''Sabaka'' (originally to be called ''Gunga Ram'') is a 1953 American

adventure film An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, an ...

written, directed and co-produced by Frank Ferrin, filmed partially on location 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 ...

. The film also starred Victor Jory, Boris Karloff, Peter Coe, Reginald Denny, June Foray and Jay Novello. The film was about the adventures of an Indian boy named Gunga Ram, played by Nino Marcel. (Ferrin also produced and directed the 1955 television show ''

Andy's Gang ''Andy's Gang'' was a children's television program broadcast on NBC from August 20, 1955, to December 31, 1960, hosted by the actor Andy Devine. It was the successor to the radio and television program ''Smilin' Ed McConnell and His Buster Brown G ...

'', and a number of Gunga Ram's Indian adventures were later broadcast on Andy's show as short subjects. "Gunga Ram" actor Nino Marcel actually appeared live on the show with Andy Devine on two occasions.) In February, 1953, immediately following the completion of ''Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'', it was announced that Boris Karloff would return to England to star in a Jules Verne movie, but the project was cancelled and Karloff was signed for ''Sabaka'' instead. Most of ''Sabaka'' was shot in India, but Karloff's and Victor Jory's scenes were all shot in Hollywood. The film was originally to be titled ''Gunga Ram'', but RKO Pictures complained the title was too similar to their ''Gunga Din'' (1939). The picture was briefly renamed ''The Hindu'' for its May 15, 1953 premiere screening, and was later again changed to ''Sabaka'' just before its general release in February 1955.p.392 Nollen, Scott Allen ''Boris Karloff: A Critical Account of His Screen, Stage, Radio, Television, and Recording Work'' McFarland, 1 January 1991

Plot

Set in India, Gunga Ram, a young Indian boy, swears vengeance on the members of a religious death cult that murdered his sister Indria and her husband. The killings were ordered by the High Priestess of Sabaka (June Foray) and Ashok (Victor Jory). The Maharajah of Bakore disbelieves him, and when he turns to the Maharajah's General Pollegar (Boris Karloff), he is once again denied justice. Gunga Ram sets out with his two animal companions, a pet tiger and a trained elephant, to destroy the evil cult of Sabaka's fire shrine.

Cast

*Nino Marcel as Gunga Ram *

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established h ...

as General Pollegar *Lou Krugman as the Maharajah of Bakore * Reginald Denny as Sir Cedric *

June Foray June Foray (born June Lucille Forer; September 18, 1917 – July 26, 2017) was an American voice actress. She was best known as the voice of such animated characters as Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Natasha Fatale, Nell Fenwick, Lucifer from Disney' ...

as Marku Ponjoy, High Priestess of Sabaka *

Victor Jory Victor Jory (November 23, 1902 – February 12, 1982) was a Canadian-American actor of stage, film, and television. He initially played romantic leads, but later was mostly cast in villainous or sinister roles, such as Oberon in ''A Midsummer N ...

as Ashok *

Jay Novello Jay Novello (born Michael Romano, August 22, 1904 – September 2, 1982) was an American radio, film, and television character actor. Early life Novello was born in Chicago to Joseph Romano and Maria (Salemme) Romano. He had three sibling ...

as Damji * Lisa Howard as Indria *Peter Coe as Taru * Paul Marion as Kumar *

Vito Scotti Vito Giusto Scozzari (January 26, 1918 – June 5, 1996), also known as Vito Scotti, was an American character actor who played both dramatic and comedy roles on Broadway, in films, and later on television, primarily from the late 1930s to the ...

as Rama *Louis Merrill as Koobah *

Jeanne Bates Jeanne Bates (May 21, 1918 – November 28, 2007) was a retired American radio, film and television actress. After performing in radio serials, she signed a contract with Columbia Pictures in 1942 which began her career in films both in bit ...

as Durga *K. K. Sinha as Fire Dancer

Taglines

* You'll Never Forget the Thundering Feet of 150 Elephants! The Wild-Eyed Terror of a Mad Buffalo Stampede! * SEE Barefoot Fire-dancers walk thru bed of live coals! * SEE Nini Marcel, newest screen sensation, fight fear, force and the fire demon! * India's mightiest dramatic pageant!

Notes

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sabaka 1954 films 1954 adventure films Films set in India Films shot in India United Artists films American adventure films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films