Sabaka, O Demônio de Fogo

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.

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.

I only watched this film due to Boris Karloff's presence; however, I don't know why he even bothered as his supporting role here gives him precious little to do! Still, this juvenile Indian adventure is harmless enough - and mercifully short. Despite being filmed on location, it's pretty obvious that most of its jungle sequences featuring wild animals are actually stock footage! I have to say, though, that for a kiddie film it's unusually mean-spirited: animals and human beings alike get burned alive, while Victor Jory as one of the members of a fire-worshipping cult is cruelly dispatched by his high priestess (played by June Foray, more familiar to film and TV buffs as a voice artist in animation, and the only one who manages to enter into the spirit of the thing) by leading him straight into the grip of a deadly cobra! By the way, the lead character is named Gunga Ram (I wonder how they ever came up with that one?)!!

This is an incredibly bad yet fascinating Technicolor adventure from United Artists and writer-producer-director Frank Ferrin in which Indian teenager Gunga Ram (Nino Marcel) works as an elephant handler for the kindly Maharajah of Bakore (Lou Krugman). When Gunga's sister is killed by member of a nefarious cult that worships the fire demon Sabaka, the young man sets out to find the cult's High Priestess (June Foray) and bring her to justice.

Amateurishly acted and filmed with all of the finesse of someone who has never seen a movie before let alone made one, this turkey is filled with unintentional humor and terrible dialogue. It would be easy to write this off as bottom of the barrel, yet there is quite a bit of nice location filming, with an authentic parade featuring ornate decorations, and elaborate temples.

There is also the once-in-a-lifetime cast of Karloff as an Indian general, Denny as a doddering old colonial governor, future TV reporter and lover of Fidel Castro Linda Howard as Gunga Ram's ill-fated sister, and June Foray, voice of Rocky the Flying Squirrel among others, in one of her few live-action movie acting roles. Be forewarned: there are some disturbing animal scenes, including what appears to be an Indian local killing a real leopard, and a tiger let loose on a live and bound water buffalo.

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."