Next up for reviewing from the Hammer volume 3 Blood and Terror boxset is The Stranglers of Bombay starring Guy Rolfe as a Captain in India. This one is directed by Terence Fisher whilst the music is provided by James Bernard, two Hammer legends I’m sure you will agree. So without further ado here’s my The Stranglers of Bombay (1959) blu-ray review.
- The Stranglers of Bombay (1959)
- Part of the Hammer Volume 3 Boxset
- Genre: Adventure / Horror
- Directed by Terence Fisher
- UK Rating 15
- Discs: 1
- Released By Powerhouse Films aka Indicator
- Blu-ray Released: 30 July 2018
Plot
The British East India Company seems unable to guarantee the safety of the merchant’s caravan. Furthermore many of the natives have simply disappeared. With the traders all insisting action must be taken to secure their trade routes Colonel Henderson decides to look into the matter. However it’s Captain Harry Lewis (Guy Rolfe) whom seems genuinely concerned for the lost natives prompting him to conduct his own investigation. Could there really be a cult of strangler’s operating in Bombay? And if so to what end?
Style / Direction
The film is directed by Terence Fisher with the cinematography handled by Arthur Grant. It’s a well shot and paced film that provides plenty of intrigue in the lead up into the final act. There are some good sets used to convey the feel of India which look good in black and white.
Music / Audio Effects
The music is provided by Hammer legend James Bernard and it still has that Hammer vibe right from the opening titles.
Acting / Characters
Guy Rolfe as Captain Harry Lewis is the lead and driving force of the film and it’s a role he plays rather well. The supporting cast all do decent jobs with their given roles. George Pastell as the High Priest of Kali cuts a rather disturbing figure which really builds up the tension and religious cult vibe nicely.
Watch out for Roger Delgado as Bundar on of the High Priest of Kali key advisor, you may know him better as The Master in Doctor Who back in the seventies.
Cast
- Guy Rolfe as Captain Harry Lewis
- George Pastell as High Priest of Kali
- Jan Holden as Mary Lewis
- Andrew Cruickshank as Colonel Henderson
- Roger Delgado as Bundar
- Marne Maitland as Patel Shari
- Paul Stassino as Lieutenant Silver
- Allan Cuthbertson as Captain Christopher Connaught-Smith
- Tutte Lemkow as Ram Das
Conclusion: The Stranglers of Bombay (1959) Film Review
The Stranglers of Bombay is another of the lesser known Hammer titles and another film I had yet to see prior to its Powerhouse Films Blu-ray release. Whilst not my absolute favourite from the Volume 3 boxset it is a rather good film with a decent story and acting. The film is well directed by Terence Fisher as he manages to keep the plot moving at s good pace, this one’s well worth a look.
If you like my Yesterday’s Enemy blu-ray review you may want to check out these films:
Conclusion: The Stranglers of Bombay Blu-ray Review
I seem to be suffering from deja vu as Powerhouse Films deliver yet another outstanding Blu-ray release with simply flawless audio and picture quality.
On the extras front there are two must see features “Ritual Murder: Inside The Stranglers of Bombay” that provides plenty of interesting information into the making of the film and how well it was received. The other feature is “The Stranglers of Bombay and the Censor” which does include a lot of things mentioned in the first documentary but expands on them a little more.
Also there are three version of the film included, UK Theatrical Version, the US Theatrical Version which has some different scenes and a Integral Version that incorporates all the footage from the two version. If you want to know more about the differences then watch About the Versions & The Stranglers of Bombay and the Censor feature which explains what cuts were made in each version. Personally I’m more than happy with the UK version but I have to applaud Powerhouse Films for including all of these versions, it’s the perfect Blu-ray release for all film fans.
Extras
- UK Theatrical Version
- US Theatrical Version
- Integral Version (Incorporating all footage)
- Ritual Murder: Inside The Stranglers of Bombay (17 mins)
- Hammer’s Women: Jan Holden (6 mins)
- The Stranglers of Bombay and the Censor (27 mins)
- About the Versions (7 mins)
- Musical Orientalism (17 mins)
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Image Gallery
- Reversible Sleeve
- 40 Page Booklet
Popcorn Cinema Rating:
The Stranglers of Bombay (1959)
MOVIE RATING: WELL WORTH WATCHING
BLU-RAY RATING: EXCELLENT
POPCORN CINEMA: RECOMMENDED
Purchase The Stranglers of Bombay (1959) On Blu-ray
The Stranglers of Bombay (1959) is available now on blu-ray as part of the Hammer Volume 3 boxset.
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The Stranglers of Bombay (1959) Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster…
Clip may not be representative of the blu-ray version
That concludes The Stranglers of Bombay blu-ray review, if you have any thoughts on this film you can leave them in the comment section below:
Summary: The Stranglers of Bombay (1960) Blu-ray Review
Movie title: The Stranglers of Bombay (1960)
Duration: 80 mins
Director(s): Terence Fisher
Actor(s): Guy Rolfe, Andrew Cruickshank, George Pastell, Roger Delgado, Jan Holden, Marne Maitland, Paul Stassino, Allan Cuthbertson,
Genre: Adventure, Horror
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Picture Rating
- Extras
Summary
A well made and well paced Adventure/Horror from Hammer’s Terence Fisher
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