Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Man Who Would Be King

  • 19751975
  • PGPG
  • 2h 9m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
49K
YOUR RATING
Sean Connery and Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
  • Adventure
  • History
  • War
Two former British soldiers in 1880s India decide to set themselves up as Kings in Kafiristan, a land where no white man has set foot since Alexander the Great.Two former British soldiers in 1880s India decide to set themselves up as Kings in Kafiristan, a land where no white man has set foot since Alexander the Great.Two former British soldiers in 1880s India decide to set themselves up as Kings in Kafiristan, a land where no white man has set foot since Alexander the Great.
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
49K
YOUR RATING
  • 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
    • 213User reviews
    • 47Critic reviews
    • 91Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 4 Oscars
      • 9 nominations total

    Videos1

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

    Photos191

    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 more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Zulu
    7.7
    Zulu
    A Bridge Too Far
    7.4
    A Bridge Too Far
    Robin and Marian
    6.5
    Robin and Marian
    Get Carter
    7.4
    Get Carter
    Sleuth
    8.0
    Sleuth
    The Ipcress File
    7.2
    The Ipcress File
    The Day of the Jackal
    7.8
    The Day of the Jackal
    The Italian Job
    7.2
    The Italian Job
    The Asphalt Jungle
    7.8
    The Asphalt Jungle
    The Wind and the Lion
    6.8
    The Wind and the Lion
    The Name of the Rose
    7.7
    The Name of the Rose
    Fat City
    7.2
    Fat City

    Storyline

    Edit

    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 reviews213

    Review
    Top review
    This story is about a real place!
    What most viewers do not realize about The Man Who Would Be King (1975) is that it is not about a legendary place, although Rudyard Kipling may have thought so when he wrote the story, because no white man had ever been there and returned to tell about it.

    The place was then known as Kafiristan and is now known as Nuristan. It is in Eastern Afghanistan next to Chitral, which is in Northwest Pakistan.

    Place names in the movie, such as Kamdesh and Bashgal, are real places in Nuristan. The explorer Robertson, whom Billy Fish reports has having died, did not die in real life but was rescued by a British military force in 1895, after Kipling wrote his story.

    The people of Nuristan are believed to be descendants of Alexander the Great, who came there in 328 BC, just as the movie states. They had a pagan religion as the movie describes until they were forcibly converted to Islam in 1892. There are still some believers of the old religion in the Kalash Valleys of Pakistan.

    For more about these people see http://www.samsloan.com/damik.htm

    I know about all this because I have been there and I married a woman named Honzagool there. She did not bite me as did the wife of Sean Connery in the movie, however.

    Sam Sloan
    helpful•218
    75
    • samsloan
    • Mar 8, 2004

    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
      2 hours 9 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • 4-Track Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Sean Connery and Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
    Top Gap
    What is the Japanese language plot outline for The Man Who Would Be King (1975)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies Coming This Summer
    See the full list
    Image caption not available
    2:02
    LGBTQIA+ Movies and Shows to Watch This Summer
    Watch the video

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.