The Real Glory is a 1939 American
Western film set in the Philippines and starring Gary Cooper, David Niven, and Kay Johnson. The film takes place in the southern Philippines in 1906 during the later phase of the
Philippine-American War and involves a group of U.S. Marines assigned to train a Philippine Army unit to defend their town against Moro pirates led by the vicious bandit leader Alipang.
This movie contains examples of:
- The Berserker: The Moros are portrayed as fearsome, bloodthirsty warriors hellbent on killing Americans and Christian Filipinos.
- Big Bad: Alipang.
- Brown Face: Jewish actor Vladimir Sokoloff plays the character of Datu. Tetsu Komai, a Japanese actor, plays Alipang. Averted with the character of Miguel, who is played by Filipino actor Benny Inocencio.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: In one infamous scene, Dr. Bill Canavan has his troops threaten to bury a captive Moro in a pig’s pelt, thus preventing him from entering Paradise after death.note This scene actually got the film banned from screening during World War II because the Moros at the time were fighting for the Americans
- The Edwardian Era: While not set in Britain, the movie nonetheless takes place in 1906, when Edward VII is on the English throne.
- Far East Asian Terrorists: Not exactly terrorists, but the Moros definitely commit acts of terror in the name of God.
- Gatling Good: the Marines make use of gatling guns during the final battle against the Moros.
- Good Shepherd: Charles Waldron plays Padre Rafael, a Spanish Catholic friar who wants to see peace in his parish.
- Historical Hero Upgrade: The Americans, being colonizers of the Philippines, are naturally given this.
- Rape, Pillage, and Burn: At the beginning of the film, Alipang’s pirates engage in this when attacking a peaceful village.
- Self-Destructive Charge: In one scene, the heroes are ambushed by a Moro warrior who charges a USMC officer and kills him before stabbing himself through the chest with his own sword.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: During the torture scene, Canavan grills the Filipino troops as being cowards for being afraid of someone who breaks down at the thought of touching the skin of a dead pig.
- Training the Peaceful Villagers: The Marine officers recruit the inhabitants of a Filipino town into the Philippine Army in order to defend themselves against the Moros.
