For nearly 50 years the Queen has graced the red carpet at Royal Film Performances.

However, newly discovered documents show that in the early years of her reign she found the films so poor that she complained to then Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill during an audience at Buckingham Palace.

I am not sure how much truth is in the story below – I myself rather doubt it.

The 1954 Royal Performance of the film Beau Brummell – starring Stewart Granger and Elizabeth Taylor – was a particular cause of displeasure. The Queen and her officials were also unimpressed by three previous films – Where No Vultures Fly, Because You’re Mine and Rob Roy The Highland Rogue.

My own view on this is that she probably found two of them disrespectful to the monarchy – I can’t recall much about ‘Beau Brummell’ but in Rob Roy The Highland Rogue’ there was a scene where Rob Roy called the King who was George ‘German Geordie’ and when I first saw the film that grated with me also. As for ‘Where No Vultures Fly’ it really surprises me that the Queen did not think much of it – it had lovely colour and was well made.

In a memo concerning the Beau Brummell screening dated November 19, 1954, Churchill’s Private Secretary David Pitblado told Sir Frank Lee, the Permanent Secretary at the Board of Trade:

‘The Prime Minister asked me to look into this when he returned from his audience with the Queen. The Queen had told him what a bad film it was and he, on his own initiative, wanted to see what could be done about it for the future.’

The declassified documents show that both Buckingham Palace and Downing Street began to despair with the choice of films in the Fifties.

In a further memo dated November 25, 1954, Sir Frank noted: ‘There is no doubt at all that the quality of the films shown to HM on the last four occasions (which I have also had the misfortune to attend) ranged from the mediocre down to the vulgar and distressing.

Not amused: The Queen disliked the film Beau Brummel (left) with Stuart Granger and Elizabeth Taylor, so much she complained to the PM Winston Churchill

‘The whole evening is a long and garish ordeal; it is not surprising that both HM herself and most outside critics should ask whether the selection of the main film to be shown could not be radically improved.’

Officials at Downing Street and Buckingham Palace secretly lobbied the Film Industry to overhaul the event. Film bosses reluctantly agreed to drop the stage show which accompanied the chosen film and to cut back the number of ‘meet and greets’ expected of the Queen.

What an ordeal: Winston Churchill asked his private secretary to look into the choice of films when he returned from an audience with the Queen when she complained about ‘dreadful films’

They also accepted the appointment of an independent figure from outside the movie business to chair the panel that chose the film. He was given the power of veto over the final choice of movie.

The changes were a success and the Queen was delighted with the selection of Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch A Thief in 1955.

An unsigned memo said: ‘Lieutenant Colonel Charteris, an Assistant Private Secretary to the Queen said that Her Majesty had enjoyed the film (as I did myself) and was happy with the revised arrangement .  .  . She had particularly welcomed the elimination of the stage show and the fact that, for her, the whole occasion had lasted for no more than 2 hours 40 minutes.

It is not clear to what extent the Queen knew about the lobbying or if she would actually have snubbed the event. A memo to Pitblado from Sir Michael Adeane, the Queen’s Principal Private Secretary, dated December 11, 1954, suggests courtiers may have been double-bluffing film bosses.

It said: ‘Although when the moment comes I am quite sure the Queen will go to the performance, if she is asked to do so, we are taking the line here that the present moment is by no means an appropriate one for the issue of an invitation.’

The Royal Film Performance was launched in 1946 and raises funds for cinema and TV professionals who encounter illness, bereavement or unemployment.

The two met at the premiere of The Battle of the River Plate in London’s Leicester Square. Marilyn was there to accompany her then husband Arthur Miller. =

At the time, both Marilyn and Queen Elizabeth II were just 30 years old. The Queen had ascended to the throne at the age of 25 following the death of her father, King George VI. Marylin had just finished filming The Prince and the Showgirl in London; the film premiered in June 1957.

