Sabaka

I saw this film Sabaka many years ago when it was featured on Andy's Gang and on the black and white TV show I remember being impressed with, especially with Nino Marcel as Gunga Ram as a second incarnation of Sabu. Seeing it now in color it looks far more impressive with the location shooting in India. But I'm now some 60 years have passed and the story itself isn't anything to write home about.

There's a new cult of the Fire God Sabaka starting in Maharajah Lou Krugman's kingdom. It's headed by Victor Jory and June Forey and they seem like a Hindu version of Isis, basically a criminal enterprise wrapped up as religion.

Marcel takes a personal interest in it after his sister Lisa Howard is killed after she and the house she was in are set on fire. Fire is the favorite form of execution by these fire god cultists. Marcel has all kinds of problems trying to get the Maharajah's attention, especially with the kingdom's military commander Boris Karloff in the way.

Karloff in that role and Reginald Denny as the local viceroy are wasted in their parts. Both have little to do with the story, Denny next to nothing.

I'd see a Sabu film first in fact I'm curious why he wasn't cast. He was doing films over at Lippert Pictures, some of them worse than Sabaka.

"Sabaka" is not a great film by any standard, though, in a pinch, it's worth watching as a time-passer. I know this is faint praise, but it's just not a movie I can strongly endorse. The only reason I decided to watch the film is that Boris Karloff was in the film, though he was generally wasted.

The film is set in India and it was nice to see that the film crew actually went to this country to film it. HOWEVER, it was also a severe disappointment that none of the folks in the film were Indians! While Karloff looked rather Indian, most of the actors simply looked like Hollywood actors painted up to look like Indians--which they were. And, in addition to having Hollywood types in the roles, the film also suffered from 'travelogue-itis'--the horrible need to film lots of native scenes and place them into the film--often at the most inappropriate times. For example, during a scene where the jungle is on fire, there is a scene involving a leopard killing some helpless animal---why?!?! What does this have to do with a forest fire?! The story is about a cult started by a couple of scum-bags. They worship the false fire god Sabaka--who is evil and full of nastiness. So it's up to a nice young Sabu-wannabe to infiltrate the gang and bring them all to justice using his trusted jungle friends. None of it is all that interesting but at least it isn't all that dull. And at least it's in color--nice, pretty color. But the story is a bit uninspired and it's just a slightly below average time-passer.

SABAKA appears to be a feature version of the "Gunga" adventures that were featured on a children's show, hosted first by Ed McConnell and later by Andy Devine. I am only familiar with the Devine episodes, which were called ANDY'S GANG. Devine took over in 1955 after the death of McConnell, who had created the show for radio in the late 40s and brought it to TV.

The show is best remembered for its puppet characters, especially Froggy the Gremlin. But each episode began with the host cracking a fat book to read stories of the adventures of "Gunga, the East Indian Elephant Boy." A ten- or fifteen-minute filmed drama ensued, featuring a lot of Indian location footage.

Nino Marcel, Vito Scoti, and Lou Krugman appeared in the same roles listed for SABAKA. Closing credits for the ANDY'S GANG (which is available on EBay etc) list Frank Ferrin as producer.

1953's "Sabaka" was conceived as "Gunga Ram" before a title change to "The Hindu" to avoid being confused with the 1939 "Gunga Din," earning its final moniker on a very limited release after five months of location shooting in Mysore, India. The sole feature film from writer/director Frank Ferrin, expanding on his television collaboration with actor Nino Marcel from the series SMILIN' ED'S GANG, here starring as Gunga Ram, young mahout of Bakore, boasting a warm relationship with not only his elephant Tilah but also the Maharajah (Lou Krugman), in whose service his father had perished. It betrays its origins with a multitude of stock footage and barren sets behind its more distinguished performers, namely second billed Boris Karloff as General Pollegar (just over 7 1/2 minutes screen time), so disagreeable that one might believe him to be in league with the fire god worshippers of Sabaka, the high priestess (June Foray) holding villagers in the grip of fear by torching their homes and loved ones. This is how Gunga Ram stumbles upon them, his murdered sister leading him on the well worn path of vengeance despite doubts from the Maharajah and Pollegar's dismissals. Ferrin's focus on pageantry over suspense removes any tension that might have developed, the varied guest stars contributing little but name value. Victor Jory exits as soon as he arrives, Reginald Denny is also wasted, Vito Scotti a holdover from the small screen. Karloff never changes his tone in his few scenes, and after Sabaka is revealed as a fraud we see him merely wave a silent gesture, still seemingly unconvinced. He was so busy doing live television that his screen roles for the decade amounted to a meager total of just 9 features, its color photography marking it as only slightly less obscure than Italy's "The Island Monster."

Mahout Nino Marcel attempts to seek justice when the evil worshipers of a fire demon kill his sister's family. However, his methods cause the indulgent Maharajah Lou Krugman to discipline him.

It's a very peculiar production, with some fine footage from Mysore obviously and clumsily edited into the film, with some fine actors, including Boris Karloff, Reginald Denny, Victor Jory, June Foray (in a rare physical appearance), Jay Novello, and Vito Scotti offering performances ruined by their deliberately stilted dialogue, and a plot that looks like a bad 1930s-style Hollywood Poverty Row offering. Produced independently by writer-director Frank Ferrin (best known for writing and directing a couple of episodes of Andy's Gang, it has more of an air of desperation than good fun. It's not helped by the poor print I looked at.