''Flame of Calcutta'' is a 1953 American

historical film A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swa ...

directed by

Seymour Friedman Seymour Friedman (August 17, 1917 – April 2, 2003) was an American film director. He later worked as a Unit production manager, production manager in television. Friedman began his career as an assistant director, before enlisting for military s ...

and starring

Denise Darcel Denise Darcel ( née Billecard, 8 September 1924 – 23 December 2011) was a French vaudevillian, actress and singer, who from 1948 and 1963, appeared in films in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood, and briefly on the stage, television ...

Patric Knowles Reginald Lawrence Knowles (11 November 1911 – 23 December 1995), better known as Patric Knowles, was an English film actor. Born in Horsforth, West Riding of Yorkshire, he made his film debut in 1932, and played either first or second fi ...

and

Paul Cavanagh William Grigs Atkinson (8 December 1888 – 15 March 1964), known professionally as Paul Cavanagh, was an English film and stage actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1928 and 1959. Life and career Cavanagh was born in Felling, ...

. It was one of a number of historical films made by

Sam Katzman Sam Katzman (July 7, 1901 – August 4, 1973) was an American film producer and director. Katzman produced low-budget genre films, including serials, which had disproportionately high returns for the studios and his financial backers. Ea ...

's production unit for

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

. It is set in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

in the 1750s. Unusually for a

B Movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...

of the era, it was shot in

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

Plot

In 1765 in India, amidst tensions among the provinces, Calcutta's King Amir Khasid (

Gregory Gaye Gregory Gaye (born Grigoriy Grigoryevich Ge; October 10, 1900 – August 23, 1993) was a Russian-American character actor. The son of an actor, he was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was the uncle of actor George Gaynes. He was a cadet ...

) is overthrown by the wicked Prince Jehan (

George Keymas George Keymas (November 18, 1925 – January 17, 2008) was an American film actor, film and television actor.Martin p.68 Keymas graduated from Springfield (Ohio) High School. Keymas began his Hollywood career in 1950, mainly in Westerns. His f ...

). Exiled to the hills of Sheran, Amir's forces continue the conflict, led by "The Flame" (

), a freedom fighter known for his brilliant red robes. During an attack on a caravan of Jehan's supplies, The Flame is saved by Capt. Keith Lambert (

), head of the British militia assigned to guard the British East Indian Trading Company. Keith knows The Flame is actually Suzanne Roget, his fiancée and the daughter of a French government representative killed by Jehan during his uprising. Suzanne warns Keith that any involvement with Amir's forces could compromise the neutral British position and they must remain apart until Amir has regained the throne. In Calcutta the following evening, Jehan entertains Lord Robert Clive (