Victor Mature was in the line-up to meet The Queen also – he was regularly over here making films at that time

Queen Elizabeth II meeting Marilyn Monroe at the Royal Command Film Performance at Leicester Square in London on October 1956

On Monday, October 29, 1956—as the looming Suez Canal crisis dominated the headlines—Marilyn Monroe was to meet the Queen. When the day dawned, the actress was once again absent from the set of The Sleeping Prince, and while it is impossible to say if she had prior permission to have the day off, those keeping tabs on her timekeeping wrote down her absence as “Not available.” It is doubtful that the movie even crossed Marilyn’s mind that day, as her full attention was on readying herself for the evening ahead. These preparations included hours of hairstyling with Gordon Bond, and then her make-up was applied. Lastly, it was time to slip into a gown that would make headlines around the country.

Officials may have instructed the female attendees to dress conservatively, but the dress Marilyn chose to wear when meeting Queen Elizabeth II was like nothing they had in mind. Made of gold lamé, the gown was so low-cut that the tops of Marilyn’s breasts were on full display. Tight to the body, with spaghetti straps and a fold of material meeting at the chest and heading down towards the floor, the dress came complete with a matching cape and bag.

Marilyn Monroe, seen here with her husband Arthur Miller, arrived in London in 1956 to film The Prince and the Showgirl, and ended up meeting the Queen of England.

Several staff were on hand to help Marilyn get into the gown, before she slipped on long gloves and platform sandals, similar to those worn at the premiere of A View from the Bridge. A quick spritz of perfume, and Marilyn grabbed her handbag and descended the stairs. The driver was waiting outside, and the smiling actress crunched her way over the gravel drive and climbed into the car, accompanied by Arthur Miller and Milton H. Greene. For Jerry Juroe, Marilyn’s departure from Parkside House meant that he could breathe again. For the past few weeks, his major concern had been to ensure that Marilyn arrived at the theatre before Her Majesty, and although it would be a little tight, the actress accepted and achieved the challenge.

As the chauffeur pulled up outside London’s Empire Theatre, it was as though the entire population of Britain was gathered outside. It was a cold October evening and a biting wind blew its way around Leicester Square, but this didn’t stop fans from queuing for hours just for a glimpse of Marilyn, the Queen and an abundance of other famous folk. Dressed in winter coats, hats and gloves, the crowds screamed and pushed forward, while policemen tried to hold them back. As Marilyn exited the car, a photographer swooped in and took a picture, looking down the front of her dress. He moved aside, and then the fans’ excitement reached fever pitch.

“Marilyn! Marilyn!” they chanted, and the smiling actress turned and waved to everyone who greeted her. By this time, she was having trouble keeping her cape on her shoulders, and she and Arthur spent some time adjusting it, before fighting their way through the crowds and into the theatre.Marilyn Monroe, seen here with Arthur Miller during her 1956 London trip

Marilyn Monroe, seen here with Arthur Miller during her 1956 London trip

Inside the foyer, the place was alive with guests, staff, photographers and, as the film was to be The Battle of the River Plate, active seamen. As Marilyn wandered past, holding her wrap around her chest, most of the crowd turned and stared. She smiled broadly, then threw back her cape to reveal her spectacular dress. Flashlights popped, and then she and Arthur Miller ascended the steps and reached the space where the celebrities were lining up to meet the Queen. The rest of the audience, meanwhile, made their way into the auditorium, where they took their seats to the sound of musician Nelson Elms on the organ and the orchestra of the Royal Marines School of Music. Soon they would watch the Queen greeting the famous attendees via the cinema screen.

In the upstairs lounge, an excited but nervous Marilyn had removed her cape and was sandwiched between actors Victor Mature and Anthony Quayle (Miller was not being presented to the Queen). Quayle was one of the stars of The Battle of the River Plate, and the rest of the line-up read like a Who’s Who of cinema royalty. Stars included Brigitte Bardot, Peter Finch, Norman Wisdom, Anita Ekberg, Vera-Ellen, Sylvia Syms, John Gregson, Mary Ure and Marilyn’s arch-enemy, Joan Crawford. In addition, there was also a generous smattering of industry professionals, as well as Royal Navy-related guests who had been involved—or were related to a participant—in the real Battle of the River Plate.

