Jul 22nd   
The Man Who Would Be King**    
(US 1975)     
Columbia/Allied Artists/Persky-Bright/Devon. 129m. Panavision

Two ne'er do well British soldiers in India decide to colonise their own little region beyond the North West Frontier, but egomania ultimately is their undoing.
Huston's long-cherished project originally intended for Gable and Bogart comes to fruition with Connery and Caine instead, who function well enough as friends although the period trappings don't quite suit their style, and unlike (for example) Lawrence of Arabia, the breathtaking locations largely take second place to their exploits.

Written by: John Huston, Gladys Hill, from the story by Rudyard Kipling.
Producer: John Foreman.
Director: John Huston.
Starring: Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer (as Kipling), Saeed Jaffrey, Shakira Caine, Jack May. Karroom Ben Bouih.
Photography: Oswald Morris.
Music: Maurice Jarre.
Production Design: Alexander Trauner.


Preceded by:
Tom and Jerry in  
Old Rockin' Chair Tom**
(US 1948. 7m.; Tom is replaced by a faster but roguish rival who is bad news for both him and Jerry, who therefore team up.; d: William Hanna, Joseph Barbera; p: Fred Quimby.)