The Stranglers of Bombay (3 Stars)

This is a film made by Hammer Studios in 1959 loosely based on true facts. It takes place in India in 1829. Captain Lewis of the British East India Company is puzzled by the disappearance of hundreds of people in his district. He wants to investigate, but his superior officer doesn't think it's a priority, because it's only natives who are disappearing, not white settlers. It's more important to protect the goods being traded. Captain Lewis is so anxious to find out what's happening that he resigns his post so that he can investigate as a free man.

He discovers a mass grave, which leads him to a cult of Kali worshipers who strangle their victims with white scarves. Their motives aren't 100% clear in the film. Many of the cult members murder victims in order to steal, but it seems that the main reason for killing is to bring human sacrifices to Kali.

Kali is worshiped as the Goddess of Death, but most Hindus don't consider her to be evil. She's considered to be the mother of all, which is in contrast to the violent figure which is portrayed in paintings and statues.

At the time of its release photos of the actress Marie Devereux were used to promote the film. That's false advertising. She hardly appears in the film. She's one of the Kali worshipers who sits listening while the priest describes his plans. Her role should have been expanded to make the film more interesting. There's not enough action to make the film exciting. It's one of Hammer's weaker films.