We are in British India, Moslem rebels want to kill a young Hindu prince and thus killing his family blood line. The British army are charged with the task of ensuring the prince is safely escorted from the troubled provinces. The duty falls to one intrepid Captain Scott, the only chance to achieve the aim is by train, with his allies on board being a rather unique group of individuals, can Scott achieve the mission against the mounting odds?.

North West Frontier has everything a great action adventure should have, whilst also adding in tension, drama and an array of wonderfully colourful characters. The opening to the film is pulsating, as Scott has to fight off the rebels whilst smuggling the prince and his governess out to safety. From then on we are on a train journey that is rich with enjoyment, the tension mounts among the passengers, not least because of the class and cultural differences, and perhaps allmotives are not in alignment? But they must club together if they are to survive this dangerous journey.

Kenneth Moore, Lauren Bacall, Herbert Lom and Wilfrid Hyde-White (comedy gold when under attack) are all pulling together to make a cracking yarn. Directing duties falls to J. Lee Thompson, whose CV boasts "Ice Cold In Alex", "The Guns Of Navarone" and "Cape Fear", so this material was thankfully in very safe hands. The photography from Geoffrey Unsworth is top notch, barren and desolate landscapes beautifully realising the peril of the passengers' journey, whilst the music from Mischa Spoliansky leaves a lasting impression.

This train may well be crammed full of genre stereotypes, and sure enough the patronising nature of the piece is dated at the edges, but this remains a gloriously enjoyable film that the whole family can readily digest. 9/10

I first saw North West Frontier when I was rather young and is one of those movies which you tend to never forget.

Captain Scott is assigned to take a young Indian prince to safety across India to Kolapor. Having just missed the last refugee train, he manages to secure an ageing steam loco, Empress of India plus a coach and wagon for the coal. He was lucky there. Scott and the prince are joined by a motley collection of people for the dangerous journey including an American woman who would become Scott's lover, a reporter who wants the prince dead and a pair of upper class Britains and two soldiers. Plenty of dangers along the way: attacking tribes, blown up railway tracks, a blown up bridge and more attacking tribes. At the first station, we learn the refugee train was ambushed and everyone on board killed, apart from a baby which is rescued by the American woman, Catherine Wyatt. After crossing the bombed bridge and the reporter's attempts to kill the prince, they reach Kolapor safely, without the reporter, who was pushed off the train roof.

North West Frontier has to be one of my favourite adventure movies and contains some good scenery. It also has some excellent background music, especially the Henley Regatta song, Swing, Swing Together.

Now to the excellent cast: Kenneth More as Scott, Lauren Bacall as Catherine Wyatt, Herbert Lom as the reporter, Wilfred Hyde-White, I S Johar as the train driver Gupta and Ursula Jeans. Also, Eugene Deckers and Ian Hunter.

North West Frontier is a must for all fans of this type of movie and will also appeal to railway enthusiasts too (like myself). Fantastic.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5.

NORTH WEST FRONTIER is a solidly enjoyable adventure story that might well be described as a British western. The setting is India at the turn of the 20th century, with Kenneth More and Lauren Bacall tasked with rescuing a six-year-old Hindu prince from a clutch of murderous Muslims who want to kill him and thus destroy his ruling family's bloodline.

Much of the action is centred on a train, with More and a clutch of passengers doing their very best to escape from an overwhelming horde of gun-toting enemies. And the film has a real verve to it, near-constant well-shot intrigue and suspense courtesy of director J. Lee Thompson, who would keep on directing strong action for the next thirty years of his career. It helps that it hits the ground running, offering some electric action at the opening that Hollywood can only dream of.

The rest of the film is a nice mix of character work and suspense staples. I think the production could have had twenty minutes or even half an hour shaved off it quite easily, but it's still an above-average effort. More has a naturally likable screen presence and is one of my favourite stars of the era, and he's supported well by a spiky Bacall here. Inevitably one of the passengers is a traitor and there are no prizes for guessing who given that Herbert Lom is in the cast, but he gives a strong performance of depth and class. Wilfrid Hyde White and Ursula Jeans round out the cast, although the real scene-stealer is I.S. Johar as the lovable Gupta. Containing slightly controversial religious themes that feel just as relevant today (if not more so than in the 1950s),NORTH WEST FRONTIER is one to catch.