FilmIndia (May-Dec 1938)

FILM INDIA September 1938 So a small garrison of British troops moves into the Pathan city and awaits the next development. It is against the rules for the Pathan to murder the British at this stage. It has never happened, — if it did, it would be much the same as shooting the fox on sight. On practical grounds, as well as in principle, it is impossible for the preceding ritual takes several days, and no detail of it can be omitted. So the feast is fixed several days ahead (massacres always take place at a feast). Meantime, the Pathan chief has several things to do. A lot of spying and counter-spying is involved. Both sides know all that is necessary to proceed, because the chief himself on his side, spends most of his time giving broad hints of his intentions while the British command is trying all the time to send the only white woman back to Peshawar. The spying continues, however, for the look of the thing. In passing we may note that the spying could scarcely be dispensed with, in any case, because according to long established usage somebody has to be thrown into a dungeon with his tongue cut out. In several interviews the Pathan chief kisses the white woman's hand and calls her the most beautiful rose in the gardens of the East. When these and other preliminaries have taken place, it is time for feast, massacre and rescue. It is not unusual for the rescue to prevent the massacre, but if it does not, the main tradition to be observed is that no officers are to be killed, only common soldiers, are made to kill the British commanding officer (in Korda's specimen, a machine-gun trained upon him is fired continuously for several minutes) but never with serious consequences. At the end. the Pathan chief is killed, preferably by the man who had his tongue cut out, and peace reigns once more. Another page of British history has been written. All this, set out in Technicolour, makes a magnificent record of life in North West India, the same yesterday, to-day and to-morrow. There are those who say that our old traditions are decaying — so they may be elsewhere, but not on the Frontier. Mr. A. E. W. Mason, in introducing Sabu and Desmond Tester at the premiere of the film, said, "We have no idea of propaganda, but we hope you will see. in the friendship we have tried to portray between these young people, a symbol of the friendship which is so common between British people and the Pathans ef North West India,". This was well said for these people, though treacherous, are very loyal, and we must always remember that although at regular intervals we have to go up among them with machine guns and artillery and knock hell out of them, they are our friends. (Courtesy: World Film News). THE ONE Determined to give up palatial splendours to qain possession of a poor man's heart . . . THE OTHER Had alreadu forestalled her and acquired that cherished and coueted place ! And that was how two women came into the life of a man whose pouertu was all that belonged to him. * PARAMOUNT INDIAN LIBERTY PICTURE BANKE-SAVARIA VAGABOND LOVER ♦! Featuring: NAVINCHANDRA, VATSALA KVMTHEKAR, YASMIN, BOSE, ALL, BHIM, MIRAJKAR, MARUTIRAO, BHALERAO, POKHRAJ, ETC. Direction1. NANUUHAI VAKIL, B. A. L. U. B. <2roJs0\ Lamington Talkies ■BOMBAY; Now Under Production: • MIDNIGHT MAN * GOLDEN GANG For Booking and Territorial Rights: PARAMOUNT FILM Co. Parekh Street, Bombay-4. 48