The Stranglers of Bombay (1959) User Reviews

THE STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY (Terence Fisher, 1960) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 31 July 2008]

Watching this, I was reminded all over again just how invigorating the output from Hammer Films was during its heyday; even so, this isn't a horror film as such – and, in fact, has recently been released on DVD through Sony as part of a double-disc 4-movie collection entitled "Icons Of Adventure" (none of which I'd previously watched).

The film has a good reputation quality-wise, but it's even better-known as one of the company's grisliest efforts – not that there's excessive bloodshed on display, but director Fisher was certainly able to milk the inherent savagery of British-ruled India for all it was worth (there's plenty of implied physical violence throughout, to be sure, which seems all the more obscene for being triggered by religious fanaticism!). Tying up with this fact, the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) came down on THE STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY with particular alacrity. Unfortunately, many of the cuts they enforced back then (notably a female hanger-on's ecstatic reaction shots to the violence perpetrated by the titular cult have been all but eliminated, thus rendering her character virtually pointless!) have been retained for the R1 edition…though a scene involving a fight between a mongoose (the hero's pet which saves its master – having fallen prisoner to the vicious stranglers – from certain death at the eleventh hour) and a cobra, reportedly also trimmed by seven seconds, seems intact here!

I'm ambivalent about the picture being in black-and-white: admittedly, this allows it a gritty realism unusual for the company – however, at the same time, the lack of color tends to dilute the film's potential for exotic flavor…especially since this would have alleviated its unremitting bleakness somewhat! Incidentally, while the come-uppance of the cult itself feels a bit rushed, this is eventually redeemed by a satisfactory aftermath – wherein a former spiritual leader, now reduced to mere negotiator between his people and Britain's East India Company, gives himself away as an associate of the so-called "thuggees"; similarly devious had been a half-caste officer, whom the hero dealt with personally during a scouting mission for a 'lost patrol'. In any case, THE STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY features one of Hammer's strongest (and most sympathetic) male leads from this era in middle-aged Guy Rolfe – though he's matched by an intense display of villainy from George Pastell as the High Priest of the strangling cult; on the other hand, Allan Cuthbertson's overbearing snob of an upper-class officer fails to rise above mere cliché!

By the way, it's always a pleasure to see the names of all the Hammer stalwarts among the credits – with cinematographer Arthur Grant and composer James Bernard chief among them, they deliver exemplary work on this picture as well; having said that, THE STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY was uniquely scripted by an American – David Zelag Goodman – whose best work (Sam Peckinpah's STRAW DOGS [1971]), coincidentally, would also be filmed in England and prove a censorship milestone!

The Britishers succeeded in wiping out the cult, which murdered millions of people.

[Fella_shibby · 7/10 · 21 June 2019]

I saw this for the first time recently cos Thugs of Hindustan aroused my interest in the Thugee cult. While Thugs of Hindustan is more of an action, adventure n comedy film, Stranglers of Bombay is a horror film.

Captain Lewis of the British East India Company, is investigating why a large number of natives are missing. Lewis believes an organized cult group is robbing n killing people. The cult is headed by a godman (George Pastel). The film has lots of strangulation scenes, a nasty eye piercing scene (fans of Fulci rejoice), a snake n a mongoose fight, a glimpse of a tiger n most of all a very horrifying truth. The Britishers eradicated the worst horror, Sati n gave us Indians education but our recent politicians r taking us n our country back to the medieval era with the kinda lynching prevailing in India.

Whoever rules decides the truth.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 25 May 2012]

The Stranglers of Bombay is out of Hammer Film Productions. It's directed by Terence Fisher and written by David Zelag Goodman. It stars Guy Rolfe, Jan Holden, Andrew Cruickshank, George Pastell, Marne Maitland and Paul Stassino. Music is by James Bernard and cinematography by Arthur Grant.

For hundreds of years there existed in India a perverted religious sect, dedicated to the wanton destruction of human life....

So secret was this savage cult that even the British East Indian Company, rulers of the country at the time, was unaware of their existence....

So it begins, a compact and often violent retelling of the Thuggee Cult in India in the 1820s. It was considered strong stuff back on release and had the head suits at the BBFC shifting uneasily in their office chairs. It's a film that has also fallen unfairly into the realm where political correctness dwells, where some folk are seemingly obsessed with decrying old movies for their outdated political portrayals. This deserves better, for it's a very good script, where although the history is difficult to pin down as being correct, it does at least show a care and attention to detail where the Thugee Cult is concerned.

