This week’s mystery movie has been the 1956 MGM picture “Bhowani Junction,” with Ava Gardner, Stewart Granger, Bill Travers, Abraham Sofaer, Francis Matthews, Marne Maitland, Peter Illing, Edward Chapman, Freda Jackson and Lionel Jeffries. The screenplay was by Sonya Levien and Ivan Moffat from the novel by John Masters. Photography was by F.A. Young, art direction by Gene Allen and John Howell, musical supervision by Miklos Rozsa, costume designs by Elizabeth Haffenden, makeup by Charles E. Parker and hairdressing by Pearl Tipaldi. Produced by Pandro S. Berman and directed by George Cukor.
“Bhowani Junction” is available on DVD from Warner Archive.
Writing in the New York Times (May 25, 1956), Bosley Crowther said:
A rather audacious excursion for Metro-Goldywn-Mayer, which had never got much farther into India than Rudyard Kipling was able to lead, is made in “Bhowani Junction.” In this new color film … it takes the viewer right into modern India, up to the dawn of its liberation, circa 1946….
As the Anglo-Indian lady, Ava Gardner has moments of staggering power, especially when she exercises the violence of the lady’s social sentiments. Otherwise, she is mostly Ava Gardner being sorely oppressed and finding it difficult to be nice to Stewart Granger as the stalwart British officer or Francis Matthews as the strong, laconic Sikh.
For Monday, we have a mystery gent.
Update: This is Francis Matthews.
And for Tuesday, we have a second mystery gent.
Update: This is Edward Chapman.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and mystery guest), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and barely visible Back of the Head Woman), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and mystery guest), Jenny M. (mystery movie and mystery guest) and Benito (mystery movie and mystery guest).
For Wednesday, we have two mystery guests.
Update: This is an unidentified actor as Gandhi and director George Cukor as Nehru.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mystery guest) and Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mystery guest).
For Thursday, we have a gauzy shot of a mystery gent and Back of the Head Woman, who will appear tomorrow.
Update: This is Bill Travers.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s historic personages) and Mary Mallory (mystery movie, mystery guests, and historic personages).
And for Friday, Back of the Head Woman and a mystery guest.
Update: This is Ava Gardner and Stewart Granger.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guest), Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guest and Back of the Head Woman), Mike Hawks (historic personages and Thursday’s mystery guest), Don Danard (Thursday’s mystery guest) and Beach Gal (mystery movie and all mystery guests).
ps. Take another look at the “actor” playing Nehru.
ladailymirror.com 
Francis Matthews in “Bhowani Junction.”
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I don’t know the actor, but could he be talking to Ava Gardner in Bhowani Junction?
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Francis Matthews in BHOWANI JUNCTION.
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Francis Matthews in Bhowani Junction.
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Mahmood El Sabbaa in Valley of the Kings.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Bhowani Junction 1956. Ranjit is played by Francis Matthews. Best guess!
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Edward Chapman.
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Edward Chapman.
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It looks to be in CinemaScope and color by Deluxe …perhaps The Rains of Ranchipur?
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CinemaScope yes. But it’s Eastman color. An excellent guess. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru.
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IMDB says that Nine Hours to Rama was in color by De Lux.
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The mystery movie is in Eastman Color. 🙂
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BHOWANI JUNCTION. Francis Matthew Monday and Edward Chapman yesterday, with unidentified actors as Gandhi and Nehru.
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Wednesday Guy in the fez: Fairbanks Jr.?
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Interesting guest. But Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Bill Travers, darkened by make-up.
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Bill Travers and Ava Gardner.
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Uncredited personages and Bill Travers.
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Thursday’s Mystery Man looks like a young Bill Travers.
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Wed’s guest are Nehru and Gandhi
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For Thurs, do we have Bill Travers?
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Monday, do we have Francis Mathews? Might this week’s film be Bhowani Junction, and back of the head gal on Monday would then be Ava Gardner?
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Is Tues actor Edward Chapman?
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George Cukor as Nehru, who’d have thought it? Ava and Stewart Granger today.
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In my days as a set decorator in NYC I went one morning to Newburgh NY to scout locations for a Ford commercial. We were standing on the tarmac at Stewart Air base when suddenly everyone jumped into a van and took off, leaving me and the director of photography, Freddy Young, alone together. Uncertain of our situation he asked me: “Should we be concerned about incoming aircraft?” “I don’t know how busy this place is”, I replied. “But let’s go to one side just in case..”
Yes. Eastman color. MGM. Ava and Stewart. Freddy worked with them as well.
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Ava & Stewart confer.
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Cukor with Ghandi?
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For Fri we have stars, Stewart Granger and Ava Gardner
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Ava Gardner and Stewart Granger.
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Oh my! The man on the train next to Ghandi is director George Cukor!
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Bhowani Junction 1956
Monday’s back of the head lady must be Ava Gardner – not sure about the young man
Tues – Edward Chapman
Weds – dunno, but the Nehru guy looks like Cary Grant to me. I’m sure that’s wrong, tho.
Thurs – Bill Travers (Ava is the mystery lady)
Fri – Ava Gardner and Stewart Granger
I think I’ll look up ‘trivia’ about the movie and try again before the end of the day.
This was fun.
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Well, no luck on Nehru trivia. If it is Cary Grant doing it as a lark, I’ll be amazed.
but, I did find the Monday guy – Francis Matthews
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The movie is “Bwani Junction”.
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Monday: Francis Matthews, Tuesday: Ronald Adam, Wed: Gandhi and Nehru, Thurs: Bill Travers, Friday: Ava Gardner and Stewart Granger The movie is Bhowani Junction.
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