North West Frontier (retitled Flame Over India in the U.S. and Empress of India in Australia)[1] is a 1959 British adventure film starring Kenneth More and Lauren Bacall. The film was directed by J. Lee Thompson from a screenplay by Robin Estridge, and also features Wilfrid Hyde-White, Herbert Lom and I. S. Johar.
The film is set in the North-West Frontier Province of British India, which now lies within modern Pakistan. The film explores tensions between Hindu and Muslim Indians as Muslim rebels attack a fortress to kill a young Hindu maharajah.
The success of the film led to the American career of the director, who went on to make the Hollywood classic The Guns of Navarone in 1961, and it was also noted for Geoffrey Unsworth's cinematography.[2]
Plot
In 1905, in the Northwestern Province of British India, British Army Captain Scott (Kenneth More) has been charged with conveying the young Hindu Prince Kishan from his father's palace before a Muslim rebellion to the safety of the Governor's Residence in Hazerabad. Accompanying them is Prince Kishan's American nanny/governess, widower Mrs Wyatt (Lauren Bacall). Soon after, the rebels enter the palace and kill the maharajah.
When the party reaches Hazerabad, the civilian Europeans are leaving on the last train, which is also packed with refugees. The rebels close in on Hazerbad and take control of the outer wall and gate beside the railway yard. Captain Scott discovers that there is one battered carriage and an old, obsolete engine left, tended lovingly by its engineer Gupta (I. S. Johar). The train is named Empress of India.
Early the next morning, Captain Scott, Mrs Wyatt, Prince Kishan, arms dealer Mr Peters (Eugene Deckers), half-Dutch, half-Indian journalist Mr Van Lyden (Herbert Lom), Lady Wyndham (who would rather remain with her husband, the governor) and two Indian soldiers board the train. Gupta uses the engine to smash through the rebel-held gate and steam off to Kalapore.
On the way, they find the refugee train that had left the day before. All of the Indian and European passengers have been killed. Mrs Wyatt finds one survivor, a small baby who was concealed by his mother's body. Later on that day, when they stop at a pumping station to fill up the water tanks, Captain Scott walks in to find Van Lyden allowing Prince Kishan to stand dangerously close to the flywheel. During the night, while everyone is asleep, Mr Van Lyden approaches the sleeping Prince Kishan, only to notice Lady Wyndham staring at him.
The next morning, the train has to stop when one of the rails has been blown up. While they are repairing the track, the rebels catch up. The repairs are completed under fire and the train barely gets away; Gupta is hit, but survives.
Later, they reach a large viaduct bridge which has been damaged, though the track seems to be intact. All the passengers disembark and carefully cross. While passing Prince Kishan, Van Lyden holds him short and he nearly falls. Captain Scott carefully drives the train across. As they reboard the train, Captain Scott discovers Van Lyden is a Muslim and puts him under arrest in the luggage compartment.
Van Lyden overpowers his guard and holds the passengers hostage, except for Captain Scott, Prince Kishan and the other soldier who are at the engine. Van Lyden plans to shoot Prince Kishan when he returns to the carriage. As they enter, a fight ensues. Captain Scott follows Van Lyden to the roof of the carriage. Just as Van Lyden is about to shoot Scott, he is shot and killed by Mrs Wyatt. At this point, the rebels chase the train on horseback until it enters a two-mile-long tunnel. Finally, the passengers reach the safety of Kalapore.
Cast
Awards
Production notes
Exteriors were shot in southern Spain near Guadix, a city in the province of Granada. The dry arid steppe doubling for British India. The railway, which has now been abandoned, traversed the northern part of the Sierra Nevadas..[6]
The famous viaduct scene was filmed at Hacho Bridge which was completed in 1894 by engineers influenced by Gustav Eiffel. It is one of the largest bridges in Spain, 650 metres (2,100 ft) long and 50 metres (160 ft). The bridge is located between the two Andalusian cities of Guadahortuna and Alamedilla. Today the line across the viaduct has been lifted. A modern rail crossing has been built alongside the old iron bridge.[7][8]
Interiors were filmed at Pinewood Studios, London.
References
- ^ Review New York Times.
- ^ North West Frontier - Review Time Out, London.
- ^ Awards Internet Movie Database.
- ^ 1960 BAFTA Awards, winner & nominees Internet Movie Database.
- ^ Film Nominations 1959 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
- ^ "OLD RAILWAY 2". Garingo.cool.ne.jp. http://garringo.cool.ne.jp/around%20guadix2-old%20railway2.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
- ^ http://www.flickr.com/photos/telaraqua/3350576593/ Image of the bridge today
- ^ "Puente del Hacho, heart of iron". Official site for Tourism of the province of Granada. http://www.turgranada.es/excursiones-y-senderismo/excursiones-senderismo-detalle.php?id_idioma=2&id_seccion=360&tipo=secciones&seccion_ficha=354. Retrieved 2006-07-02.
External links
