Thunder in the East (1951) (NTSC)

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General		Extras
Category	Action Adventure	Theatrical Trailer
Rating
Year Of Production	1951
Running Time	96:54
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Charles Vidor
Studio Distributor	ViaVision	Starring	Alan Ladd Deborah Kerr Charles Boyer Corinne Calvet John Williams Cecil Kellaway Philip Bourneuf
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	Hugo Friedhofer

     1947; India has gained independence, but with British soldiers withdrawn there is no one to defend small isolated states in the Himalayas and their British expat residents from rebel tribesmen in the hills. Steve Gibbs (Alan Ladd), an American freelance gunrunner, flies a cargo of automatic weapons into Ghandahar; the state is threatened by tribesmen led by Nawab Khan (Philip Bourneuf) and Gibbs is confident that the Maharaja of Ghandahar will buy the weapons. However, the real power in Ghandahar is Prime Minister Ram Singh (Charles Boyer); he believes in the non-violent methods of Ghandi and intends to reach a negotiated settlement with Nawab Khan so not only does he refuse to buy Steve’s cargo, he impounds the lot so that they cannot be sold to anyone else.

     While waiting in the hotel to try to get Singh to change his mind Steve has a close encounter with the beautiful and seductive Lizette (Corrine Calvet), who is looking for an urgent ride out of the state. He also meets some of the British ex-pat community including retired General Harrison (John Williams) and the Reverend Willoughby (Cecil Kellaway) and his granddaughter Joan (Deborah Kerr), who has lost her sight. With the tribesmen cutting off all access to the city, Steve’s plane offers on escape route although Steve, as a man of business principles, is determined to recoup the cost of his impounded cargo. Steve’s principles, however, are compromised when he and Joan start to fall in love. When his plane is destroyed all the ex-pats take refuge in the Maharaja’s palace. Nawab Khan’s men prepare to attack the palace; can the foreigners hold out until either help arrives or Ram Singh reassesses his non-violent principles.

     Thunder in the East was directed by Charles Vidor based on a novel by Alan Moorehead. It is a yarn of adventure, rebel tribesmen, loyalty and betrayal and an assault on the Palace compound mixed with tender love story. But, rather surprisingly in an action film of any vintage, much less the early 1950s, Thunder in the East considers deeper themes of ideology and principles, especially the theme of non-violence. Alan Ladd, whose career spanned three decades and 100 credits, in a role that delivers more depth than the usual tough guy image provides good looks, charisma and charm as a man who is forced to question his principles in the name of love. The rest of the main cast are more problematical. Deborah Kerr had starred in some big budget Oscar nominated films including Black Narcissus (1947) and, in the year prior to Thunder in the East, Quo Vadis (1951) while going on to earn Oscar nominations for her performances in From Here to Eternity (1953), where her famous roll in the surf with Burt Lancaster is a poster for the ages, The King and I (1956) and, visiting Australia, The Sundowners (1960). To find her in this relatively minor picture is a bit of a surprise but she is acceptable as the prim and proper blind granddaughter of a clergyman although she is not totally convincing as the love interest for Ladd. And then there is Frenchman Charles Boyer in dark make-up as the Indian Ram Singh with a pronounced French accent! Boyer does his best in what is probably the most interestingly written role in the film, a non-violent man in violent times, but it is hard to forget he is Charles Boyer; I guess in 1951 Hollywood a Frenchman was exotic enough to be an Indian, something which would not be contemplated today. The last of the four top billed actors is Frenchwoman Corinne Calvet; she is cast as a Frenchwoman so her accent is fine but she has very little to do. As a side note, Thunder in the East was the film debt (uncredited) of Jill St John, Bond girl in Diamonds are Forever (1971).

     Thunder in the East is an enjoyable adventure with more thoughtfulness in its themes than is usual in ripping yarns. The Palace and bazaar sets look exotic, although constructed in Hollywood of course, the build up to the climax is tense and the action is well staged although the plane crash is very obviously a model; but this was 1951 so it works fine.

Video

     Thunder in the East is presented in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio, in NTSC and is not16x9 enhanced.

     This is a decent black and white print for a film of this vintage. The original cinematographer was John F. Seitz, who in his career received seven Oscar nominations including for The Lost Weekend (1945) and the magnificent Sunset Blvd. (1951) as well as filming Alan Ladd’s Calcutta (1947) but after two weeks he was replaced by Lee Garmes. The wide establishing shots of the aircraft over the mountains and flying into the landing strip in the hills are softish but close-ups and sets, including the very detailed Palace set and the “Indian” streets, show good detail. Blacks are solid enough, grey scales good and shadow detail acceptable. There were small speckles on the print, a scratch or two plus reel change markings, but nothing serious. Pleasing grain is evident.

     The layer change at 48:44 created a pause at a scene change.

     No subtitles are provided.

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Audio

     The audio is English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono at 384 Kbps.

     Dialogue is clear. The effects are good for a mono audio; the sound of the aircraft and jeep engines, crowd voices in the bazaar, gunfire and the aircraft explosion. The score by eight times Oscar nominated Hugo Friedhofer, winner for The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), is “oriental” sounding and mostly effective.

     There was occasional slight crackle in scenes without effects or music.

     The lip synchronisation was fine.

Audio Ratings Summary

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Theatrical Trailer (2:19)

     The menu is silent and offers “Play Feature” and “Theatrical Trailer”.

     I can find references to only Spanish and Italian released standalone DVD of Thunder in the East. In Australia Thunder in the East is released as part of the 5 disc / 5 film The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One, a collection which does not seem to have been released elsewhere. See the summary section below for details.

     If you can get past the problematical casting, Thunder in the East is an entertaining yarn of adventure, rebel tribesmen, loyalty and betrayal, an attack on the Palace and a tender love story. The questions around non-violence (given that India had obtained independence through non-violence only 4 years before the film was made) are interesting and, until the climax rather turns things on its head, well canvassed. As far as I can tell Thunder in the East has never been released on home video in Australia so this is an opportunity for fans of Alan Ladd, Deborah Kerr, or anyone interested in early 1950’s cinema, to watch it.

     The video and audio are fine, a trailer is the only extra.

     Thunder in the East is included in the 5 disc / 5 film set The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One of films made by Ladd between 1946 and 1961. There is nothing included here that would be up there with his most memorable roles, but it is an interesting collection for fans nonetheless. Four of these films date from between 1946 and 1951, a period when Ladd was at the height of his popularity as a leading man: Two Years Before the Mast (1946), Calcutta (1947), Red Mountain (1951) and Thunder in the East; the other, 13 West Street, from 1961, is the second last film Ladd made before his death.

     The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One was supplied for review by Via Vision Entertainment. Check out their Facebook page for the latest releases, giveaways, deals and more.

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