Marilyn Monroe also met Princess Margaret during her trip

As Marilyn waited with fellow celebrities in the long, buzzing lounge, the Queen arrived in Leicester Square with her sister, Princess Margaret. Also in the party were Lord and Countess Mountbatten, though the Duke of Edinburgh was absent, having already left for a four-month official trip on the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Her Majesty, wearing a beautiful black, full-skirted gown and a diamond-and-emerald tiara, was greeted outside by Charles Penley, the Empire’s general manager, and then slipped into the foyer, where she was met by Reginald Bromhead, president and chairman of the Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund. That done, the Queen made her way upstairs, where she not only met the famous attendees, but also many journalists. Some of the pressmen crouched on the floor, others hustled for a better view, but all followed Her Majesty as she greeted her guests.

The line was long, and Marilyn was more than halfway down. At times the actress stared ahead, nervously waiting her turn, but as the Queen moved closer, Marilyn could be seen peeping out and then excitedly chattering to actor Victor Mature.

As the Queen shook hands with the stars, Reginald Bromhead discreetly glanced at his notes to make sure he named each celebrity correctly. And then it was Marilyn’s turn.

As the Queen gave her a brief look up and down, the actress took Her Majesty’s hand and then descended into a well-practiced curtsy. The two then chatted for several minutes, and covered subjects including being neighbours in the Queen’s beloved Windsor. “We love it,” Marilyn said. “As we have a permit my husband and I go for bicycle rides in the Great Park.”Marilyn Monroe with Laurence Olivier at London’s Savoy Hotel in 1956.

The Queen finally moved on, and then Marilyn repeated the process with Princess Margaret, who was wearing a rose-and-gold brocade gown. The women chatted about cycling, life in England and the making of The Prince and the Showgirl

“It’s going on very well,” Marilyn told the Princess. “And it will be with regret that we have to leave in about a fortnight’s time.”

Princess Margaret then greeted actor Anthony Quayle, but this was not the last of her conversation with Marilyn. Hearing them talk about A View from the Bridge, the actress interrupted the conversation and asked the royal to go and see the play. “The Princess laughed and said she might,” Marilyn said afterwards and, sure enough, Princess Margaret did attend a performance a short time later. Monroe and Miller leaving the Comedy Theatre after a London performance of his play A View From The Bridge

Once she had made her way up the line, the Queen was greeted by six-year-old Nicholas Douglas Morris, who presented her with flowers and gave a little bow. Only when Her Majesty had spoken to every person in the line was it time to take her seat with the audience and celebrities in the theatre. The lights dimmed, a cartoon production called The History of the Cinema was shown and then it was time for the main feature, The Battle of the River Plate. In addition to watching the film, the attending celebrities were required to line up onstage and take a bow, one by one. As before, Victor Mature stood on one side of Marilyn, and Anthony Quayle on the other. However, because the actress had not been to the rehearsals, she had no idea what she should do next, and as the group stood behind the closed curtain, waiting for their names to be called, Marilyn panicked. In his 1990 autobiography, Quayle wrote that the actress asked him over and over what she should do when her name was called, but despite explaining several times, Marilyn was too anxious to remember.

As the line shuffled forward, she turned to actor Victor Mature, and asked him what she should do. “Fall on your ass baby,” he replied, and then slipped through the curtain. Marilyn was introduced several seconds later and, despite her nerves, she stepped forward, turned right, then left, and the crowd went crazy.

As Marilyn exited the theatre, she was buzzing with excitement. Before she could get into her waiting car, several reporters stepped forward and asked what she thought of the royal guests.

