Kim

Although top billing in this old-fashioned 1950 boys' adventure adapted from Rudyard Kipling's 1901 novel is given to Errol Flynn as an Indian rogue in league with British intelligence, the real star is then 14-year old Dean Stockwell, who plays the title character, an Irish boy who passes as a native and becomes an operative in a mission to thwart Russian agents planning mischief at the Khyber Pass. The picture boasts colorful Indian locations, but the action in front of them was mostly shot elsewhere, as the obvious back-projection shots reveal all too clearly, and the pacing is lethargic by modern standards (parents may be more tolerant of this than their children). Flynn, though barely into his forties, looks older, while Hungarian-born Paul Lukas is absurdly out of place as an Indian holy man. But it's enjoyable to watch Stockwell go through his paces, and the tale, even when played in as stilted a fashion as it is here under Victor Saville's pedestrian direction, still has a certain nostalgic charm. Boasting an excellent transfer, the disc also includes two MGM short subjects dating from the 1930s, both “Fitzpatrick Traveltalks” showcasing India. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)