North West Frontier

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

3.2K

YOUR RATING

Lauren Bacall and Kenneth More in North West Frontier (1959)

Set on the North West Frontier of colonial India in 1905. A British Army Officer, Captain Scott is sent to rescue a five year old Indian Prince and his American governess, Catherine Wyatt from certain death at the hands of rebel tribesman.

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Adventure Drama

Set on the North West Frontier of colonial India in 1905. A British Army Officer, Captain Scott is sent to rescue a five year old Indian Prince and his American governess, Catherine Wyatt fr... Read allSet on the North West Frontier of colonial India in 1905. A British Army Officer, Captain Scott is sent to rescue a five year old Indian Prince and his American governess, Catherine Wyatt from certain death at the hands of rebel tribesman.Set on the North West Frontier of colonial India in 1905. A British Army Officer, Captain Scott is sent to rescue a five year old Indian Prince and his American governess, Catherine Wyatt from certain death at the hands of rebel tribesman.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

3.2K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 3 BAFTA Awards
- 3 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 3:20

Trailer

Photos98

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
"DVD Talk" said of this film that it " . . . has a lot in common with John Ford's Stagecoach (1939) in that it's essentially a tale of a motley mix of Anglos confined in a train car, racing across an Indian plain trying to evade 'bloodthirsty savages'. It may be a blatant reworking of Stagecoach (1939), as the original story was co-written by John Ford (I)'s son Patrick Ford and Maureen O'Hara's husband Will Price. The final screenplay was adapted from a script by screenwriter Frank S. Nugent, the writer of 11 Ford films."

Goofs
Early steam engines without a water tender could only travel 10-15 miles between water stops. Incorrectly regarded as a goof: The Empress of India is a tank engine which has water tanks on both sides of the boiler. Tank engines do not require tenders.

Quotes
Catherine Wyatt: The British never seem to do anthing until they've had a cup of tea, By which time it's too late,

Crazy credits
The American release, entitled "Flame Over India", gives Lauren Bacall top billing. The British release, which is entitled "North West Frontier" and is the one on DVD, gives Kenneth More, a popular star in England, top billing.

Alternate versions
Also available in a "time compressed" 90 minute version (i.e., the action is slightly sped up so that the film can play in ninety minutes without being cut).

Connections
Featured in Talkies: Remembering Kenneth More: Part One (2019)

Soundtracks
The Eton Boating Song
(uncredited)
Music by Algernon Drummond and lyrics by William Johnson
Sung by Kenneth More and heard as a theme

User reviews70

Review

Featured review

A real ripping yarn!

Based on a story by Patrick Ford, the son of the legendary John, 'North West Frontier' clearly owes a debt to Ford seniors classic 'Stagecoach' as a mixed group of travellers set out on a perilous journey. In its own way, 'North West Frontier' matches that Hollywood classic in quality. After a stunning opening twenty minutes where barely a line of dialogue is spoken, the movie lives up to the old cliché of "offering a roller-coaster ride of excitement", something which is much promised but seldom delivered.

Kenneth More is one of my favourite actors and he is wonderful in this. Perhaps his character lacks the neurotic edge that the late Sir John Mills brought to the directors earlier movie 'Ice Cold In Alex' (a movie which shares plot elements with this one), but instead More brings an air of honest decency to the part. The evocatively named "Captain Scott" is no super-hero, but simply an honest man trying to do a difficult job.

Lauren Bacall also gives a fine performance, in a role which could easily have been the film's weakest link as a token Hollywood 'big name' for the American market. While the likes of Lom and Hyde White fill their roles with practised ease as I. S Gupta steals every scene he is in.

At over two hours it is a long movie, yet the 129 minutes seem to fly by and I was genuinely sad to bid farewell to the passengers and crew of the 'Empress of India', while the 'Eaton Boating Song' played in my head for day afterwards.