The Mystery of Thug Island (1964)

Hello. Let me take you for a walk through the strange mystery called the Thuggee cult that once dwelt in the jungles and byways of India. History is sketchy but we're here for the mythology and entertainment. At a young age I was drawn to the dangerous and exotic adventures told to me by the movies of the 30's, 40's and 50's. Monsters, zombies, jungles, castles in Transylvania, Martians, weird religions and more. One of my favorite movies was Stranglers of Bombay (1959). I'd ask my mom questions about the Thuggee cult to which she had no answers. At that young age there was no internet, no book on the Thuggee at my local library. In a few years though, I made myself accessible to wildly unusual people and books to satisfy my curiosity. Beware the Thuggee!

People that love the unusual

Hey! I haven't seen Mystery of Thug Island. I'll take a look at that. My first impression: oh, an Italian movie... this should be interesting. Guy Madison stars? Please excuse me, I watched Lost in Space when it first ran in the early 60's. I mistakenly was thinking Guy Williams. I was leading myself astray for a few minutes thinking he was playing a bad guy. That would be quite a jump to John Robinson.

Ivan Desny could pass for Guy Williams

I didn't do any research as to history, production or old reviews before writing my blogathon piece. Obviously maybe, but at least it's an honest and fresh view.

I don't know why the opening screen has the title in plain block print instead of the ornate type used in the rest of the credits. I'm guessing because it was in Italian or perhaps because the title was changed. In some instances, the movie is called Kidnapped to Mystery Island. I wish they wouldn't do that, if it's just because of language. Make people think a little.

Action. A group of men quietly approach a large and stately home. They easily make their way in and take a little girl who is sound asleep. Our first struggle ensues, but the Thugs escape with Ada. Through the jungle, they make their way into a secret doorway. Doorway? It's one of those contraptions where you lightly pull on a vine and a stone moves to allow entry. Common in certain movies of the day, I'd like to see how those would really work. Perhaps it's possible?

Ada is carried into the sacred temple. The color and visual aesthetics are well beyond that of The Stranglers of Bombay, but I take issue with the art direction of the statuary of the goddess Kali. Stranglers depicted her as fierce and frightening with protruding tongue, more true. But in Thug Island the goddess's face is serene and peaceful, Buddha-like. 

 

I also got quite a laugh out of the one head Kali was holding. Looked like Neil Young from his On the Beach time.

Souyadhana, played by Guy Madison, offers the life of the "chosen creature" to Kali. We jump ahead fifteen years to learn that Ada is still alive, but her sacrifice is that she is now the human embodiment of the goddess. In the meantime Ada's father, Captain McPherson played by Peter van Eyck, has been recalled to active duty into the British Army to lead a punitive expedition against the Thuggee. He resigned shortly after the kidnapping to go on a ruthless but futile search on his own. That brings up the question when this is supposed to take place? It's all rather ambiguous. They only travel by river boat and foot. Maybe someone who's a weapons expert could get a look at the rifles they're using. But (Ha!) I don't think they're going for accuracy, so I'll guess any time before independence in 1947.

"The ceremony is about to begin." - Jim Morrison

 

It is Ada's eighteenth birthday. Now she will fulfill her role as the vessel of Kali. The incarnation, The Sacred Virgin. Never to leave the grounds of the temple. In her name the Thuggees will fight and destroy her enemies. Death and damnation to men who set their impure eyes upon the Sacred Virgin! Of course, Ingeborg Schoner is serene and gentle in her portrayal of Kali, the goddess of destruction, death and rebirth. She is a virgin.

As a sidenote when I read "Death and damnation to men who set their impure eyes upon the Sacred Virgin!" it sounds a lot like 'Death to the fascist insect that preys upon the life of the people."

The goddess of death and destruction

The expedition is on its way. As Captain McPherson is served a brandy on deck, we learn that one of the native Indian soldiers also has vengeance on his mind. His father was strangled by the deranged cult. This ship wants blood!

Romance enters the story when the very skilled snake hunter Tremal Niak, played by Giacomo Rossi Stuart, decides that Snake Island sounds like a good place to enhance his livelihood. I really need to mention that this guy looks and sounds like Fernando Lamas with a little George Hamilton thrown in. I'm not sure if it's the person responsible for makeup or hairstyles, but whoever it was, they did an excellent job on the facial hair throughout.

Ada (I don't know why they didn't rename her when they kidnapped her, like Tania.) decides to wander further outside her set perimeter to breathe in the delights of the island. She orders her servant girl to stay behind. Tremal Naik happens upon her just as a snake slithers nearby. His aim with the spear was perfect and the Sacred Virgin was saved. It was love at first sight for both of them, but Ada was frightened by the confusion of all the strange thoughts running through her head. She takes off back to the temple. Her honor is intact.

The expedition of annihilation continues. Unfortunately for one soldier, those red uniforms really stand out among the green foliage. Fade back to the temple. Souyadhana is aware of the encroachment and informs Ada that perhaps there hasn't been enough sacrifice to the goddess. The Sacred Virgin asks, "Is it really necessary to shed more blood?" YES, MORE BLOOD! The dialogue and choppy acting really appealed to youngsters on the playground in the wayback. The more dramatic the scenario the better. One of my own favorite roles was that of a stern, yet just, slightly sadistic ruler.

