Storm Over Bengal

Storm Over Bengal
Storm Over Bengal
	Film poster
Directed by	Sidney Salkow
Written by	Garrett Fort
Produced by	Armand Schaefer
Starring	Patric Knowles; Richard Cromwell; Rochelle Hudson
Cinematography	Ernest Miller
Edited by	William Morgan; Murray Seldeen
Music by	Cy Feuer
Production; company	Republic Pictures
Distributed by	Republic Pictures
Release date	November 14, 1938;
Running time	65 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Storm Over Bengal is a 1938 American adventure film that was nominated at the 11th Academy Awards for Best Score, the nomination was for Cy Feuer.^[1] Set during the British Raj, the film's working title was Bengal Lancer Patrol.^[2] The film was shot in Owens Valley, California. The film stars Patric Knowles in his first film after leaving Warner Bros. as well as Richard Cromwell and Douglass Dumbrille who played similar roles in Lives of a Bengal Lancer.

In the film, the throne of the princely state of Lhanapur is usurped by an Indian revolutionary. He tries to gain support for his planned revolt through radio broadcasts, while officers of the Royal Air Force try to undermine his plans.

Plot

Two Royal Air Force officers, Flt Lt Hallett and F/O Neil Allison visit a British outpost in India. Neil is the younger brother of Army Intelligence Officer Captain Jeffrey Allison who is away on an undercover mission in the unaligned and independent princely state of Lhanapur. The British are worried about radio broadcasts from Ramin Khan inciting the Indian people to revolt. Upon the death of the elderly Maharajah of Lhanapur, Ramin Khan schemes to usurp the throne as a base for his revolt.

Disguised as an Indian holy man, Jeffrey gathers intelligence on Ramin Khan's insurgents whilst the British send a diplomatic mission to Lhanapur who are ambushed and killed. The young Neil is himself in love with Jeffrey's fiancée Joan Lattimore and is jealous of his brother. Upon his return from Lhanapur, Jeffrey postpones his wedding so Joan can flee to safety. With the death of the diplomatic party, Jeffrey is flown to Lhanapur by Hallett in his aircraft to meet with the Maharajah. Ramin Khan captures Jeffrey and mortally wounds Hallett who flies back to inform the British of Ramin Khan's activity. Ramin Khan is delighted as he plans to ambush the British field force in a ravine near the caves of Kali.