I graduated from The Citadel and can tell you that the book is not a standing joke on campus and that almost everyone reads it during their knob year for their English class. It is true that upperclassmen are not allowed to touch knobs but this is a rule that was very loosely enforced in the 60s. I was not there in the 60s but it is a well known fact on campus and by alumni. I have never heard anything of that nature and I believe they made it worse than it really was in order to make people watch it and enjoy reading the book. All in all the book is much better than the movie. Read the book don't watch the movie, or at least read the book first.

Noting that a good deal of The Lords Of Discipline was filmed in Charleston, South Carolina and the school our characters attend is the Carolina Military Institute, I was amazed that The Citadel lent itself to this production. From what I understand it can still be a frightening place. Only in the past decade did they get around to admitting women.

This story is set in 1964 and this school is now getting around to admitting its first black cadet. A lot of special interests want to see Mark Breland fail. Te usual hazing a plebe gets is with some real menace. Another one folks aren't fond of is Malcolm Danare and things end tragically for him.

Second in command Robert Prosky asks a favorite cadet upperclassman David Keith to keep an eye on Breland. Remember this is 1964 and the civil rights era is upon us and I think Prosky doesn't want too many Yankee faces looking into the school.

That doesn't mean anything for a certain secret elite society among the cadets called The Ten. They want to uphold the traditional (read racist) ways and this bunch would have been proud to serve with Nathan Bedford Forrest.. Michael Biehn heads it currently and he's a piece of work. This was the first of many roles like this for Biehn. He's a really menacing guy.

Keith and his three roommates Mitchell Lichtenstein, Rick Rossovich, and John Lachiavelli get targeted. The final confrontation between Keith and commandant G.D. Spradlin is beautifully played.

One more thing. The Commandant of the Citadel in 1964 was Mark Clark and one hopes the American commander of the Italian theater in World War 2 did not countenance these sort of doings.

The Lords Of Discipline is a fine film telling of times we hope have passed.

Set in a Carolina officer cadet school THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE tells the story of a racist guild within the school who are hell bent on making sure no black cadet will ever be at the passing out parade . It`s a fairly good film but had the potential to be so much better . The problem I had is that it takes place through the eyes of cadre officer Will who I thought just a little bit too fine , upstanding and moral to take seriously and it`s because of this the film doesn`t reach the heights it could have . It should also be pointed out because it`s filmed in England doubling as an American military base I couldn`t help but be reminded of the first half of FULL METAL JACKET , it never helps a movie comparing it to that classic segment

But as I said LORDS OF DISCIPLINE is an entertaining enough movie that features a bunch of actors who almost became stars in the 1980s . See if you can spot them