It's also a good old adventure yarn, full of intrigue, peril and detective work. Fisher directs at a clip, never allowing the plot to stagnate, and the low budget afforded the project is barely evident amongst some very effective sets. Cast are mostly good value for money, with lead players Rolfe perfectly restrained as an officer desperately trying to be heard and Pastell owning the film as the High Priest of Kali; in fact he is revelling in the bad guy role. Bernard provides an ear banging effective musical accompaniment.

Torture, maiming, heroics and a clever mongoose, something for everyone here! 7/10

Tense and gripping 60's flick

[Bondgirl1 · 4 August 2000]

Great directing enhance this tense film about a religious cult who go around murdering and stealing just for the sheer pleasure of it. Even for our times it is still an interesting and gripping horror film. Guy Rolfe (as tall as ever) did a remarkable job of the dedicated soldier who no one will listen too. Lots of fun.

Fine entertainment from Hammer.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 5 September 2015]

In 19th Century India, a vicious cult dubbed the Thuggees is terrorizing their own countrymen, robbing and killing with impunity. Harry Lewis (Guy Rolfe), a captain with the East India Company, knows that there's a problem. He's noted the mass disappearances of citizens over time, but his superior officer (Andrew Cruickshank) doesn't take him seriously. Harry gets personally involved when his faithful servant, Ram Das (Tutte Lemkow), goes missing while in search of his brother.

Hammer stalwart Terence Fisher directs with his customary efficiency. Fisher keeps the entertaining story moving along nicely, taking advantage of the exotic setting and creating some truly wonderful atmosphere. Many of the popular Hammer talents strut their stuff, including the cinematographer, Arthur Grant, who shoots "The Stranglers of Bombay" in beautiful widescreen black & white. Bernard Robinson also works wonders with the production design. Written by David Zelag Goodman ("Straw Dogs", "Logan's Run", "Eyes of Laura Mars"), this is a reasonably absorbing adventure. Some viewers might take offence at the portrayal of the Thuggee cult (just as people did when "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" came along 25 years later). But the suspense is undeniable at times and it's cute to see a mongoose play a part in the action when Lewis's life is threatened by a cobra. It's a truly chilling moment when Ram Das is murdered in cold blood by someone close to him.

Excellent performances are a real plus. Rolfe is a highly engaging hero, and among the other Hammer repertory players here, George Pastell shines. Pastell has one of his most substantial roles as the villainous High Priest of Kali. Allan Cuthbertson is amusing as the arrogant, ineffective Captain Connaught-Smith. Marne Maitland, Paul Stassino, Roger Delgado, John Harvey, Warren Mitchell, Michael Nightingale, Ewen Solon, and David Spenser all do fine jobs in their respective roles.

Some viewers may also be put off by the rather vivid violence, but this film still sizes up as an agreeable diversion for Hammer fans.

Seven out of 10.

Nasty goings on in the jungle

[chris_gaskin123 · 6/10 · 23 June 2005]

The Stranglers of Bombay was made by Hammer in 1960 and I found this quite good. It is rather violent for its time.

A series of rather gruesome murders in India turn out to be the work of a religious cult, known as the Stranglers. These people kill just for fun and they enjoy it. A British soldier based over there investigates these killings and nearly becomes a victim himself, but a mongoose appears and killing one of these animals is one of the Stranglers' tabu's. The leader of the Stranglers is killed at the end, along with most of the other members.

The cast includes Guy Rolfe (Mr Sardonicus), Jan Holden, Andrew Cruickshank, George Pastell, Allan Cuthbertson and Roger Delgado (First Man Into Space). Good parts from all.

