- Directed by Terence Fisher
- Written by David Zelag Goodman
- Stars Guy Rolfe, Allan Cuthbertson, Andrew Cruickshank
- Run Time: 1 Hour, 20 Minutes
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USVul-lOREM
Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone
This is roughly based on historical events. It’s also a movie made in a time in history when brownwashing (and other colors of washing) was the way things were done – almost all of the named Indian characters are played by white people, as well as many extras. It was well made, interesting, and fairly entertaining, but really pushing it to call it horror.
Spoilery Synopsis
We open on a bunch of Indian men playing drums. The leader tells a story about an old-time monster. Only Kali would dare battle that monster, and she won, but the drops of blood became new monsters. She learned to kill without spilling blood. She taught her followers to strangle their victims. Three new boys are joining the Kali Cult, and this is all an initiation rite. Credits roll, and then we get a text scroll telling us about the Kali cult that existed for hundreds of years, until 1829…
Colonel Henderson sits in court and listens to Mr. Patel Shari, who “used to be” important. Outside, Captain Harry Lewis is late for the meeting, where the business owners complain about people, horses, and whole carriages that have disappeared. Mr. Burns and Mr. Patel complain about Henderson’s men not solving the problem, and Harry Lewis agrees with them. When the businessmen leave, Harry explains to his boss about 1119 people going missing last year. Harry wants to be put in charge of solving the problem, and Harry rushes home to tell his wife, Mary, about it.
Henderson then assigns Harry to escort a carriage, which is promptly robbed. Captain Connaught-Smith reports to Harry; he’s just arrived. As they return to town, their two prisoners, the thieves, escape. Connaught-Smith is assigned to investigate the missing people, much to Harry’s displeasure.
We see that Mr. Patel knows the two thieves, and he wants that behavior stopped. He’s got both escaped prisoners, and he punishes them. Yes, both men then get their eyes poked out with flaming skewers.
Harry’s servant Ram Das, reports that he saw his brother in the crowd earlier, and his brother went missing ten years ago. Harry gives him food and money to follow the caravan with his brother.
Back at the Kali camp, the two eyeless men are in a cage. Ram Das’s brother, Gopali, is there. The high priest teaches him how to act to white people before robbing them. Bundar reports that Ram Das has been seen approaching camp and the Das works for Harry, who took the sacred cloth from the captured men.
Harry reports to Connaught-Smith, who clearly doesn’t care at all about his opinion or research. Harry is mugged on the way out, and the men steal the sacred strangling cloth back. He goes back to report it to Connaught-Smith, and they argue.
Harry and Mary have some friends over for dinner, and someone throws a bundle through the window. It’s Ram Das’s hand! He goes straight to Henderson, who calls him “insolent and disrespectful.” Harry resigns his commission.
Harry goes around questioning people about Ram Das, but the local merchants avoid answering anything. It’s almost as if they all don’t care. Harry and his friend go tiger hunting, and they dig up a body instead. They find thirty bodies, all strangled.
Harry tells all this to Patel, who doesn’t seem at all interested. He tells Harry to stay out of it. A man is accused of the murders, and he smiles on the gallows, happy to die. He puts on his own noose and jumps to his death; a fanatic– or martyr. Harry follows smiling members of the audience out of town to the Kali camp.
Harry watches the group convene, but is captured and tied to stakes in the ground. The high priest gives the order, and a man lures a deadly cobra to kill Harry, who can’t move. The priest cuts Harry, and the killer snake homes in on the smell of blood (I know that’s not how it works). The snake is about to strike, but is interrupted when Ram Das’s pet mongoose gets free and kills it. The high priest orders Bundar to cut Henry free; it’s a sign from Kali.
Harry goes back to Henderson and Connaught-Smith about the cult. They laugh at him.
Back in the Thugee camp, the three young recruits are ordered to kill the three prisoners. Gopari recognizes Ram Das, his own brother, is one of the prisoners, but kills him anyway.
The cultists plan to rob the biggest caravan yet, but before that, they hatch a plan to kill both Harry and his neighbor, Sidney. They kill Sidney, but Harry is alerted and saves himself. Lt. Silver and Patel conspire to kill Connaught-Smith and take the whole caravan.
That night, the caravan stops and makes camp. The three young cultists have joined the group, and they say nothing as the stranglers sneak into camp. It’s a silent mass-slaughter. Connaught-Smith leaves his tent and wonders why nobody will wake up. He’s soon killed and all the bodies are carted away to mass graves.
In the morning, Harry and Lt. Silver arrive at the campsite and Harry knows what happened. Harry suspects Silver is a Thugee and shoots him. Night falls, and he watches a Kali ceremony. He shoots exactly one guy before getting captured. The high priest orders that he be killed. Gopari sees Ram Das’s necklace around Harry’s neck and cuts him loose. Harry runs up on the stage and throws the high priest into the fire before running away.
Harry and Gopali interrupt Henderson and Patel at dinner. Patel is arrested, and Henderson puts Harry in for a promotion. Harry tells Mary that “this is only the beginning. Murdering Kali is still out there.”
Brian’s Commentary
Looking at the credits, I don’t think there was a single actual Indian credited for the film. The British censors hated the film for its excessive violence, and it’s been hard to find in the UK ever since. It’s a stretch to call this “horror” today, but it was considered excessively brutal at the time.
This Hammer film was intended to star Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, who were both otherwise occupied. Some of the sets were built for “Horror of Dracula” (1958). It’s at least partially historical, based on the life of Henry Sleeman, who wiped out the Thugee Cult in the mid 1800s. The basic story was reused as the basis of a remake a few years later, “The Terror of the Tongs” (1961).
Kevin’s Commentary
This was kind of interesting. And bemusing on all the white people playing Indians. It was well made with good production values and some familiar faces. I enjoyed it as a historical action drama. It does have a murder cult and a body count, but I wouldn’t really consider it horror.
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