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{{short description|1935 film by Richard Boleslawski}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2016}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Clive of India
| image = Clive_India35.jpg
| caption =
| director = [[Richard Boleslawski]]
| producer = [[William Goetz]] [[Raymond Griffith]]
| writer = [[W. P. Lipscomb]] [[R. J. Minney]]
| based_on = {{based on|[[Clive of India (play)|''Clive of India'']]|R. J. Minney}}
| starring = [[Ronald Colman]] [[Loretta Young]] [[Colin Clive]] [[Francis Lister]]
| music = [[Alfred Newman (composer)|Alfred Newman]]
| cinematography = [[J. Peverell Marley]]
| editing = [[Barbara McLean]]
| studio = [[Twentieth Century Pictures]]
| distributor = [[United Artists]]
| released = {{Film date|1935|01|25}}
| runtime = 95 min.
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
}}
'''''Clive of India''''' is a 1935 American [[historical film|historical]] [[biography film|biographical film]] starring [[Ronald Colman]] about the life of [[Robert Clive]]. It was based on [[R. J. Minney]]'s play of the [[Clive of India (play)|same name]], and was co-written by Minney and [[W. P. Lipscomb]] and directed by [[Richard Boleslawski]].<ref name="Clive of India">{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/71085/Clive-of-India/|title=Clive of India|work=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|accessdate=15 March 2016}}</ref> [[Colin Clive]], who appears in the film, was a descendant of Clive.

==Plot==
In 1748, the [[British Empire|British]], [[French colonial empire|French]], [[Dutch Empire|Dutch]] and [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] are fighting over India.

Back in England, Robert Clive (Colman) fires and misses in a duel; his opponent walks up to him, points his pistol at Clive's head and demands he retract his accusation of cheating. When Clive refuses, the other man declares him "mad" and leaves. Later, frustrated with the boredom of being a clerk, Clive recalls firing a pistol at his own head and having it misfire twice, only to have his friend fire it without a problem. This causes him to wonder if he is "destined for something after all."

He is sent to India in disgrace, still a clerk (for the [[East India Company]] at [[Fort St. George, India|Fort St. George]]). He is fascinated by a picture of a beautiful woman in the locket of his friend and fellow clerk Edmund Maskelyne. He discovers that she is Edmund's sister and declares he wants to marry her, even though they have never even met. He later brazenly writes to her, asking her to come to India, a year-long journey.

When the French attack, Clive sees his destiny, as a soldier. The army is poorly manned and led. He persuades Edmund into transferring to the army as well. When the British are [[Siege of Trichinopoly (1751–52)|besieged in Trichinopoly]], Clive sneaks out through the enemy lines without orders to confront the British [[George Pigot, 1st Baron Pigot|Governor Pigot]] and his council. Finding they have no idea what to do, he offers to lift the siege, even though they can raise only 120 men, by attacking [[Arcot, Vellore|Arcot]], the "capital of southern India". They agree. Clive sets out immediately with his small force, captures Arcot and raises the siege. In less than a year, he conquers all of southern India.

Margaret arrives, but is intimidated by his great success. His plans are unchanged, however, and they get married. They return to England to a magnificent London mansion. He wins a seat in [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]], then loses it. Clive loses all his money showering (unwanted) luxuries on his wife and contesting elections. Fortunately, the East India Company wants him to return to India.

Colonel Clive demands the unconditional release of 146 British prisoners, but King of "Northern India" [[Siraj ud-Daulah|Suraj Ud Dowlah]] throws them into the "[[Black Hole of Calcutta]]"; only a handful survive the ordeal. Enraged, Clive makes a secret treaty with Suraj's uncle, [[Mir Jafar|Mir Jaffar]], despite lacking the authority to do so. [[Royal Navy]] [[Charles Watson (Royal Navy officer)|Admiral Watson]] refuses to sign the treaty, but Clive forges his signature.

Advancing against the enemy, Clive hesitates to cross a river, soon to be made impassible by the annual [[monsoon]] rains, without a firm commitment from Mir Jaffar. The governor and Edmund Maskelyne advise caution, and he reluctantly orders a retreat, but a supportive letter from his wife changes his mind, and Clive boldly leads his small army across. After much initial success, his men are about to be routed by Suraj's war elephants at the [[Battle of Plassey]] when Mir Jaffar finally commits his forces, ensuring victory.

