peachy Carnehanas Peachy Carnehan
    Christopher Plummer
    Christopher Plummer
    • Rudyard Kiplingas Rudyard Kipling
    Saeed Jaffrey
    Saeed Jaffrey
    • Billy Fishas Billy Fish
    Larbi Doghmi
    • Ootahas Ootah
    • (as Doghmi Larbi)
    Jack May
    • District Commissioneras District Commissioner
    Karroom Ben Bouih
    • Kafu Selimas Kafu Selim
    Mohammad Shamsi
    • Babuas Babu
    Albert Moses
    Albert Moses
    • Ghulamas Ghulam
    Paul Antrim
    • Mulvaneyas Mulvaney
    Graham Acres
    • Officeras Officer
    The Blue Dancers of Goulamine
    • Dancersas Dancers
    Shakira Caine
    Shakira Caine
    • Roxanneas Roxanne
    Nadia Atbib
    • Danceras Dancer
    • (uncredited)
    Yvonne Ocampo
    • Danceras Dancer
    • (uncredited)
    Gurmuks Singh
    • Sikh Soldieras Sikh Soldier
    • (uncredited)
    Kimat Singh
    • Sikh Soldieras Sikh Soldier
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • John Huston
    • Writers
      • John Huston(screenplay)
      • Gladys Hill(screenplay)
      • Rudyard Kipling(based on the story by)
    • All cast & crew
    See production, box office, & company info

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    Storyline

    Edit
    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. —Greg Bole <bole@life.bio.sunysb.edu>
    adventurer19th centuryimperialismexecutionepic171 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Adventure in all its glory!
    • Genres
      • Adventure
      • History
      • War
    • Certificate
      • PG
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Kafiristan is part of modern-day Afghanistan (Nuristan Province) and Pakistan (the city of Chitral).
    • Goofs
      Billy Fish acts as an interpreter for Daniel and Peachy to the people of Kafiristan. In fact, Billy speaks Urdu to the Kafiristanis and they reply in Moroccan Arabic, two entirely different languages (this is due to the fact the film was shot in Morocco and Moroccan extras were used).
    • Quotes

      Daniel Dravot: Peachy, I'm heartily ashamed for gettin' you killed instead of going home rich like you deserved to, on account of me bein' so bleedin' high and bloody mighty. Can you forgive me?

      Peachy Carnehan: That I can and that I do, Danny, free and full and without let or hindrance.

      Daniel Dravot: Everything's all right then.

    • Connections
      Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Michael Caine/Sean Connery/David Brenner/Burt Mustin (1975)

    User reviews205

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    Unforgettable.
    The greatest "buddy film" of all time. What makes this so? First off, casting two real life friends, Sean Connery and Michael Caine. Second, all other "buddy films" are simply comedies. And while the Man Who Would Be King has some laughs in it, and Connery and Caine bounce off of each other almost as good as Abbott and Costello, the story itself is a drama. And what a drama it is. Two English soldiers set out to be the rulers of a country, but can anyone who was a grunt one day, and a king the next, become a King without getting an inflated ego? The answer is no and that becomes the ultimate test for these two friends. Terrific performances by Caine, Connery and even Christopher Plummer, who gives a brief, but good performance as Rudyard Kipling, the man who wrote the short story this film was based on. This film features perhaps the greatest ending to a movie ever made. You will never forget it, and you will wish that you had a friendship as strong as these two individuals.
    helpful•130
    34
    • PJK
    • Dec 27, 1998

    FAQ1

    • What is the song Danny sings as stands on the bridge?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 19, 1975 (United Kingdom)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Arabic
      • Urdu
    • Also known as
      • Rudyard Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King
    • Filming locations
      • Atlas Mountains, Morocco
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Devon/Persky-Bright
      • Allied Artists Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $8,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $12,678
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 2h 9min
    • Sound mix
      • 4-Track Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39:1

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