The Stranglers of Bombay is worth checking out, especially if you are a fan of Hammer.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

One of Hammer's most interesting, while not their most thrilling, entry into the genre

[tomgillespie2002 · 6/10 · 16 July 2018]

The closing title card of this lesser-known title from Hammer's back catalogue reads "if we have done nothing else for India, we have done this one good thing." Referring to the British East India Company's governance over India for over a hundred years, The Stranglers of Bombay depicts the disappearance of thousands of India's population at the hands of the 'Thugees', an organised gang of murderers and thieves who operated relatively undetected for more than 600 years, and how their operations were eventually brought to an end. It is a subject that would no doubt be handled more delicately if tackled today, and I'm sure that those sensitive to modern PC standards may be somewhat offended by the film, but Stranglers is well-balanced and ultimately apologetic for the Company's occupation, finding a positive note in what was a barbaric time.

Captain Harry Lewis (Guy Rolfe) of the East India Company is the only person interested in the reports of over a thousand disappearances, attempting to bring the mystery to the attention of his superiors. However, Colonel Henderson (Andrew Cruickshank) is more concerned with solving the mystery of how English merchants' caravans are similarly disappearing without a trace. To get Lewis off his back, Henderson agrees to an investigation, but opts to hand the reigns to the inexperienced and pompous Captain Connaught-Smith (Allan Cuthbertson). Frustrated at Connaught-Smith's bungling and the general disdain he has for the Indian people, Lewis quits the Company to carry out his own inquiry, and uncovers a murderous cult who make sacrifices in the name of their god, Kali. Led by the High Priest of Kali (George Pastell), the gang's influence goes all the way to the very top, which is how they have managed to remain in the shadows for centuries.

The Stranglers of Bombay is low on horror but higher on adventure. The violence is implied rather than shown, but the film doesn't shy away from their grotesque acts. Eyes and tongues are removed, but most are garrotted with a ceremonial silk scarf. It's off-camera, but nevertheless effective. When the action is away from the thugees, the story plays out more like a period detective thriller, as Lewis plunges himself deeper into this secret world while the population denies the group's very existence. It's no surprise then to learn that frequent Hammer collaborator Terence Fisher is behind the camera, who would always shoot efficiently and make his films appear more expensive than they actually were. The absence of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing is almost always felt when watching a Hammer horror, but leading man Guy Rolfe proves to be a perfectly watchable leading man, earning our sympathy as the one decent white man in a company of incompetent and uncaring fellow officers. While more attention could have been given to the suffering of the Indian people, the film's heart is certainly in the right place, making it one of Hammer's most interesting, while not their most thrilling, entries into the genre.

Good Horror and Bad Politics

[Vornoff-3 · 6/10 · 22 April 2011]

There's no getting around the Imperialist/Colonialist undertones in this one, only made worse by the various video guides which claim it is based on "actual events." It isn't quite as bad as Fu Manchu to the Chinese, but I suspect many Indians would find this pretty inaccurate and offensive. Still, looked at as a horror movie, it is pretty fun, and it seems to include more explicit depictions of violence even than other Hammer films of the time – perhaps the claim of historical authenticity made it easier to get away with gore in England at this time. I particularly enjoyed George Pastell's performance, similar in many ways to the one he gave in the previous year's adaptation of "the Mummy." The various tensions among the British colonial officers also add a nice touch, and the direction and cinematography are top-notch, as awkward as the material sometimes gets.

You may have to turn your head away several times. I did.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 30 September 2021]

I'm not about to describe the atrocities which take place in this film, visuals so graphic that the first time I tried to watch it, I had to turn it off. The Thugee cult was a vile criminal organization who went too far during British rule in India, and this is meant to document how the cult was brought down. There's the typical distracting romantic subplot, some dated cultural references and pro-British/anti-Indian propaganda, making it difficult to watch with modern sensibilities, yet the feeling that this is trying hard to show a balanced view. Certainly, as lead Guy Rolfe explains, tens of thousands of native Indians were victimized by the evil surrounding them, and it was up to the ever so civilized Brits to remove these barbaric practices. Twenty minutes into the film was the worst, and there is no subtlety in how it was done.

Pretty Jan Holden is there for window dressing and Allan Cuthbertson stands out in the second lead, but it's the atmosphere and ritualistic situations that are most interesting. To watch the blinded victims of the Thugee struggle to drink water like a dog is very disturbing. You'll never confuse this for other exotic adventures like "Cobra Woman" or "Black Narcissus", and it's worth sticking through to watch the bad guys taken down. Watching young Indian men be forced to join out of fear is very disturbing indeed, yet reflects the truth about similar modern cults where young men are indoctrinated from the time they are basically able to speak.

