Summary
George B. Seitz’s 1918 cinematic interpretation of 'The Naulahka' presents a labyrinthine narrative where the rugged mercantilism of the American West collides with the esoteric courtly intrigues of a Raj-era India. Nicholas Tarvin, a man of singular focus and frontier pragmatism, is propelled across the globe not by wanderlust, but by the desperate industrial survival of his home town, Topaz, Colorado. His objective is the Naulahka—a legendary, almost sentient jewel—intended as a tithe to secure the favor of a railroad magnate’s spouse. Parallel to this quest for mineral wealth is Kate Sheriff’s journey of medical altruism, a manifestation of the 'New Woman' archetype attempting to transplant Western science into the tradition-bound soil of the East. The film evolves into a high-stakes political thriller within the Maharajah’s palace, where the dancer Sitahbai orchestrates a lethal succession plot. The narrative tension pivots on the precarious life of a young prince, whom Tarvin must repeatedly shield from Sitahbai’s venomous machinations. Ultimately, the film eschews the typical triumph of the adventurer; it concludes with a poignant, ironic subversion where moral concessions and the relentless march of progress render the titular prize both unattainable and, perhaps, unnecessary.
Synopsis
Trying to win the Three C's railroad line for his home town of Topaz, Colorado, Nicholas "Nick" Tarvin journeys to India to secure the famed jewel known as the Naulahka, which he plans to present to Mrs. Mutrie, the railroad president's wife. Nick's fiancée, Kate Sheriff, having graduated from medical school, also goes to India, but her aim is to provide the Indians with modern medical care. The Naulahka is possessed by the Maharajah, whose second wife, a dancer named Sitahbai, hopes to have her son, rather than the real prince, named as the heir to the Maharajah's throne. Sitahbai plans to kill the young prince, the son of the Maharajah's first wife, but Nick repeatedly saves him. After Sitahbai's plot to kill Nick fails, Nick threatens to hold the dancer captive until daybreak unless she gives him the Naulahka. Sitahbai reluctantly consents, but Kate, knowing that the loss of the jewel will mean Sitahbai's death, convinces Nick to return it to her. Kate and Nick return to Colorado without the Naulahka to find that the railroad tracks have already been laid through Topaz.
Review Excerpt
"The Convergence of Two WorldsIn the pantheon of early silent cinema, few works attempt the thematic breadth found in George B. Seitz’s 1918 production of The Naulahka. Based on the collaborative novel by Rudyard Kipling and Wolcott Balestier, the film serves as a fascinating specimen of the era's fascination with the 'exotic' East, juxtaposed against the burgeoning industrial identity of the American frontier. Unlike the domestic intimacy of His Wife's Good Name, The Naulahka demands a global st..."