), who is visiting from Bombay. Jehan requests aid in defending his caravans against the rebel raids, and when Clive refuses, citing British neutrality, Jehan warns that he could make it difficult for the trading company to continue business. Clive insists that the army does not have enough men to fight Amir, and that he trusts Keith's judgment as commanding officer. Angered, Jehan and his advisor Nadir plot to attack the trading company using an imposter disguised as The Flame to force the British to retaliate against Amir. After the successful raid against the trading outpost, which appears to be led by The Flame, Keith informs Clive that he will go into the hills and bring The Flame to Calcutta for trial. Meanwhile, duplicitous peddlers Jowal and Rana Singh, who have traded with Amir, overhear Keith's plan and sell the information to Jehan with the additional knowledge that neither Keith nor Clive believes The Flame attacked the outpost. Jowal knows Suzanne is The Flame, but believes that the information will prove more useful later. Back at British headquarters, when Clive expresses concern over Keith's mission to bring The Flame to Calcutta, Keith reveals The Flame's identity and motive. That night Keith rides out to the hills, where Jehan's men attempt an ambush. Keith fights off his attackers and then is rescued by The Flame, who is puzzled by his arrival. At Amir's camp, Keith explains that the British do not believe The Flame and Amir's men attacked the trading outpost, but that Jehan is responsible. He is convinced that bringing Suzanne to Calcutta to stand trial as The Flame will bring an end to the bloodshed before Suzanne is killed and perhaps will also force Jehan to expose himself as the man behind the outpost raid. Suzanne agrees to return to Calcutta, but midway through their journey, they are intercepted by Jehan leading a large troop. As Suzanne is traveling under her own identity, Jehan is confused and asks Keith about the rumor that he was to arrest The Flame. Keith lies and explains that Suzanne has just returned from France for their marriage. At headquarters, Clive expresses concern that Keith lied about The Flame's identity, which, if discovered, would place the British in the uncomfortable position of defending a known bandit. At the palace, Jehan seethes over the misinformation about The Flame's arrest, but Jowal and Rana Singh return to reveal that Suzanne is The Flame. When Jehan questions how Jowal knows this, he explains that they were once taken prisoner by The Flame and saw her unmasked. Jowal suggests they arrest Suzanne and bring her together with the peddlers, whom she will recognize. Jehan agrees and, later that day at British headquarters, apprehends Suzanne, who acknowledges Jowal and Rana Singh when they pretend to have been tortured to reveal her identity. After Suzanne is taken to the palace dungeon, Jowal offers to return to British headquarters to learn about their plan of action to rescue Suzanne. That night Jehan receives a note demanding the release of The Flame, signed by Amir. Certain that Amir must have the support of the British to make this threat, Jehan confronts Keith, who denies the army's involvement. Jehan demands British troops to battle Amir's forces in exchange for sparing Suzanne. Keith asks to discuss the matter with Suzanne and in her cell assures her that she will be released within twenty-four hours. He then advises Jehan he will receive no British aid. At headquarters, now thoroughly suspicious of Jowal and Rana Singh, Keith intentionally lets them believe an arms caravan is arriving from the coast. Jowal passes the information on to Jehan, who plans to attack the shipment by using The Flame imposter in another attempt to provoke the British into fighting Amir. Jehan allows Suzanne to escape, then that night dresses in the red robes himself and leads the caravan assault as The Flame. The caravan wagons are filled with British soldiers, who fight off Jehan, assisted by Suzanne and Amir's forces. In the tumult of the battle, Suzanne kills Nadir, and after a lengthy fight Keith overpowers Jehan and arrests him. Jowal and Rana Singh are exiled, while Amir is reinstated to the throne and Keith and Suzanne are at last free to marry.

Cast

as Suzanne Roget aka The Flame *

as Capt. Keith Lambert *

as Lord Robert Clive *

as Prince Jehan *

Joseph Mell Joseph Mell (June 23, 1915 – August 31, 1977) was an American film and television actor. He was known for starring as Burt Stone in the 1971 film ''The Ski Bum''. Mell died in August 1977 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 62. Partia ...

as Jowal * Ted Thorpe as Rana Singh *

Leonard Penn Leonard Penn (13 November 1907 – 20 May 1975) was an American film, television and theatre actor. Early life and education Penn was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, to parents Marcus Penn and Eva Monson. He majored in drama at Columbia U ...

as Nadir *

as Amir Khasid * Edward Clark as Pandit Bandar * Sujata Rubener as Exotic Dancer * Asoka Rubener as Exotic Dancer *

Baynes Barron Bernard Miller (May 29, 1917 – July 21, 1982) was an American film and television actor. Born in New York. Barron began his career in 1946, first appearing in the film ''The Secret of the Whistler''. He then made his television debut in 1951, ...

as Prince's Messenger * Eddie Foster as Remir * Leonard P. Geer as Jehan Man / Flame Man *

Sol Gorss Sol Gorss, born Saul Gorss (March 22, 1908 – September 10, 1966) was a prominent American movie and television actor and stunt man. He was active from the 1930s to the mid-1960s, when he died. Before Gorss became an actor, he worked as ...

as Jehan Man / Soldier * Sam Harris as British Officer * Robin Hughes as Lt. Bob Ramsey

Reception

''Blockbuster Entertainment Guide to Movies and Videos'' gave the movie 3.5 stars out of five.

References

Bibliography

* Eldridge, David. ''Hollywood's History Films''. I.B.Tauris, 2006.

External links

* {{Seymour Friedman 1953 films American historical films 1950s historical films Films directed by Seymour Friedman Columbia Pictures films Films set in the 1750s Films set in India 1950s English-language films 1950s American films