Killing For The Love Of Kali

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 23 October 2010]

If the British did accomplish one good thing in India it was getting rid of the strangling cult Thugee. It took years to eradicate them and there are some who would say they've not been completely eradicated. But if India had been another planet and the British were operating under the Prime Directive it would have made for some interesting history.

As it was this particular film, The Stranglers Of Bombay takes place in the early part of the 18th century when India was ruled not by the crown directly, but through the British East India Company. The soldiers you see report to them in London and the idea of course is take care of whatever is slowing down company profits.

Guy Rolfe who has played some really nasty villains in such films as Ivanhoe, Taras Bulba, and King Of The Khyber Rifles is a time serving captain in their army who has spent twenty years in India and is rather steeped in their culture. He's the right man for finding out what's at the bottom of a lot of mysterious disappearances, but Colonel Andrew Cruickshank selects the arrogant and fatuous Allan Cuthbertson, newly arrived in India for the job. Kind of dumb, but if he had given Rolfe a free hand we wouldn't have had much of a film.

Classic movie fans recall Eduardo Ciannelli as the Guru of the Thugs in Gunga Din who had some really ambitious goals for followers. The head of the cult here is far more local and a man not quite of Ciannelli's vision of eradicating the British and sweeping the world for Kali.

There were some plot holes in the script or otherwise I would have given The Stranglers Of Bombay a higher rating. Still it was an unusual subject for Hammer films, no unworldly demons or monsters to deal with, just some very human villainy.

The Thuggee Cult.

[AaronCapenBanner · 5/10 · 20 November 2013]

Terence Fisher directed this historically based adventure that stars Guy Rolfe as a captain in 1830's India trying to fight a dangerous cult of murderers and thieves known as the thuggee. Their high priest(played by George Pastell) hates foreigners and wants to drive them out. The captain tries to warn the East India company of the danger, but they refuse to listen. Instead, an inexperienced young officer is sent to clear the matter up, but he is in way over his head, and events threaten to escalate out of control, quite murderously... Lurid melodrama turns a potentially intriguing look at a forgotten part of colonial history into a potboiler. Not bad really, but falls short.

Among the best of the Hammer films

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 11 October 2008]

THE STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY is included on a DVD of another Hammer film, THE TERROR OF THE TONGS. Both films are very similar, though STRANGLERS is definitely the better of the two despite the absence of big name actors. This is because the film did a great job of making the sets look like India and using actors that might be Indian--whereas in TERROR, English actors almost exclusively played Chinese parts (making the film look really cheesy).

Amazingly, THE STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY is based on a true story, though I am pretty sure the names and a few details were fictionalized. In the nineteenth century, a bizarre cult dedicated to Kali (the goddess of death and destruction) was ultimately destroyed by the British in India. This cult not only adored Kali, but was dedicated to murder and robbery--and it was apparently a pretty serious threat.

The film gets very high marks for its script and direction. The film is exciting, well-paced and engaging. Despite having little of the cache of many other Hammer films (no Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing) and being in black and white, it's as solid and exciting a drama as you can find from this studio.

"The sacred sugar will be the sign"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 6/10 · 2 July 2017]

Filmed in 'Strangloscope!' no less 'The Stranglers of Bombay' is a Hammer film directed by their usual director Terence Fisher about the historical Thugee cult in India. People and goods have been going missing from caravan trails and the officers of the East India company are worried. That is Colonel Henderson and the merchants are worried about the goods but Captain Harry Lewis is more worried about the missing people, overwhelmingly Indian. He comes to realise that devotees of the goddess Kali are responsible and begins to track them down. It is an entertaining film that gallops along to a good (but rushed ending) taking in murder, gore, suspense and excitement.

Guy Rolfe is solid as Captain Lewis and George Pastell scarily convincing as the High Priest of Kali. They are supported well by Allan Cuthbertson, Andrew Cruickshank, Jan Holden and Marne Maitland (who actually was born in India.) Splendid support is also given to the frontally blessed Marie Devereux, thankfully. In minor parts are Roger Delgado and Warren Mitchell. Hammer regulars James Bernard provides an excellent musical score and Roy Ashton supplies suitably effective make-up. Good use is made of English locations and perhaps it might have been better in colour? Possibly,

Apparently a few minutes were cut from the film though the 76 minute version I saw was adequate. There is supposedly more of Marie Devereux's heaving bosom and more mongoose/snake footage which is a shame as I think you can never have enough mongoose scenes in a film.

