One of the most ambitious films of John Ford's early career, The Black Watch combines a
realistic account of WWI with a Boy's Own adventure fantasy set in the
exotic East, a bizarre mix that is probably unique in cinema.
In its day, the film was considered a triumph for its successful use of
the recently introduced sound recording technology, although today it
feels painfully static and nauseatingly kitsch. One of the
limitations of the early recording equipment was that the actors had to
enunciate every syllable clearly and stand like waxworks whilst doing
so (to prevent extraneous sounds from being picked up). As a
result, the dialogue is painfully slow and expressionless, giving the
impression that the cast is comprised entirely of robots whose
batteries have run down.
Although The Black Watch is
far from being one of Ford's better efforts, it is visually striking,
offering an authentic recreation of the WWI battlefields and elaborate
sets for the Indian part of the story, all beautifully shot in high
contrast chiaroscuro. The performances are generally pretty
wooden, although Victor McLaglen makes a robust action hero of the
stiff upper lip variety, with Myrna Loy typically stunning as a tribal
figurehead-cum-goddess. The sentimentality is laid on a
little too heavily for modern eyes and ears but there are one or two
moments of genuine poignancy, such as the sequence in which the
soldiers depart for the front line and bid a fond farewell to their
loved ones, amid the sad lament of Scottish
bagpipes.
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Next John Ford film: Seas Beneath (1931)
Film Synopsis
In 1914, Donald King is a captain in the Black Watch regiment of the
British Army. Just as his comrades are about to be sent over to
France to fight in the First World War his superiors assign him to a
secret mission in India. Now that British troops have been
withdrawn from India to support the European war effort, the locals are
preparing an uprising. To thwart this rebellion, Captain King
must gain the confidence of Yasmani, a beautiful young woman who is
considered a goddess by her people.
Script: John Stone, James Kevin McGuinness (dialogue),
Talbot Mundy (novel)
Cinematographer: Joseph H. August
Cast: Victor McLaglen (Capt. Donald Gordon King),
Myrna Loy (Yasmani),
David Torrence (Field Marshal),
David Rollins (Lt. Malcolm King),
Cyril Chadwick (Maj. Twynes),
Lumsden Hare (Colonel of the Black Watch),
Roy D'Arcy (Rewa Ghunga),
David Percy (Soloist),
Mitchell Lewis (Mohammed Khan),
Claude King (General in India),
Walter Long (Harrim Bey),
Harry Allen (Sandy),
Frank Baker (42nd Highlander),
Arthur Clayton (42nd Highlander),
Joseph Diskay (Muezzin),
Francis Ford (Maj. MacGregor),
Gregory Gaye (42nd Highlander),
Mary Gordon (Sandy's Wife),
Joyzelle Joyner (Indian Dancer),
Bob Kortman (42nd Highlander)
Country: USA
Language: English
Support: Black and White
Runtime: 93 min
Aka:King of the Khyber Rifles
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