The Indian Tomb

1959 1h 37m DE

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 121

AdventureDramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Seetha and Harold Berger are rescued from the desert by a caravan and brought to a small village. However, the greedy owner of the house where they are lodged betrays the law of hospitality and reveals their location to Prince Ramigani. The couple tries to escape but is hunted and captured by Ramigani and his men. Meanwhile Irene Rhode and her husband Walter Rhode suspect that Maharaja Chandra is not telling the truth about Harold's destiny. The conspirator Ramigani forces Seetha to accept to get married with Chandra to provoke the wrath of the priests and get the alliance of Prince Padhu and his army. In the meantime, Harold succeeds in escaping from the dungeon and seeks out Seetha to save her.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Cast

Debra Paget
Seetha
Paul Hubschmid
Ingenieur Harald Berger
Walther Reyer
Maharadjaj Chandra
Claus Holm
Dr. Walter Rhodes
Luciana Paluzzi
Baharani
Sabine Bethmann
Irene
René Deltgen
Fürst Ramigani
Jochen Brockmann
Fürst Padhu

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Fritz Lang
Writers: Fritz Lang, Werner Jörg Lüddecke
Languages: German
Countries: France, Germany, Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

67 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: France, Germany, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Indian Tomb (CCC Film) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Fritz Lang, shot by Richard Angst. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Gerhard Becker. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Walter Wischniewsky shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Debra Paget and Paul Hubschmid and Walther Reyer carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0052924 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Fritz Lang directs. Richard Angst behind the camera. Gerhard Becker scores. Walter Wischniewsky cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France, Germany, Italy. Dialogue in German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

167 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2International production across 3 countries: France, Germany, Italy.
3Part of the "The Indian Tomb (CCC Film) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Fritz Lang, shot by Richard Angst. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Gerhard Becker. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Walter Wischniewsky shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Debra Paget and Paul Hubschmid and Walther Reyer carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0052924 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Richard Angst
Original score: Gerhard Becker
Editing: Walter Wischniewsky
Costume design: Claudia Hahne-Herberg
Makeup / hair: Jupp Paschke
Runtime: 97 min · 1h 37m
Status: Released
Original language: DE
IMDB: The Indian Tomb (1959)

Part of

The Indian Tomb (CCC Film) Collection

Also by

Fritz Lang

Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2022-05-13
★ 8/10
High adventure in India with Debra Paget as Seetha A German architect (Paul Hubschmid) flees Eschnapur with the fiancé (Debra Paget) of the maharajah (Walther Reyer) whose reign is secretly threatened by his envious brother (René Deltgen). Into this situation arrives the architect’s sister and brother-in-law (Sabine Bethmann & Claus Holm). “The Indian Tomb” (1959) is the second of Fritz Lang’s duology referred to as his Indian Epic; the first part being “The Tiger of Eschnapur,” released earlier the same year. Both films were heavily edited down into a 95-minute movie for American audiences called “Journey to the Lost City” (1960), which heavily trimmed Debra Paget’s iconic dance sequences due to the Hays Office. Obviously you should see the two separate movies rather than the butchered version, but it’s not absolutely necessary to see the first film in order to enjoy this one since it includes a recap at the outset. (I’ve personally never seen Part I, except for the dance sequence). Anyone who likes adventure flicks such as “Legend of the Lost” (1957), “The Vengeance of She” (1968), “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) and “Octopussy” (1984) should appreciate either installment of the Indian Epic. They feature spectacular palaces, heroes, villains, rivalry, danger, swords, beautiful women, romantic passion, elephants, tigers, snakes, torches, caverns, dungeons, temples, honorable monks and all-around high adventure. Each include 3-minute dance sequences by Debra Paget as Eurasian Seetha, both equally awe-inspiring, but this one features her in more revealing (non)attire (I prefer the first one since less is more). Debra’s performances are just as good or better than Brigid Bazlen unforgettable dance scene in “King of Kings” (1961) and Salma Hayek’s in “From Dusk Till Dawn” (1996). The film runs 1 hour, 40 minutes, and was shot in Udaipur in Northwestern India, areas normally barred from Western film crews up to that point. Interiors were shot at Spandau Studios in Berlin. “Octopussy” used some of the same India locations. GRADE: A-

Production companies