Disappointing

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 4 August 2013]

THE STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY is one of Hammer's last black-and-white movies but, being set in the exotic locales of 19th-century India, it really needs some colour to liven it up. As it stands it's a rather lifeless and stagy affair, clearly hampered by a low budget and an almost singular lack of action, incident and spectacle. Hammer would later do the whole pulp adventure type format much better with the likes of the truly gripping TERROR OF THE TONGS.

The story sees the British East India Company finding themselves menaced by sinister members of a thuggee cult with a predilection for strangulation. Said cult members are headed by the memorably zany George Pastell, whose role seems to have provided inspiration for Spielberg in INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM. Watch out for an uncredited Roger Delgado (DR WHO's Master) as an evil henchman and Marie Devereux as a mute but arresting thuggee follower.

All this is fair enough, but the film really lets itself down when it comes to the lifeless characters. Guy Rolfe's heroic leading man is adequate, but way too much screen time is given over to the stuffy character Allan Cuthbertson plays. The whole narrative stagnates for minutes on end only to be rushed when it comes to the climax. STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY has promise at times, but with the pedigree behind it (such as Terence Fisher's direction) it should have been a lot better than it actually is.

It walks a tightrope between fact and sensationalism, but enjoyable for Hammer fans.

[jamesraeburn2003 · 7/10 · 27 September 2021]

India 1826: Travellers are disappearing in mysterious circumstances prompting the British East India Company to launch an investigation. Colonel Henderson (played by Andrew Cruikshank) appoints Captain Connaught-Smith (played by Allan Cuthbertson) much to the chagrin of Captain Lewis (played by Guy Rolfe) who considers him to be completely unsuitable due to his lack of experience. But, he gets the job all the same because his father went to the same school as their commanding officer. When Lewis's servant disappears, he conducts his own inquiries and discovers the Thugee cult of robbers and murderers who are devoted to the goddess Kali. They ritually kill their victims by strangling them and then bury them in mass graves. Lewis stumbles upon their secret temple, is captured and condemned to die by the cult's evil High Priest (played by George Pastell). He only narrowly manages to escape and, to his horror, he finds out that membership of the cult extends to the top level of the British East India Company itself...

This Hammer historical drama-horror film walks a tightrope between fact and sensationalism. It's gory set pieces are still very unnerving to this day, but it is still enjoyable for fans of the Hammer studio. There are good performances from Guy Rolfe as the streetwise military man who is passed over for the job of investigating the murders and thefts in favour of a completely inexperienced and unsuited officer who succeeded solely because the commanding officer went to school with his father. Allan Cuthbertson is perfectly cast in the role and he skilfully brings out his character's upper crust arrogance and naivety, which ultimately brings about his doom. Director Terence Fisher, who was responsible for several of Hammer's key productions, seems somewhat at unease with the material, but he does his usual efficient job and ensures the film has some moments of power. The best scene is where Guy Rolfe's Captain Lewis is captured, tied down and left to die at the hand of a deadly cobra. Only his servant's pet mongoose escapes and a fight to the death ensues between it and the snake. Great suspense here. The period detail is quite good thanks to the set design of Bernard Robinson and the fact that one can see that the home counties countryside is doubling for the plains of India is forgivable. Arthur Grant's b/w cinemascope is excellent and captures the sweltering heat of the setting.

"Whoever rules, decides the truth."

[brogmiller · 6/10 · 16 January 2024]

This marks the first film directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer that is without the customary gaudy colour and without writer Jimmy Sangster. It also holds the dubious distinction of being the first of the Hammer films to adopt the policy of 'sell it with sadism'.

Despite the eye-gougings and limb-loppings the film got away with an 'A' rating presumably because it was seen as an 'historical' adventure. Typically of course for the time it was the ostentatious bosom of Marie Deveraux, née Patricia Sutcliffe, together with her character's evident arousal at the suffering of others, of which the British censors took the dimmest view.