Clive sails home to England to enjoy retirement on a country estate with his wife. However, Picot arrives with dire news: India is in chaos, all those Clive placed in power have been replaced by corrupt men, and Mir Jaffar has been deposed. Pigot offers Clive absolute authority to set things right. Clive accepts, but his decision comes at the cost of a rupture with his wife, who refuses to go with him.

Clive not only restores the situation, he expands the territories controlled by the British. However, all the men he got rid of travel to England and accuse him of accepting bribes. Clive defends himself, but to no avail. At this dark time, his wife returns to him. The Prime Minister himself brings the news: the verdict is not in his favour, but he will most likely be allowed to retain his wealth and honour. The Prime Minister also passes along the private praise of [[George II of Great Britain|King George]].

==Cast==
{{Div col}}
* [[Ronald Colman]] as [[Robert Clive]]
* [[Loretta Young]] as Margaret Maskelyne Clive
* [[Colin Clive]] as Captain Johnstone
* [[Francis Lister]] as Edmund Maskelyne
* [[C. Aubrey Smith]] as [[William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham|British Prime Minister]]
* [[Cesar Romero]] as [[Mir Jafar|Mir Jaffar]]
* [[Montagu Love]] as [[George Pigot, 1st Baron Pigot|Governor Pigot]]
* [[Lumsden Hare]] as Sergeant Clark
* Ferdinand Munier as [[Charles Watson (Royal Navy officer)|Admiral Watson]]
* [[Gilbert Emery]] as Mr. Sullivan
* [[Leo G. Carroll]] as Mr. Manning
* [[Etienne Girardot]] as Mr. Warburton
* [[Robert Greig]] as Mr. Pemberton
* [[Mischa Auer]] as Suraj Ud Dowlah
* [[Ferdinand Gottschalk]] as Old Member
* [[Doris Lloyd]] as Mrs. Nixon
* [[Edward Cooper (actor)|Edward Cooper]] as Clive's Butler
* [[Eily Malyon]] as Mrs. Clifford
* [[Joseph Tozer]] as Sir Frith
* Phyllis Clare as Margaret's Friend
* [[Leonard Mudie]] as General Burgoyne
* Phillip Dare as Captain George
{{Div col end}}

==Reception==
[[Andre Sennwald]], critic for ''[[The New York Times]]'', called the movie "a dignified and impressive historical drama which misses genuine distinction by a comfortable margin. ... the film divides its attentions—fatally, in the opinion of this reporter—between Clive's public triumphs and defeats [sic] and his intermittent quarrels with his wife, who wants him to settle down to the life of an English country gentleman."<ref name=NYT>{{cite news |title=Pageant of Empire at the Rivoli in 'Clive of India' -- 'Manhattan Romance' at the Radio City Music Hall. |author=Andre Sennwald |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 18, 1935 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9906E6DD123DE53ABC4052DFB766838E629EDE&mcubz=2}}</ref> However, he thought that Colman "enacts the title rôle with vigor and conviction".<ref name=NYT/>

It was the 18th most popular film at the British box office in 1935-36.<ref>"The Film Business in the United States and Britain during the 1930s" by John Sedgwick and Michael Pokorny, ''The Economic History Review''New Series, Vol. 58, No. 1 (Feb., 2005), pp.97</ref>

==See also==
* [[Great Britain in the Seven Years' War]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|id=0026221|title=Clive of India}}
*{{Tcmdb title|id=71085|title=Clive of India}}

[[Category:1935 films]]
[[Category:1930s biographical films]]
[[Category:1930s historical adventure films]]
[[Category:American historical adventure films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:American biographical films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Alfred Newman]]
[[Category:Films set in the 18th century]]
[[Category:Films directed by Ryszard Bolesławski]]
[[Category:Films set in India]]
[[Category:Seven Years' War films]]
[[Category:Films set in London]]
[[Category:Twentieth Century Pictures films]]
[[Category:United Artists films]]

Clive of India film - Revision history

UpdateBot at 15:37, 21 June 2022