SONG OF INDIA

(director: Albert S. Rogell; screenwriters: Art Arthur/Kenneth Perkins/based on a story by Jerome Odlum; cinematographer: Henry Freulich; editor: Charles Nelson; music: Alexander Laszlo; cast: Sabu (Ramdar), Gail Russell (Princess Tara), Turhan Bey (Gopal), Anthony Caruso (Major Doraj), Aminta Dyne (Aunt Shayla), Fritz Leiber (Nanaram), Trevor Bardette (Rewa), Robert H. Barrat (Maharajah of Ramjat); Runtime: 77; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Albert S. Rogell; Columbia; 1949-B/W)

“An uninspiring Sabu jungle film.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

An uninspiring Sabu jungle film. It’s directed by the veteran B-film director Albert S. Rogell (“In Old Oklahoma”/”Heaven Only Knows”), who follows the script by Art Arthur and Kenneth Perkins in messaging it as an anti-zoo film. It’s based on a story by Jerome Odlum. Ramdar (Sabu) is the prince of the Combi forbidden jungle in India, who lives in harmony with the animals. Things are upset when a hunting party led by the arrogant Prince Gopal (Turhan Bey) and his beautiful fiancee Princess Tara (Gail Russell) trespass on Sabu’s turf and disobey the tribal laws of not killing or trapping the animals. The jungle villagers believe for every animal harmed, so shall a villager be harmed. Meanwhile the hunting party proceeds, as they bag a tiger, panther, monkeys and scores of exotic animals to stock a modern zoo in their hometown province in India. The whimsical adventure film features a knife fight between the baddie Bey and the goodie Sabu. It results in the princess changing sides to a nature lover and marrying the kind Sabu to presumably live happily ever after in the forbidden jungle. The Columbia studios on the backlot were decorated to look like the jungle.

REVIEWED ON 6/4/2017 GRADE: C+    https://dennisschwartzreviews.com/