It has been adapted from the memoirs of Major General Sir Richard Sleeman who was directly involved in stamping out the notorious Thuggees. Providing the Asian villainy are George Pastell(undoubtedly his finest hour) Roger Delgado and the ubiquitous Marne Maitland while Allan Cuthbertson is ideally cast as the sort of character who gave colonialists a bad name. Charismatic Guy Rolfe does his best with some awful lines and Jan Holden's role as his wife is woefully underwritten. The ending, for this viewer at any rate, is both unsatisfactory and unconvincing.

It is I suppose a must for Hammer completists whilst its gruesome elements, not to mention Miss Deveraux' cleavage, are sure to guarantee its devotees.

Terence Fisher's own verdict? "It went wrong. It was too crude."

British Officer Battles Thugs.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 23 October 2010]

It's a Hammer film but maybe not the kind you'd expect. Guy Rolfe is a captain in the British Army in 1820s India. The real ruler of the area is the British East India Company, and the company is worried. They ship their goods in caravans and the caravans and goods have been disappearing at an alarming rate. Something must be done, d'you heah me! Rolfe is a tall, rugged figure with an authoritative stride. He has a pretty blond wife and he's happy in the army, but he has trouble convincing his commanding officer, not to mention the executives at British East India, that something more than simple brigandry is afoot.

The captain is a keen observer and he picks up clues that there is a cultish group insinuating their members into traveling caravans, then robbing them and murdering all the members of the caravan with sacred scarves, as part of the worship of Kali, whom the astute viewer will remember from "Gunga Din." The thugs even have a mole in the officer corps and Rolfe plays hell defeating them and their vile movement.

It begins interestingly enough. The screenplay by David Goodman is well written. It's unexpectedly historically accurate. British East cares only that its caravans are being disappeared. Rolfe is the only officer who bring up the fact that many thousands of travelers are disappearing with them. Gradually, the emphasis of the story shifts from Rolfe and his conundrum to the cult of Thugees themselves, and it sort of slides a little downhill from there.

It's impossible to avoid the depiction of violence entirely in a story about a movement whose chief aim was murder and theft, but the director, Terence Fisher, seems to linger over the gruesome details. What was shocking in Carl Dreyer's "The Passion of Joan of Arc" is here presented with relish. It's the sort of thing -- the long and loving preparation for the burning out of eyeballs and the cutting out of tongues -- that would lead to Michael Madsen's speech about the pleasure he's going to get from torturing his helpless prisoner in "Reservoir Dogs". And, after that, to what appears to be gelling into a genre of its own, the pornography of torture. The dialog seems to invite the viewer to join in the excitement of an alluring execution. Rolfe mutters to an enlisted man, "This is a public hanging and look at those men laughing." The sergeant replies, "Well, we all enjoy it a bit, sir." It's the most provocative line in the movie.

Rolfe aside, Allen Cuthbertson is splendid as the spoiled, snobbish, over-confident, scoffing new officer who is the CO's pet. It was a part he'd played before ("The Guns of Navarron")and would play in the future. The leader of the Thugees is George Pastell and he's miscast. A shaven head simply doesn't get the job done. You want a great Capo for the Thugees? Check out Eduardo Ciannelli in "Gunga Din." There's a man who's pure evil for you. Rolfe's wife is dispensable. Much of the supporting cast seem to have been picked out of a street crowd for their looks rather than their talent.

There are a couple of outdoor shots that don't look much like India, and in fact the production suffers from a smallish budget. The uniforms are convincing enough but the jungle is obviously in a studio. And the kookaburra is thousands of miles from home.

Not a failure, but lacks polish and poetry.

Good pace masks some inconsistencies, cheap actor ensemble

[adrianovasconcelos · 7/10 · 26 November 2023]

Terence Fisher has done better work than THE STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY for Hammer Company, where he directed a number of horror films with some distinction.

THE STRANGLERS does not quite fit the horror category, claiming historical accuracy about the British East India Company, which in 1829 carried so much governmental clout that it collected taxes and had its own British Armed Forces that suddenly had to fight a violent cult that worshippped the goddess Kali, seeking bloodless murder for infidels by strangling them with "sacred" silk cloths.

Sadly, Guy Rolfe is not a good enough actor to carry the lead. His facial expressions seldom rate above void. Allan Cuthbertson, who in 1959 also had a small part as Simone Signoret's husband in ROOM AT THE TOP, is a better actor but his role is so sketchy and minor as to verge on expendable.

