The Indian Tomb

“At the 86th Street Casino Patrons of the Eighty-sixth Street Casino Theatre who have enjoyed seeing "Der Tiger von Eschnapur" and have been wondering about the fate of the attractive, but faithless Maharani (La Jana), now may satisfy their curiosity by going again to the Casino. They also will see some of the finest scenes of modern India ever put on the screen. In the second part of this incredible romance the rather sympathetic Maharajah (well acted by Fritz van Dongen, a new player of Dutch nationality) returns to his native land from Germany after a futile chase after his wife and her Russian lover (Gustav Diessl). With him is the Berlin fiancée (blond Kitty Jantzen) of the German engineer (Hans Stuewe) already in Eschnapur building "The Indian Tomb" from which the picture takes its name. Even before their arrival the plot begins to thicken and hair-raising complications come thick and fast. But all this may be forgiven for the sake of the excellent shots of elephants, native cavalry and Indian workers made under the direction of Richard Eichberg. As this film is purely spectacular, nobody takes the story seriously. Honors go to Alexander Golling for his impersonation of an Indian villain and to Miss Jantzen for her hard work”. New York Times on 5/14/1938.

Supposedly, La Jana was originally cast as Lola Lola in Blue Angel. Allegedly, Marlene Dietrich outmaneuvered La Jana through the intimate relationship with Joseph von Stemberg’s wife. It became Marlene Dietrich’s ticket to stardom. Who do you think Professor Unrat would give everything up for? Marlene Dietrich with her rough, unattractive features and the voice similar to scraping on metal or La Jana - epitome of female beauty?