Product Information
Clive of India (1935) Ronald Colman, Loretta Young
Director: Richard Boleslawski
Co-stars: Colin Clive, C. Aubrey Smith, Cesar Romero, Montagu Love, Mischa Auer
94 minutes, Black and White
DVD-R: Region ALL
An absorbing biopic, CLIVE OF INDIA chronicles the career of Robert Clive, England's man of destiny in an India which he felt was best ruled as a British colony. Colman is a sensitive but ambitious Clive, beginning as a clerk with the manipulative East India Company and becoming the courageous warrior, tirelessly campaigning to unite the vast country under the Union Jack. There are many stirring scenes such as the incredible monsoons, a battle between cavalry mounted on elephants draped with barbed armor (in a recreation of the battle of Plassey), and the infamous Black Hole of Calcutta where prisoners of cruel Indian warlords suffocated on poisonous gasses. (One of the victims, in a brief but moving part, is Don Ameche.) Young, as Colman's tolerant wife, is effective, but too briefly seen on camera. Auer, usually known for his comedic roles, is surprisingly chilly as the vicious native tyrant, and Romero counterpoints this ruthless portrait with a portrayal of an Indian leader sympathetic to Clive's purposes. All the great actors from Hollywood's then populous British colony are present and are pleasing to watch. Producer Zanuck personally bought this vehicle, a popular London play called "Clive," for his favorite star, Colman. So enthusiastic was the actor for the role that he shaved off his famous mustache to the dismay of his ardent female following. Colman spent months studying Clive's life, and his devotion to his subject shows in every frame. At the time, the actor was considered by female moviegoers to be the most handsome man in films. History, however, was considerably altered in the film. Colman is tried for treason in the House of Commons, but, instead of committing suicide as did the real Clive in 1757, he survives to be reunited with his wife, Young, in a happy ending that was mandatory for Depression audiences.
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