North West Frontier – 1959 | 130 mins | Drama | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Thoroughly enjoyable historical adventure yarn set in colonial India, directed with great tempo and suspense by J Lee Thompson.

1905, British officer Scott (Kenneth More) comes to the aid of six-year-old Hindu Prince Kishnan (Govind Raja Ross) and his governess Catherine (Lauren Bacall) whose lives are threatened by an uprising of rebel Moslem tribesmen attacking a British fortress. Captain Scott commandeers an old steam locomotive, the Empress of India, engineered by the sincere Gupta (I.S. Johar) they embark on a perilous 300-mile journey across enemy territory to the safety of Kalapur. Also along for the perilous ride are gentlemanly English diplomat Bridie (Wilfrid Hyde-White), cynical journalist Van Layden (Herbert Lom) and arms dealer Peters (Eugene Deckers), as they journey through a massacre, repair broken rails, traverse rickety bridges and evade marauding tribesmen. A sinister moment when the young prince is encouraged to dangerously play with a spinning flywheel gives forewarning of a traitor in their midst who might prove their biggest danger.