Grade: B
Synopsis: A Captain (Guy Rolfe) in the British East India Company investigates a murderous cult ambushing caravans.
The Stranglers of Bombay is an often-ignored gem in the Hammer library. Playing more like a serial adventure than a horror film, director Terence Fisher’s film covers some of the same ground as Gunga Din (1939), and likely inspired, at least somewhat, Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).
Featuring quite a large number of murders, including a whole caravan being strangled in their sleep, as well as eye gougings, and severed limbs, the film was pretty shocking by 1960’s standards, which undoubtedly played a factor in the movie’s being banned in several countries when it was released. That said, it would barely rate a PG-13 today.
While the black and white photography is a departure from Hammer’s previous Technicolor outings, it does a great job masking the English greenery, allowing it to pass for Colonial India, albeit barely. These kinds of decisions are typical for Fisher, whose film’s always seem to belie their low budgets.
Granted, The Stranglers of Bombay isn’t perfect. Lead Guy Rolfe is workable in a role that should have gone to Peter Cushing, and though Fisher does his best, the small budget does show through at times, especially in the lack of true desert shots.
But none of these flaws is fatal. Clocking in at a brisk 80 minutes, The Stranglers of Bombay is ultimately a competent horror-adventure that deserves mention among Hammer Film’s better efforts.