“The Queen is very warm-hearted,” Marilyn said. “She radiates sweetness. She asked how I liked living in Windsor, and I said, ‘What?!’ and she said that as I lived in Englefield Green, near to Windsor, we were neighbors. So, I told her that Arthur and I went on bicycle rides in the park.”

Another journalist asked if it was difficult to perfect her curtsy. “Not a bit,” Marilyn said, laughing, and then she demonstrated for him.

The previously nervous woman who had begged off the prior rehearsal was brimming with confidence as she slid into her car and headed back to Parkside. In contrast, outwardly confident actor Victor Mature said that he was so nervous he couldn’t remember a thing the Queen said to him; Brigitte Bardot admitted she was worried about her curtsy; and acidic Joan Crawford claimed that she had never been so scared in her life

The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Margaret were all in attendance, and Her Majesty took time to speak to Jane Russell. The actress revealed that she was going to make Gentlemen Marry Brunettes, based on a book by Anita Loos, the author of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. During the conversation, Princess Margaret told Jane Russell how much she enjoyed Blondes, while the Duke of Edinburgh jokingly wondered if brunette Russell was getting even with Marilyn, since the latter had been the blonde in the earlier film.

In 1961, an article appeared in People that gave a glimpse of the Queen’s thoughts on Marilyn, through the eyes of an unnamed “friend.” The article said that after the Royal Command Performance in 1956, the Queen became fascinated with Marilyn and watched every one of her films. She apparently told the friend, “I thought Miss Monroe was a very sweet person. But I felt sorry for her, because she was so nervous that she had licked all her lipstick off.” Footage of the event seems to back this up, since Marilyn can be seen licking her lips as she waited for the royal guests to reach her.

It is with the greatest sadness that I have to write here about the death today of The Queen – she died at her beloved Balmoral earlier this afternoon bringing an end to a 70 year reign of duty and service to her country and the Commonwealth – even to the World

She was probably the most famous person in the whole world.

I have vivid memories of the death of her Father King George V1 in February 1952 because as a child, my father and brothers and sister and I had, only days before this, lost our own mother – an event that defined our lives and devastated our family – and probably still does to this day.

We had only just got a Television and there was, then only one channel BBC, and this closed down for a few days and sombre music was played as seemed fitting.

As readers of this Blog will know one of my own favourite films is ‘The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men’ released only days after these events – and I wonder if this is why I remember it so well and the events of the time. As Princess Elizabeth, she actually visited Denham Film Studios to spend a day watching this film being made and stood quietly at the side of one of those huge sound stages while filming was done. She also was taken on a tour of some of the outside sets, by Walt Disney in the summer of 1951

Sadly I don’t have any pictures of this – but I have always thought that, with The Queen’s excellent memory, if I had been lucky enough to talk to her she would have been able to tell me much about Denham Studios and this film,

She did though before this, visit Ealing Studios with her sister Princess Margaret and we do have photographs of that

I have always imagined that the Queen would be a big film fan and here she – when she was still Princess Elizabeth – is visiting the Studios – in this case Ealing Studios – to see something of the making of ‘Nicholas Nickleby’ which was released here in early April of 1947 – so it would be fair to say that this picture was taken during the summer of 1946 – not long after the War.

I honestly could never imagine having to write this article – Her Majesty seemed such a constant in our lives – we felt we all knew her – and she was someone who commanded the ultimate respect from everyone from the World over.

I have included some Photographs below which I hope show her at her best – with her husband and family.

The Queen just loved her long summer holidays up at Balmoral where it is said that she was at her happiest

I certainly remember this as a child – the title seemed so exciting but why I just don’t know. A recent viewing confirmed that is was in fact a quite action packed Western and was pretty good I have to say.

