Treasure of Bengal (1953)

Reviewed by Jason Lockard

Few actor can be identified by just one name. But Indian actor Sabu Dastagir is one of them. He was discovered by documentary film-maker Robert Flaherty, who cast him in the role of an elephant driver in the 1937 British film Elephant Boy. He would go on to be in many classic film such as, 1940's The Thief of Bagdad 1942's Jungle Book and Arabian Nights just to name a few.

The good folks at Alpha Video has released one of Sabu's films for the first time on DVD. The film is 1953's The Treasure of Bengal. A film based on the novel from Emilio Salgari, who is considered the father of Italian adventure fiction and Italian pop culture, and the "grandfather" of the Spaghetti Western. Now classic film fans can own this film on DVD and introduce a new generation to the legendary Sabu.

The film takes place on the banks of the river Ganges. There lies a small Hindu village of farmers and fishermen. It is a poor village with the only treasure being a sacred ruby, safely hidden in an underground temple. According to an ancient prophecy, as long as the gem remains in its temple, no famine will befall the village, and no enemy will enslave it. Usaka, the power-hungry chief of the village, ignores this warning and makes a deal with white traders to exchange the ruby for modern weapons. A humble fisherman, Aimur, learns of the scheme and plans to recover the ruby before it's too late. If the ancient prophecy is indeed true, the village is doomed if it is not restored to its rightful place.

This Italian-French adventure film was directed by Gianni Vernuccio and originally released under the name Il tesoro del Bengala. While this film may not be as amazing as other Sabu films such as The Jungle Book or Arabian Nights, there is a good story here and Sabu does a great job leading the film.

While there is no bonus features on this DVD having the film on DVD is more than enough for most film fanatics. The transfer is pretty good. There is some minor imperfections in the picture.

Alpha Video should be commended for giving this film a home video release. Otherwise this film could be lost forever. 

So if you are a fan of Sabu, The Treasure of Bengal is a must add! Head over to www.Oldies.com and get your copy today!

Moral Rating: Mild violence
Audience: Families
Genre: Action / Adventure
Released: 2019
Rating: B