FilmIndia (May-Dec 1938)

KORDA'S "DRUM" AND INDIAN SABU Russell Ferguson rot only beats "The Drum " — he kicks a hole right through the middle Much the most interesting thing about the North-West Frontier of India is the persistence of the traditions of the Pathans on the one hand and of the British administration on the other. A study of the relevent literature, drama and film reveals that in all their dealings with each other, the natives and the British punctiliously observe a pattern of behaviour which practically never varies in detail, and certainly never in essentials. Korda's new film, "The Drum", is a valuable document, in that it sets out authoritatively all the principles involved. Since the pathans are a warlike people who live, so to speak, by killing each other, and the British are there to keep them in order, most of the business transacted— in fact all of it — is in the form of revolts, and since each side always behaves in the same way, all the revolts are exactly the same. The opening gambit always rests with the native side. There are no instances of British troops starting a native revolt. The practice is for one chief to murder another, usurp his throne and prepare to start a revolution "along the entire frontier". All these affairs take place "along the entire frontier". The main tradition ot the actual murder is that the usurper invariably allows someone to escape from the victim's household, in order to bring word to the British. This lets the British troops know (that they have an away fixture. The formality is always observed, but always unnecessary for the Governor at Peshawar Invariably knows all about the impending revolt beforehand. The reason tor this is, that all British Officers, above the rank of a second lieutenant dress up, as part of their regular duty, in native clothes, dye their beards, and fetch informa tion about machine-gun emplacements and revolts, "along the entire frontier". But now we come to one of the strongest of British traditions, which is, to rely on character. The reply to the native threat always takes the form of a ball at the Residency at Peshawar, This ball at the Residency, it may be noted, in a historical aside, Is in very old tradition. It is pro We mourn the premature death of Mr. B. S. Hoogan, the well known music director who died at Ferozpur at the age of 37 years. In "Afzal", "Mazdur" and "Dharma Veer" Mr. Hoogan proved to the world his extraordinary musical talents. bably directly descended from the game of bowls on Plymouth Hoe, and has come down the centuries, via the dance before Waterloo (there was a sound of revelry by night) and the ball before Balaclava in "The Charge of the Light Brigade". Anyway, whatever the historical origin, it is now an es sential part of the social life of the military stationed In the East. Native unrest — ball, native unrest — ball, one follows the other in inexorable rhythm. The function has, however, a further traditional purpose, for it Is at this ball that the Governor's daughter gets engaged. In view of the native unrest, It Is clear that someone will soon be required to be the only white woman in the hills, so the Governor makes haste to get his daughter married to a suitable officer, whom he will shortly put in charge of the revolt. The officer's name need not, of course, be Carruthers, but so many men of that name have put down revolts that if there is a Carruthers about he is the automatic choice. The formula of betrothal varies but little. He says, "Could you give your life to the frontier, with me thrown in?" and she replies, "No, darling, but I could give my life to you with the frontier thrown in." By and by, the bridegroom is taken aside, appointed to a new Residency established at the danger spot in the hills. This is not done in any precipitate manner, but after an adequate lapse of time, in order to ensure that the trouble will develop reasonably, so that when the troops go up they will be surrounded. What is the use of British troops unless they are surrounded? Everybody knows that they are not at their best unless they are hopelessly outnumbered. Anyway, the practice is for the Governor to take the young man aside and say: "I want you to go up there and keep your eye on things." This, being translated, means "I want you to go up there and get surrounded." 47