It came from Monogram Pictures noted for their low budget films, serials and supporting pictures with quite a lot of Westerns

The Colour used was Cinecolor which later became Super Cinecolor and that was much better. The Cinecolor here was dull and lifeless but I got used to it

The picture is set in 1870’s Montana where former Confederate officer turned civilian scout for the US Cavalry ,Kirby Frye (Rod Cameron) is sent to find out who has stolen a consignment of Gatling Guns with the aim of using them on robberies and also selling them to the Cheyenne and Sioux who are readying for battle.

The villain is a local freight hauler Martin Gavin (James Millican ) .Frye is helped in his task by Lieutenant Spalding (Jim Davis) and he also finds time to romance the lovely local business woman Claire (Audrey Long)

Also an early role for James Arness in a rare bad guy role .

ABOVE – The Gatling Gun which would have wreaked havoc in the wrong hands which it nearly was

Indians return fire – just before they get the Gatling Gun into action

BELOW – The Gatling Gun opens up

ABOVE – The Gatling Gun in action

ABOVE The end chase

ABOVE Rod Cameron and Audrey Long

Rod Cameron is an actor who I always associate with Westerns and it seems most people see him the same way – but in fact when he came to Hollywood and got into acting – first as a stunt man and then as an actor – like Jack Mahoney did also – he was cast in a Western and as he said he had never ridden a horse before, but as he says, after he got on one, he was never able to get off.

He was Canadian

One bit of gossipy news about him – it seems that in 1960 he divorced his wife and married her Mother. Probably because of this, Film Director William Witney described him as the bravest man he ever knew

Audrey Long didn’t have that long a career although she seemed to be in a lot of Westerns – her second marriage was to Leslie Charteris who was the author of ‘The Saint’ stories. They remained married for 40 years right up until Leslie Charteris died – he died in Windsor England so maybe they lived there.

The above is a Studio Set Publicity Still – we see many like this and I always think how good they look

Hedy Lamarr, often proclaimed “the most beautiful woman in the world.” The 26-yr-old Hedy Lamarr was doing well in Hollywood when, in September 1940, Nazi U-boats hunted down and sank a cruise ship trying to evacuate 90 British schoolchildren to Canada.

Seventy Seven of them drowned in the North Atlantic. Hedy Lamarr was a Jewish immigrant from Nazi-occupied Austria, and had made America her home since 1938 – she was absolutely outraged at this shocking act. She fought back by applying her engineering skills to development of a sonar sub-locator used in the Atlantic for the benefit of the Allies.The principles of her work are now incorporated into modern Wi-Fi, CDMA and Bluetooth technology, and this work led to her to be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014

Later of course, she would became very famous following her portrayal of Delilah alongside Victor Mature in the 1949 film ‘Samson and Delilah’

These two really added sparkle’ to the film – they were outstanding in their roles

The last article had the very beautiful Hedy Lamarr – the film ‘High Society’ has the equally lovely Grace Kelly

MGM were able to secure the talents of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, Celeste Holm, and Louis Armstrong for this great musical adaption of The Philadelphia Story.

Grace Kelly

I am tempted to say to Frank Sinatra – ‘you’ve got no chance’

Frank Sinatra got a couple of good ballads in You’re Sensational and Mind If I Make Love to You, but what he’s best remembered for is that classic ‘Well Did You Ever’ duet with Bing Crosby

Cole Porter contributed a great original score for this film with songs written to suit the talents of High Society’s stars

For this film, the story is reset from Philadelphia to Newport, Rhode Island to bring in the famous Jazz Festival.

Mr. Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong – as he is billed – opens up the proceedings whilst travelling on a bus – with the title song ‘High Society

Grace Kelly got her big chance here

‘Copper Canyon’ is a Western I saw for the first time this evening and thoroughly enjoyed it – From Paramount and in Technicolor and with a pretty good budget I would say from the looks of it.

Ray Milland looked good and very young and Hedy Lamarr was very beautiful – and she is a good acor – in fact they both are.

ABOVE – Ray Milland deals with a sticky situation

Ray Milland gives an excellent performance to lift this above most of the Westerns of the period.

