Product Details

• Actors: Sabu, Raymond Massey, Roger Livesey, Valerie Hobson, David Tree
• Directors: Zoltan Korda
• Format: NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Rejects from Studios
• VHS Release Date: June 28, 1990
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300148572
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #210,546 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

During the British Raj, Captain Curruthers (Roger Livesey) works undercover to track smuggled shipments of arms on the restless Northwest Frontier of India. He fears a full-scale rebellion is brewing. To forestall this, the British governor (Francis L. Sullivan) signs a treaty with the peace-loving ruler of Tokot, a key kingdom in the region. The king's son, Prince Azim (Sabu), befriends Carruthers and a British drummer boy, Bill Holder, who teaches him how to play the drum. The king's brother, Prince Ghul (Raymond Massey), has the king assassinated and usurps the throne; Azim escapes a similar fate thanks to two loyal retainers. When one of Ghul's ment ries to kill the prince, Azim is rescued by Carruthers' wife (Valerie Hobson). Though offered sanctuary, Azim declines. Carruthers is then sent to negotiate with Ghul, who is actually the mastermind behind the rebellion. Prince Azim learns of the ambush. When he is unable to convince the governor, he risks his own life to warn his friends. After Azim leaves, the governor receives confirmation of the plot and sends four battalions to the rescue. Azim manages to warn Carruthers by playing a danger signal on the "Sacred Drum of Tokot," saving many British lives.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Old Empire Classic, March 30, 2005

By 

Roger Kennedy (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Drums [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is another Korda brothers classic. There is a lot in this movie which the viewer can agree with today. Fanatical Islam and the drerams of world conquest. Sound familiar. It should, and the British dealt with this sort of thing long before the US ever did! This is a classic empire flick from the 1930s. What makes it great are the authentic sets, troops, and equipment. The setting is mostly likely post WW1, although some of the small arms and equipment certainly date the movie just before WW2. The story is your classic action adventure in the North West Frontier. A conspiracy of the local tribes to overthrow British rule, lead by a mad Khan. Raymond Massey does a great job here. He looks like a real 1930s Bin Ladin! The Britis are lead by a very classy Roger Livesey who couldn't be more English than in this film. Sabu is cute, as is the young scoits drummer he interacts with. There is a lot of rich detail in this film. Aspects of regimental life are shown, soldiering in the British army during the 1930s. The Highland regiment showcased seems to be the Gordon Highlanders. The drummer boy shows us some interesting details about regimental pipe bands in the 1930s. The mess scene which shows the kings toast with the pipe major is really fascinating! Sure the natives are evil, but what is new here! This fiolm shows us that islam and Afghans have not chnaged all that much in the last 70 years! This is a timeless old classic made relivant again by recent events. they really should bring this one out on DVD with production notes.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining British Empire Derring Do, February 12, 2005

By 

C. O. DeRiemer (San Antonio, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Drums [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Drums came out the year before The Four Feathers and is fun but not as good. The time is the years before World War I. Sabu plays Prince Azim, a young princeling from a British protectorate up near the Khyber pass. His uncle, Prince Ghul, killed Sabu's father, the rightful ruler, and chased Sabu out. Prince Ghul is played by Raymond Massey with sneering lips, bulging eyes and dark makeup. After several adventures as Prince Azim tries to escape Prince Ghul's assassins, young Azim contacts Captain Carruthers (Roger Livesey), whom he had met earlier. Carruthers and a small contingent of British troops set out for the principality to inforce a peace treaty, not knowing that Ghul is organizing the mountain tribes in a revolt against the British. Will Prince Azim be believed when he tries to tell the British governor of the plot? Will Carruthers, his wife and his troops be betrayed at a great dinner by hidden machine guns? Will Prince Azim, who has sneaked back into the principality to save Carruthers, be able to warn them by beating the huge holy drum?

Even though all the natives are either childlike or evil, the last half of the movie picks up a lot of steam. And it's always reassuring to witness the unflappable, exquisite manners of the British ruling class in movies of this period. Dinner in the residency, for instance, is interrupted when something is thrown through a window. Carruthers starts forward, which will expose himself to whomever is outside. His wife, clutching her throat, says, "Darling, not you." "Darling," Carruthers says, "Of course me." He strides forward and finds a bloody...well, you need to see the movie.

Sabu was just 14 when he made this movie, his second. He handles himself well and has a good deal of natural charm. He was a very likeable actor whose career petered out as he grew older. Roger Livesey, with his inimitable, husky voice was a first-rate actor. In this movie, he's mainly the derring-do, upper-class Brit officer. To see just how good he was, watch him in The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp and I Know Where I'm Going.

Drums is not out on DVD as far as I know in either Region 1 or 2, but the VHS tape doesn't look too bad. And as usual with the Kordas, there is magnificent scenery and first-class sets, and in this case lots of marching troops with bagpipes playing.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I think that the Gordan Highlanders would like this one!, July 17, 2005

By 

D. D Lawson (Pasadena, Calif. USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Drums [VHS] (VHS Tape)

If you love films on the British Empire then you ought to think about seeing this one. Based loosely on Kipling's story, It helps capture a taste of the Brits in India & the Northwest Frontier. Somebody did their research and things just look right in this film. (Uniforms, equipment, the Mess and the Loyal Toast to the Monarch etc but then Massey did serve in the British Army before he started acting )
The Brits never look more brave & noble and the locals more threatening. (Hey, Its a movie so get over it!) Its great non PC entertainment!