Gunga Din
“Barbaric Splendor - Gasping Magnitude - Adventure !”
Synopsis
British army sergeants Ballantine, Cutter and MacChesney serve in India during the 1880s, along with their native water-bearer, Gunga Din. While completing a dangerous telegraph-repair mission, they unearth evidence of the suppressed Thuggee cult. When Gunga Din tells the sergeants about a secret temple made of gold, the fortune-hunting Cutter is captured by the Thuggees, and it's up to his friends to rescue him.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Gunga Din (1939) Official Trailer - Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Movie HD
Type: Trailer • Published 2014-10-10
Top Cast
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Cary Grant
Archibald Cutter
Victor McLaglen
MacChesney
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
Thomas Anthony Ballantine
Sam Jaffe
Gunga Din
Eduardo Ciannelli
Guru
Joan Fontaine
Emmaline "Emmy" Stebbins
Montagu Love
Colonel Weed
Robert Coote
Bertie Higginbotham
Abner Biberman
Chota
Lumsden Hare
Major Mitchell
Leslie Sketchley
Corporal (uncredited)
Olin Francis
Fulad (uncredited)
Ann Evers
Girl at Party (uncredited)
Audrey Manners
Girl at Party (uncredited)
Fay McKenzie
Girl at Party (uncredited)
Lal Chand Mehra
Jadoo (uncredited)
Clive Morgan
Lancer Captain (uncredited)
Roland Varno
Lt. Markham (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
Los Angeles, California
Festival / Special Debut
January 26, 1939
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$1.9M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$2.8M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.47x
+$892K net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- George Stevens
- Screenplay & Story
- Fred Guiol, Joel Sayre, Howard Hawks
- Original Score
- Alfred Newman
- Original Title
- Gunga Din
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English, Hindi
- Runtime
- 1h 57m
- Production Budget
- $1.9M
- Worldwide Gross
- $2.8M
- Production Studios
- RKO Radio Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
George Stevens
Fred Guiol, Joel Sayre, Howard Hawks, Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur
Alfred Newman
Joseph H. August
Henry Berman, John Lockert
George Stevens
Department Leadership Roster
George Stevens
Director
Henry Berman
Editor
George Stevens
Producer
Fred Guiol
Screenplay
Joel Sayre
Screenplay
John Lockert
Editor
Alfred Newman
Original Music Composer
Joseph H. August
Director of Photography
Howard Hawks
Screenplay
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Universal — Suitable for all audiences.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Gunga Din.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Gunga Din.
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Gunga Din
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Gunga Din about?
British army sergeants Ballantine, Cutter and MacChesney serve in India during the 1880s, along with their native water-bearer, Gunga Din. While completing a dangerous telegraph-repair mission, they unearth evidence of the suppressed Thuggee cult. When Gunga Din tells the sergeants about a secret temple made of gold, the fortune-hunting Cutter is captured by the Thuggees, and it's up to his friends to rescue him.
Who directed Gunga Din?
Gunga Din was directed by George Stevens.
Who stars in Gunga Din?
The principal cast of Gunga Din includes Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Sam Jaffe, Eduardo Ciannelli.
When was Gunga Din released and how long is it?
Gunga Din was released in 1939 with a total runtime of 1h 57m.
What was the box office and production budget of Gunga Din?
Gunga Din had a reported production budget of $1.9M and grossed $2.8M at the worldwide box office (1.47 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for Gunga Din?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Gunga Din was composed by Alfred Newman.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Gunga Din?
Gunga Din holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); GB: U (Universal — Suitable for all audiences.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).