DramaAdventureWar

The Charge of the Light Brigade

- Theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die

In 1853, as the British and Russian empires compete to gain and maintain their place in the dreadful Great Game of political intrigues and alliances whose greatest prize is the domination of India and the border territories, Major Geoffrey Vickers must endure several betrayals and misfortunes before he can achieve his revenge at the Balaclava Heights, on October 25, 1854, the most glorious day of the Crimean War.

Release Date : 1936-10-20

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Warner Bros. Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Major Geoffrey Vickers

Original Name : Errol Flynn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Elsa Campbell

Original Name : Olivia de Havilland

Gender : Female

Character Name : Captain Perry Vickers

Original Name : Patric Knowles

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sir Charles Macefield

Original Name : Henry Stephenson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sir Benjamin Warrenton

Original Name : Nigel Bruce

Gender : Male

Character Name : Colonel Campbell

Original Name : Donald Crisp

Gender : Male

Character Name : Captain Randall

Original Name : David Niven

Gender : Male

Character Name : Surat Khan

Original Name : C. Henry Gordon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Major Jowett

Original Name : G.P. Huntley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Count Igor Volonoff

Original Name : Robert Barrat

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lady Octavia Warrenton

Original Name : Spring Byington

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sir Humphrey Harcourt

Original Name : E. E. Clive

Gender : Male

Character Name : Subahdar-Major Puran Singh

Original Name : J. Carrol Naish

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cornet Barclay

Original Name : Walter Holbrook

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prema's Mother

Original Name : Princess Baba

Gender : Female

Character Name : Cornet Pearson

Original Name : Charles Sedgwick

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prema Singh

Original Name : Scotty Beckett

Gender : Male

Character Name : Wazir

Original Name : George Regas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Jowett

Original Name : Helen Sanborn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : John Bose

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sepoy (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Curtis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Majordomo (uncredited)

Original Name : Herbert Evans

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Olaf Hytten

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gen. Canrobert (uncredited)

Original Name : Georges Renavent

Gender : Male

Character Name : Indian Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Sam Harris

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Into the valley of death rode the 600. The Charge Of The Light Brigade is a good military film boasting quality action sequences, it's not a true account of the actual event, and it should be noted there is a disclaimer of sorts at the film's beginning. This telling begins in India in 1850 and leads us up to what would become the Crimean War. Indian chief Surat Khan (C. Henry Gordon) is plotting to sever his ties with the British and pitch his lot in with the Russians in readiness for a total revolt against the Empire. Khan oversees a sneaky bloody massacre of British troops that also see the slaughter of innocent women and children. Pumped up with revenge, Major Vickers (a dashing Errol Flynn) decides to take matters into his own hands and leads a brave charge on the Russians at Balaclava Heights which is where Khan has fled into hiding. That's all you need to know as regards the plot, there is a love tryst sub-plot between Vickers, his brother Perry (Patric Knowles) and Elsa Campbell (a radiant Olivia de Havilland), but this is merely a side issue to add impetus to the bravery of the men in the charge. It's a rousing picture that provides a quite breath taking final reel as the charge is brought vividly to life by director Michael Curtiz. Sadly many horses and a stuntman were killed during the shooting of the famous charge, the then legal use of trip wires to impact falling horses taking its toll with very tragic results. The practice was brought into the public eye the following year as congress raised the issue about the treatment of animals in motion pictures, thankfully the practice has long since been outlawed. A bit of a sad taint to the film for sure, but it was a golden age for cinema and nobody was doing anything deemed illegal at the time, and lets not hide the fact that the result is truly dynamite. 8/10

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-06-19

Errol Flynn leads a workmanlike cast in this tale immortalised by Alfred, Lord Tennyson about a seemingly suicidal charge at the battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War. This story is really about empire - British and Russian - and of the manipulation, tactics (and/or, downright bribery) employed by both on those whom they needed to protect it. C Henry Gordon plays one such character "Surat Khan" who longs to rid his nation of the British and the story revolves around his actions so to do. This is a good boys-own action film with a strong supporting cast: Olivia de Havilland as the daughter of the doughty Colonel (Donald Crisp) who shares her fickle affections between Flynn and his brother (Patric Knowles) and a good team effort from Nigel Bruce and Spring Byington. Mostly fiction, but fun to watch nonetheless.