George Pastell and Marne Maitland come up pick of the bunch as religious fanatics, the latter doubling up as a two-edged merchant who is supposedly helping the British deal with the problem of vanishing caravans but in fact assisting in the removal of business competition and non-believers by massacring entire caravans and burying their bodies.

These days, the screenplay by David Goodman would surely fail political correctness requirements. You just cannot portray non-caucasians in such evil light - but back in 1959 Hammer did it, lending the film an aura of some authenticity despite the indifferent acting. That said, I had to suspend my disbelief when tall, gangly Rolfe decides to fire shots into a crowd attending a Kali cult instead of spiriting away in the dark to get backup. That clearly stupid decision sees him bound to the ground, stabbed in the thigh for some bloodletting that will apparently attract a king cobra for the type of death no one wishes to contemplate... only to be saved by his pet mongoose, which snatches the cobra's head in some style. That ordeal over, Rolfe neither treats the wound nor changes his trousers but still walks about in long strides, twice more getting off the death hook in less than likely circumstances.

For the record, that mongoose-cobra clash is my favorite sequence. THE STRANGLERS boasts some excellent B&W cinematography that credibly turns the Hammer backlot into believable Indian settings in the year of our Lord 1829.

Despite the abovementioned shortcomings, I found the action compelling enough to watch non-stop and award it a deserved 7/10.

A little bit of history...

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 20 June 2023]

The Thuggee cult was a religious sect of professional assassins in India who were responsible for hundreds of thousands of murders (if not millions), the members carrying out the killings in the name of the Hindu goddess Kali; the killers would strangle their victims and bury the bodies to hide the evidence. The cult was eventually wiped out during the British occupation of India in the 19th Century.

The Stranglers of Bombay stars Guy Rolfe as Captain Harry Lewis, who is dedicated to finding out who is responsible for attacks on caravans carrying goods for the British East India Company, and the disappearance of countless travellers. Captain Christopher Connaught-Smith (Allan Cuthbertson) is officially put in charge of the investigation, but he is an arrogant fool, so Lewis conducts his own enquiries, putting his own life in danger by doing so.

Made by Hammer, the film is essentially a historical thriller/adventure, but the cruel nature of the Thuggees and their violent acts mean that it should definitely appeal to horror fans as well: two men who fail the Thuggee cult have their eyes put out with a hook, a severed hand is thrown through a window, and a man is forced to strangle his brother (and then cut open his stomach). This being a Hammer film, there is also a buxom Indian babe (Marie Devereux) whose sole purpose is clearly to serve as window dressing (I suspect she was prominent in promotional material).

Director Terence Fisher keep things moving at a decent lick, but unfortunately lets things descend into lunacy at times, with a daft scene in which the hero is rescued by a mongoose, and an equally silly finalé in which one of the Thuggees has a change of heart, enabling Lewis to escape death in the nick of time and dispose of the cult leader by throwing him onto a funeral pyre.

6/10. Not essential Hammer, but still worth seeing for fans of the studio.

A sorely underrated Hammer film

[GusF · 10/10 · 5 December 2014]

A classic and sorely underrated Hammer film in which the British East India Company officer Captain Harry Lewis - played very well by the engaging Guy Rolfe whom I recognise from something else but can't remember what - fights the cult of Kali which is responsible for the kidnapping and murder of thousands of Indians. The film has a very strong and effectively creepy and violent storyline and is directed to perfection, as ever, by Terence Fisher.

Unlike most Hammer films, it is based on real events though I don't know how closely as it's well outside my historical area of interest. One historical aspect of the film that I appreciated was Lewis' criticism of the East India Company, which he points out to his superior Colonel Henderson (a wonderful Andrew Cruickshank) is not investigating the disappearances of several thousand Indians out of any sense of morality or responsibility but because it is related to the disappearance of several English merchants' caravans. Another very effective piece of social commentary is Henderson giving the job of investigating the disappearances not to Lewis, the logical and seemingly obvious choice given that he has spent two years doing so on his own initiative, but to the supercilious and not very bright Captain Connaught-Smith (played, again very well, by Allan Cuthbertson) whose father went to school with Henderson. Shari Patel described Connaught-Smith very well in the film: "Captain Connaught-Smith is pleased by the obvious. It does not exercise his dull mind."

