King of the Khyber Rifles (film): Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Para 1, "in the" Plot, "freshly-arrived" "that" reads better "the"
add info
Line 38: Line 38:
* Frank Lacteen as Ahmed
* Frank Lacteen as Ahmed
* [[John Farrow]] as Corporal Stuart
* [[John Farrow]] as Corporal Stuart
==Development==
Fox announced plans to remake the film in 1938. They were going to make it with Richard Greene or Victor McLaglen.<ref>DRAMA: Tyrone Power Named 'Johnny Apollo' Star
Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 20 May 1939: A7. </ref> However plans were pushed back due to the advent of World War Two.<ref>'Khyber Rifles' May Become Donlevy Film: Arnaz in Powell Opus Sherman Slates 'Utah' Veidt May Act General Patricia Morison Cast Smith Wins R.K.O. Pact
Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 18 July 1941: A12. </ref>


In 1951 the project was reactivated as a vehicle for [[Tyrone Power]]. [[Walter Doniger]] was to write the script and Frank Rosenberg was to produce.<ref>WAXMAN PREPARES FIRST FILM STORY: Producer to Screen 'Dreadful Summit'--Barrymore Jr. Signs for Key Role Of Local Origin
By THOMAS F. BRADY Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. New York Times 11 May 1951: 40. </ref> By December [[Henry Hathaway]] was listed as director.<ref>Looking at Hollywood: Cary Grant Grows Younger in Next Movie; Potion Does the Trick
Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 27 Dec 1951: a5. </ref>

In January 1953 Fox announced the film would be one of a series of "super specials" the studio would make in CinemaScope.<ref>FOX FILMS TO MAKE 7 'SUPER-SPECIALS': Technicolor Features to Cost $3,000,000 Each Join List of 29 Major Projects
By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES. New York Times 6 Jan 1953: 22. </ref>

In April 1953 Henry King was given the job of directing and Power was confirmed as star.<ref>British Players Present Wilde Story on Screen
Los Angeles Times 15 Apr 1953: B9. </ref>

Guy Rolfe signed in June.<ref>4 STARS GET ROLES IN NEW METRO FILM: Miss Kerr, Holden, Pidgeon and Calhern to Be Principals in 'Executive Suite,' Best-Seller
By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES. New York Times 5 June 1953: 18. </ref>

Filming started 14 July in [[Lone Pine, California]].<ref>CURTIZ TO DIRECT 'COVERED WAGON': Paramount Remake of Silent Epic Will Have New Plot -- Terry Moore in Fox Film
By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES. New York Times 23 June 1953: 25.</ref> During filming, 22 people were injured when an explosion went off with more force than anticipated.<ref>PRISONER FLEES COURT, RECAPTURED: Friend Also Held, Accused of Aiding Escape From Detention Room
Los Angeles Times 20 Aug 1953: A14. </ref>
==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

Revision as of 06:27, 16 January 2019

King of the Khyber Rifles
Directed byHenry King
Written byIvan Goff and Ben Roberts (screenplay)
Harry Kleiner (story)
Produced byFrank P. Rosenberg
StarringTyrone Power
Terry Moore
CinematographyLeon Shamroy
Edited byBarbara McLean
Music byBernard Herrmann
Distributed byTwentieth Century Fox
Release date
  • December 22, 1953 (1953-12-22)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2,190,000[1]
Box office$2.6 million (US rentals)[2]; $3.5 million (foreign rentals)[3]

King of the Khyber Rifles is a 1953 adventure film directed by Henry King and starring Tyrone Power and Terry Moore. The film shares its title but little else with the novel King of the Khyber Rifles (1916) by Talbot Mundy. This novel was also the basis for John Ford's The Black Watch (1929). The Khyber Pass scenes were shot in the Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California. Released by 20th Century Fox, the film was one of the first shot in Technicolor CinemaScope.

Plot synopsis

Freshly-arrived Sandhurst-trained Captain Alan King (Tyrone Power), survives an attack on his escort to his North-West Frontier Province garrison near the Khyber Pass because of Ahmed, a native Afridi deserter from the Muslim fanatic rebel Karram Khan's (Guy Rolfe) forces. King was born locally and speaks Pashto. As soon as his fellow officers learn that his mother was a native Muslim (which got his parents disowned even by their own families), he falls prey to stubborn prejudiced discrimination. Lieutenant Geoffrey Heath (John Justin) even moves out of their quarters. Brigadier General J. R. Maitland (Michael Rennie), whose policy is full equality among whites, learns that King knew Karrum Khan as a boy and charges him with training and commanding the native cavalry. The general's daughter, Susan Maitland (Terry Moore), takes a fancy to King, even falls in love, but the general decides to send her home to England after a kidnap attempt which was foiled by King. King volunteers to engage Karram Khan, the only man who can bring the normally divided local tribes together in revolt, pretending to have deserted.

Cast

Development

Fox announced plans to remake the film in 1938. They were going to make it with Richard Greene or Victor McLaglen.[4] However plans were pushed back due to the advent of World War Two.[5]

In 1951 the project was reactivated as a vehicle for Tyrone Power. Walter Doniger was to write the script and Frank Rosenberg was to produce.[6] By December Henry Hathaway was listed as director.[7]

In January 1953 Fox announced the film would be one of a series of "super specials" the studio would make in CinemaScope.[8]

In April 1953 Henry King was given the job of directing and Power was confirmed as star.[9]

Guy Rolfe signed in June.[10]

Filming started 14 July in Lone Pine, California.[11] During filming, 22 people were injured when an explosion went off with more force than anticipated.[12]

References

  1. ^ Solomon, Aubrey. Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1. p248
  2. ^ 'The Top Box-Office Hits of 1954', Variety Weekly, January 5, 1955
  3. ^ Daily Variety, November 9, 1955, p. 4
  4. ^ DRAMA: Tyrone Power Named 'Johnny Apollo' Star Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 20 May 1939: A7.
  5. ^ 'Khyber Rifles' May Become Donlevy Film: Arnaz in Powell Opus Sherman Slates 'Utah' Veidt May Act General Patricia Morison Cast Smith Wins R.K.O. Pact Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 18 July 1941: A12.
  6. ^ WAXMAN PREPARES FIRST FILM STORY: Producer to Screen 'Dreadful Summit'--Barrymore Jr. Signs for Key Role Of Local Origin By THOMAS F. BRADY Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. New York Times 11 May 1951: 40.
  7. ^ Looking at Hollywood: Cary Grant Grows Younger in Next Movie; Potion Does the Trick Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 27 Dec 1951: a5.
  8. ^ FOX FILMS TO MAKE 7 'SUPER-SPECIALS': Technicolor Features to Cost $3,000,000 Each Join List of 29 Major Projects By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES. New York Times 6 Jan 1953: 22.
  9. ^ British Players Present Wilde Story on Screen Los Angeles Times 15 Apr 1953: B9.
  10. ^ 4 STARS GET ROLES IN NEW METRO FILM: Miss Kerr, Holden, Pidgeon and Calhern to Be Principals in 'Executive Suite,' Best-Seller By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES. New York Times 5 June 1953: 18.
  11. ^ CURTIZ TO DIRECT 'COVERED WAGON': Paramount Remake of Silent Epic Will Have New Plot -- Terry Moore in Fox Film By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES. New York Times 23 June 1953: 25.
  12. ^ PRISONER FLEES COURT, RECAPTURED: Friend Also Held, Accused of Aiding Escape From Detention Room Los Angeles Times 20 Aug 1953: A14.

External links

Stub icon

This article about an adventure film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=King_of_the_Khyber_Rifles_(film)&oldid=878665627"