He often boosted films with his style and occasional moments of intensity. – just think of “Dial M for Murder,” “The Man with X-ray eyes,” and earlier ‘The Lost Weekend’

In this film his character, Johnny Carter, is a gentle, humorous, trick shooter and vaudeville performer who dislikes violence.

Hedy Lamarr – this was two years after her own big film “Samson and Delilah,” She brings only a little of Delilah’s sexiness to her role but she certainly looks good and when on camera dominates the screen

Macdonald Carey is a sheriff who abuses his power and gives law and order a bad name.

The Technicolor is wonderful as always and the film is pretty fast moving, with enough action sequences to hold our attention.

ABOVE – a Studio set but very good

ABOVE – Hedy Lamarr – She is just perfect for Technicolor. It is reported that she was paid 108,000 US Dollars for this film – slightly more than she got for Samson and Delilah – mind you it was obviously the huge success at the Box Office of ‘Samson and Delilah’ that enabled her to command such a fee for this one

Action sequences from the film

Action sequences from the film

COPPER CANYON is an entertaining Western shot in glorious Technicolor. It has a polished and very good cast, a few unusual plot twists, and some gorgeous Sedona Arizona  locations, all of which combine to make it really enjoyable.

Ray Milland stars as a vaudeville sharpshooter who may or may not be a former Confederate colonel who escaped with $20,000 from a Union safe. Although he never directly admits his true identity, he comes to the aid of a group of ex-Rebel copper miners who are being robbed and prevented from making a new life for themselves in the west. Ray Milland is excellent as the calm, smooth-talking man of mystery who dazzles with guns but would prefer a peaceful life.

Beautiful Hedy Lamarr plays a lady gambler who seems to be in league with the crooks but who is falling in love with Ray Milland. Although not much is explained about Hedy Lamarr’s character she certainly is lovely in Technicolor.

The film makes great use of colour and is visually beautiful, with excellent filming locations

I don’t know this one at all and can’t recall it being at the Cinema even but maybe that is because it had a running time of around 53 minutes, so definitely a supporting film.

I have managed to cobble together details of the film from other sources

Directed by Fred F. Sears

Charles Starrett starred in The Durango Kid, in 1940. Columbia didn’t get around to The Return Of The Durango Kid until 1945. By the time the series was shut down in 1952, Columbia had released 65 Durango Kid films — at which point Charles Starrett retired from films.

The Hawk Of Wild River (1952) has a terrific cast with Jack Mahoney and Clayton Moore . Of course, Jack Mahoney had been part of the series for quite a while, stuntman for Charles Starrett.

After being replaced by John Hart for the third season of The Lone Ranger, Clayton Moore went back to work in a lot of Westerns.

In The Hawk Of Wild River, he is The Hawk, a half-breed bandit who’s as proficient with a bow and arrow as he is with a six-gun – almost seems like another Tonto which would have been or appeared bizarre.

US Marshal Steve Martin (Charles Starrett) is sent to the town of Wild River to stop a run of stagecoach robberies by The Hawk and his gang. The Hawk has been killing off Wild River’s sheriffs.

When Steve hits town, the acting sheriff is Jack Mahoney (Jock Mahoney). The Durango Kid captures The Hawk and once he’s in jail, Martin gets himself arrested and thrown into The Hawk’s cell, never revealing that he’s a law man. They escape and Martin joins The Hawk’s gang — and eventually they bring the outlaws to justice.

Smiley Burnette is hypnotised and convinced he’s an Indian chief. ABOVE

Running just 53 minutes, The Hawk Of Wild River is really one for the children. The usual things are in place: Smiley Burnett in the usual comedy role, and lots of riding, fighting and shooting. Director Fred F. Sears keeps the action moving at a quick pace.