The treatment of the Indians in the film is far less condescending and insulting than the treatment of the Chinese in the similar Hammer film "The Terror of the Tongs" but, as was standard at the time, very few of the actors with speaking roles are actually Indian. The only actor of Indian descent to play a major role was Hammer regular Marne Maitland as Shari Patel. The other two major Indian characters are played by George Pastell and an uncredited Roger Delgado, both of whom were also frequently seen playing foreigners in the studio's films. David Spenser and Warren Mitchell are really the only non-Indian actors playing Indian characters who stick out like sore thumbs, in stark contrast to the fake Chinese people in the aforementioned film including, funnily enough, Maitland and Delgado.

Engrossing period adventure thriller

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 3 June 2010]

A notorious death cult known as the Thuggees terrorizes India. Gutsy and aggressive Captain Harry Lewis (a fine and commanding performance by Guy Rolfe) stirs things up by investigating a series of disappearances attributed to the Thuggees. Director Terence Fisher, working from a taut and absorbing script by David Zelag Goodman, relates the compelling story at a steady pace, delivers a rich and flavorsome evocation of the period setting, and doesn't pull any punches with the film's potent moments of shocking violence and brutality (one of the single most unnerving scenes occurs when a Thuggee cult member kills his own older brother!). This movie further benefits from sound acting from a sturdy cast: Rolfe makes for a dashing and engaging hero, Marne Maitland as the suave and cunning Patel Shari and George Pastell as the bald and charismatic High Priest of Kali register strongly as the main villains of the piece, plus are are solid contributions from the fetching Jan Holden as Lewis' loyal wife Mary, Andrew Cruickshank as the ineffectual Colonel Henderson, Paul Stassino as the corrupt Lieutenant Silver, and Allan Cuthbertson as the arrogant and condescending Captain Christopher Connaught-Smith. Arthur Grant's sharp black and white cinematography makes nifty occasional use of artful dissolves. James Bernard's robust ominous score hits the rousing spot. Best of all, the tight 80 minute running time ensures that this film doesn't overstay its welcome. Well worth a look.

Terence Fisher's least appreciated Hammer horror

[kevinolzak · 8/10 · 25 August 2019]

1959's THE STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY is easily director Terence Fisher's least known Hammer horror, and one rarely screened until its revival in the 2000s. Shot in gritty black and white rather than the usual color, it foreshadows a similar effort the following year, "The Terror of the Tongs," a star vehicle for Christopher Lee as Hong Kong tong leader Chung King, while this film boasts the underrated George Pastell as the High Priest of the secret cult of Kali, leaving behind millions of victims all garroted by the sacred cloth. Top billed Guy Rolfe ("Mr. Sardonicus") plays Captain Harry Lewis of the British East India Company, who has spent months in 1829 Bombay trying to find answers as to the mysterious disappearances of traveling caravans of various goods robbing the English of their profits (the corpses swiftly and ruthlessly buried in shallow graves). His superior, Colonel Henderson (Andrew Cruickshank), appoints an old school chum as chief investigator rather than Lewis, Captain Christopher Connaught-Smith (Allan Cuthbertson), a supremely pompous twit who simply conducts interrogations while seated behind his desk. Lewis decides to resign after his manservant, Ram Das (Tutte Lemkow), suffers a terrible fate (his hand cut off and sent to Lewis) while searching for his brother Gopali Das (David Spenser), revealed not only to be the newest recruit to the cult but also tasked to strangle his own beloved sibling. The level of brutality is unprecedented even for Hammer, and all the better for being so effectively rendered, though possibly cut for television. Two careless followers are punished for betrayal to Kali by having their eyes gouged out (we see the eye sockets following the gruesome deed), corpses have their stomachs slit prior to burial, all sadly historically accurate. It looks like curtains for a captive Lewis, staked out under the mercilessly hot sun waiting for a cobra to strike...surprise! He just happens to have brought along his pet mongoose, ably dispatching the venomous reptile, an ill omen that forces the high priest to set Lewis free. It's amazing how tiny Bray Studios could manage to convey far off places when never venturing far from the Thames, their professionalism led by production designer Bernard Robinson, who often lent his own props for a scene (for instance, the huge globe in the Castle Dracula library in "Horror of Dracula").