A new sacrifice is at hand. Whenever Kali is summoned there's a reverberating sound effect, like a musical saw. Maybe they were going for spooky, but its song is wonderfully cornball.

Singing Saw (Ghost Music)

Back to the Snake Hunter's camp. Tremal Naik refuses to leave the island with his men. He must see the girl again and won't rest until he does. He is madly in love and must remedy the deep anguish in her eyes. With no fear of the Thuggee he begins his quest. They meet again. Ada is standing in the weeds looking longingly into the distance. "No. Do not touch me. I am not like the others." Snake Hunter vows to fight whoever gets in their way. Torn apart once again. A windy, sorrowful soundtrack playing lightly in the background. Behold the warm, exotic melancholy.

One of Snake Hunter's men is dead, strangled. Another captured for sacrifice. A rescue is underway, but not in time to keep torture from being used. "Tighter, tighter!" the cruel mastermind orders. The unfortunate victim tries to convince his captors that he has no knowledge of Captain McPherson. More fodder for the imagination of playground antics.

Ada is always living in a dreamworld. A world that she insists she has once lived in. Her words become more bold and profane. The servant girl, Gundali played by Guilia Rubini, offers wise advice about love. Back to the Snake Hunter. Apparently he's seen the vine trick before and finds his way into the temple. He must have a sixth sense about hidden things after tracking serpents for so long.

I am very happy that Tremal Naik and his crony both brought a gun with them. No one else was prepared for this kind of intrusion. There was mass pandemonium and the sacrifice was averted. This is the first of a few battle scenes. I had to laugh. The Thuggees just basically run and yell, while a couple cult members have swords to fight the two men. Looks like hundreds of warriors battling two snake hunters. Souyadhana orders "Get them, men. Get them alive." Such superb swashbuckling they don't even use clanging sound effects consistently. Ada guides the snake hunters to her room for a safe sanctuary.

Can you give me sanctuary?

I must find a place to hide

A place for me to hide

- Jim Morrison

The Snake Hunter reasons with Ada that he must take her away from there. He explains that the Thuggee use terror and violence to dominate India. She cannot listen, she is the incarnation of Kali on Earth. "No. You're a woman. A woman like all others. Whose purpose is to love not to hate." That's what this is... a romantic adventure. Danger in the name of love and what is right. Glorious chivalry. Liberation of the downtrodden. A classic story.

Tremal Naik promises to give her a life of freedom and love. Marriage is proposed.

Oh no. Back to the rough parts. We learn that Souyadhana has a trained tiger to do his bidding. A bloodhound of the feline variety. It is sent to obediently search the tunnels for the escaped snake hunters. Most definitely one of the highlights of the movie. Ada is showing the men an escape route as the tiger lazily meanders through the tunnels. The rescued and tortured snake hunter (#3 in order of importance) is killed as he tries to fight the beast.

I can only imagine they had a stuffed fake tiger for the initial attack. Tremal Naik is amazing in everything that he does. The ultimate hero. Successfully fighting the ferocious cat with his bare hands. The fiendish cult leader is in time to order his orange monster to "Kill Him!" Tremal Naik then finishes the fight by plunging a knife into the tiger. Now Souyadhana yells to his men, "Get him!" The brave Snake Hunter is finally captured.

The plot is finally narrowing. Ada spills the beans and professes her love for the Snake Hunter in hopes that he lives. In turn Souyadhana sees potential in the greatness of his captive. He offers Tremal Naik an ultimatum. Eithers he seeks out Captain McPherson and kills him, or both he and Ada die. In his very dastardly reasoning, once the captain is dead Ada will find out that her betrothed was the murderer. She will hate the Snake Hunter the rest of his life. There is much antagonistic dialogue, but it is agreed upon.

Captain McPherson is no slouch. He senses someone has entered his tent. At that moment the Snake Hunter notices a photo of a woman that looks like Ada on the Captain's desk... Ada's deceased mother. The stories come together and they have found allies in each other. Yes, Tremal Naik will return to the temple with a body in a shroud, but it will be that of Thuggee leader #2, Maciadi.

The final bloody battle is upon us. Captain McPherson and his men must deal with a stampede of wild buffaloes first. Thank God the Captain was there or the natives wouldn't know how to deal with the situation.

I wonder where they got this footage?

When the body of Maciadi is revealed, Souyadhana attacks the Snake Hunter with a knife "You must die!" I still can't figure out what happens next. There seems to be men in the crowd coming to the Snake Hunter's aid, because how is there a fight at all when it's two men against hundreds. (One snake hunter was left at the Sacred Temple.) Luckily the Brits enter shortly after so I don't have to keep thinking about it. They come in firing too.

The struggle is pretty intense. Swords and hand to hand. There are even cannons outside to blast any escaping Thuggees. Meanwhile, Souyadhana plans to kill everyone by opening a "dial-a-dam" to let the Sacred River into the temple. The Snake Hunter fights with everything he has and finally drowns the maniacal Thuggee leader. All is well.

The family is reunited. A romance is fulfilled. A scourge upon India is eradicated. 

P.S. This movie probably isn't as good as I make it out to be, but after watching it so many times I learned to love the overblown dialogue and intimate glances exchanged. The bloody battle scenes were so Grade B you had to love them.