Fred F. Sears started out working as a character actor before eventually climbed into the director’s chair. From there, he became a fixture in Sam Katzman’s unit at Columbia until he died in his office on the lot in 1957

This film must have been made around the time that Jack Mahoney was starring in the well known TV series ‘The Range Rider’ – in fact looking this up it seems he was doing that series at this time – he must have been busy then but I suppose as a working film actor you had to take the opportunities that came along while your popularity was high

This appeared on a Double Bill with ‘The Mole People’ featured on here before but I personally did not know about ‘Curuca Beast of the Amazon’ which means that I must get a DVD Copy and watch it.

John Bromfield and Beverly Garland travel up the Amazon to kill the title character, a large parrot like creature.

The best thing about the film is that it was shot in the Amazon, which means we get all sorts of shots with various animals ranging from pythons to huge spiders.

Filmed on location in Eastman Color, Beverly Garland plays a doctor in Brazil who learns that if the local headhunters in Amazon territory can shrink heads then maybe the formula can be used to shrink cancer cells in humans.

She is accompanied by plantation owner John Bromfield who is tracking down a legendary monster that is killing and terrorising the natives in the region.

Tribal dancing, anaconda, spiders, piranha, cayman, a jaguar, a water buffalo stampede, snake charmer, scary natives and more punctuate the adventure, and, as such, is still exciting and interesting.

The spectacular Iguazú Falls (a stand-in for the fictional “Curucu Falls” in the film) is the backdrop for a sequence, featuring stunt doubles for the stars.

This film was made in Eastman Colour – very good but over time the colours fade and this trailer looks very much like that has happened.

Technicolor Films on the other hand, have a beautiful colour that looks as fresh today as it did when the film was made.

I marvel at films like ‘The Prisoner of Zenda’ 1952, ‘Treasure Island’ 1950 and ‘The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men’ 1952 also ‘King Solomon’s Mines’ 1950 – for the beautiful Technicolor which in my view has never been equalled.

Technicolor in some hands might have been seen as a gimmick. In others, it was an art.

However all in all, it was a spectacle.

ABOVE another picture of the large Technicolor Camera being used

THE STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY released in December 1959 – on it’s original Cinema release, the supporting film was ‘Kill Her Gently’

It is years since I last saw this film but remember how good it was at the time – particularly for the ‘cobra’ scene

The Stranglers Of Bombay takes place in the early part of the 18th century when India was in British hands

Stranglers of Bombay is quite accurate in describing the religious cult of Kali and the actions of the thugs however by using modern methods of the time, the British succeeded in wiping out the cult, which had originated as far back as the 6th Century

The film has a good script script and direction and is exciting and well-paced.

Also Hammer had, in this film, some really good sets which certainly made you feel that you actually were in India – I also remember in ‘The Abominable Snowman’ with Peter Cushing filmed again in very wide screen, that the sets there were large and impressive – so they had a good Art Directors and Set Designers and the room to build those sets.

‘Stranglers, The Mummy all came out around the same time but The Abominable Snowman was a little earlier- all Three from Hammer

ABOVE – George Pastell in a similar role to the one he had in the same year for Hammer – and a more famous one – ‘The Mummy‘

In ‘The Stranglers of Bombay’ he played the High Priest of Kali and in ‘The Mummy’ released a couple of months before he played ‘Mehemet Bey’ – whose responsibility it was to direct the Mummy to find and kill those who had robbed from the ancient tombs

ABOVE – I remember this scene being particularly well promoted on the film’s release – Death by Cobra- as a victim is staked out for the snake to bite and kill. How dare they do this we would speculate and in one of the film magazines it said that a glass screen divided the cobra from the poor frightened prisoner

Guy Rolfe is excellent as a Captain in the British Army who has spent twenty years in India and is rather steeped in the 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 Allan Cuthbertson, newly arrived in India for the job – and clearly not up to it

The film’s release in the USA was through Columbia Pictures

A new slant that I have only just noticed – filmed in ‘Strangloscope’ ABOVE