The Charge of the Light Brigade (Warner Bros.) (1936)

" THE HARGE of the LIGHT BRIGADE Po: 8G ls: Film Gives New Reason For ‘Charge Of Light Brigade’ Sereen Writer Differs From Historians As To Cause Of Fatal Battle Posterity will owe one thing to the motion picture industry — a new light on moot problems of history. True, the screen writers may not always agree with the historians, but their theories are often fully as logical and surely more interesting. Take the battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War as an example. Most people have only a most remote idea about that conflict between England and Russia way back in 1854. Indeed it is doubtful if the average person remembered that there had been such a war at all before Warner Bros. decided to film the life of Florence Nightingale, and Kay Francis in “The White Angel” made the world conscious of the fact that the Red Cross was born in that war. True, millions of shaky-kneed youngsters had appeared before other millions of snickering kids and with a heroism not much less than that of the extolled, thrust their right arms forward in a sweeping gesture and quavered “Half a league, half-a league, half a league onward.. .” They knew, and their hearers knew, that, with cannon to the right and left of them, the noble 600 composing the Light Brigade rode into the jaws of death, but why they knew not, nor where, nor how. Nor did they particularly care. For four generations school boys have been declaiming Lord Tennyson’s famous “Charge of the Light Brigade,” but the bard neglected to stress Balaclava or the Crimean War. Find Romantic Angle Now however, the poet’s oversight is to be remedied, for the famous ride to death has become the dramatic climax of the Warner Bros. picture “The Charge of the Light Brigade” which will have its premiere at the ................ MOD URO OM sats. cs.ccciessre she Historians declare that 673 mounted men charged the Russian ramports at Balaclava on October 25, 1854, and that after 20 minutes of battle, 247 men and 497 horses had died in what was evidently a futile sacrifice of Lord Cardigan’s brigade. Some writers claim the order to charge was a tragic blunder. Others see in it a great piece of strategy. It is one of the disputed points of history. Leave it to the movies however, to find more romantic reasons for the charge. Michel Jacoby, the screen writer who prepared the original draft of the picture, attributes the “charge” to the fact that the brigade leader wanted to avenge an Indian massacre for one thing, and because his sweetheart really loved his brother, for another. Now every one knows that thwarted love and a craving for revenge are certainly more interesting reasons for a charge of the Light Brigade than the confusion of an order by a messenger or bad military tactics by a commanding officer. Warner Bros. occasionally take time out to make a truly biographical picture such as “The Story of Louis Pasteur” or “The White Angel.” These pictures are authentic and factual in every detail. But “The Charge of the Light Brigade” is a romance into which is fitted one of the most spectacular cavalry engagements in history and the spectators may draw their own conclusions about the reason for the charge. One thing is certain, the Crimean War will no longer he a Farewell to Arms Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland, co-stars of the Warner Bros. picture ‘‘The Charge of the Light Brigade,’’ which opens at the .... Skea EROS PREG ELON aa aye Mat No. 107—10c blank spot in the public’s knowledge of famous conflicts. Picture Is Authentic In other respects, however, “The Charge of the Light Brigade” is authentic. The costumes, the language, the battle scenes are absolutely true to established facts. Michael Curtiz, who directed the production, and his technical staff devoted months to study and preparation before a Single camera was put into action. As a technical expert, Warner Bros. secured. the services of Captain E. Rochfort John, who as a young British officer was sent to India in 1890 for patrol duty between Peshawar and Dira Chaza Khan. He left the army long before the World War to go to China and organize the native police forces. But in 1914 he returned to the Royal Engineers and spent four years in France. Now, a tall, well built, greyhaired man, he makes his living as a writer of books and magazine articles. He was technical adviser on “Lives of a Bengal Lancer,’ “Clive of India” and “The Last Outpost.” He says “The Charge of the Light Brigade” is a better picture than any of these because it has a better story and much more action than any of the others he had a hand in making. But he refuses to enter into the discus _ sion about why the “charge” was made. The captain sat in with the writers, Michel Jacoby and Rowland Leigh and furnishes the needed native dialect. He also aided in the selection of the 36 principal players and thousands of extras. The entire picture is produced on a gigantic seale. Errol Flynn, who made a personal triumph in “Captain Blood” heads the cast which ineludes Olivia de Havilland, Patrice Knowles, Henry Stephenson, Nigel Bruce, David Niven, Donald Crisp and many others. krrol Flynn Swipes Lunch Of Fellow Screen Actor Star Of “The Charge Of The Light Brigade” Feeds His Pup And Reporter Also It isn’t far from Hollywood to Lone Pine, Calif., as the crow flies. But you can’t take a film company on the back of a crow. You have to use the railroad. Your correspondent had planned to drive to Lone Pine, to watch the Warner Bros. company shoot scenes for “The Charge of the Light Brigade,’’ starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland and now showing at the................... Theatre. But a train whistle betrayed him. He is a fool for train whistles and when he heard the special train whistling on a North Hollywood siding he ditched his car and got aboard. Errol Flynn is also a fool for train whistles. He was going to drive, too, but instead got on the train with his Schnauzer, Arno. Arno wasn’t particularly interested in going on location but Flynn took him along to annoy Director Michael Curtiz. Curtiz, it seems, had been annoying Flynn by making him work long hours. Flynn and your correspondent took it for granted that there would be a diner on the ten car special train. There were camels, falcons, horses, Arabs, uniforms, lances, bugles, sabres, unit managers, cameramen, lights, pith helmets and actors but there wasn’t any diner. The train left North Hollywood at 6:30 on a Sunday night and about that time Mr. Flynn and your correspondent were exceedingly hungry. ‘‘This is an outrage,’’ said Flynn. Arno, who was also hungry, wagged his tail in agreement. Your correspondent tightened his belt. ‘‘We get to Lone Pine in the morning,’’ your _ correspondent said. ‘‘We can eat then.’’ ““T ate yesterday,’’ said Flynn. ‘“But that doesn’t help any.’’ He looked out the window. On the steps of the car was David Niven and Merle Oberon, and Miss Oberon was handing Niven a paper bag. Niven, it seemed, was also going on location to play in the picture. ‘We eat,’’ said Flynn. ‘‘You wait and see.’’ Unsuspecting, Niven entered the car and sat down. He had the paper bag in his lap. ‘“Hello, David,’’ said Flynn. ‘“Hello, Errol,’’ said Niven. *“You hungry?’’ Flynn asked. “Not very,’’? said Niven. ‘‘If I get hungry I am all fixed up because Merle packed a lunch for me.?? ‘‘Thoughtful girl,’’ said Flynn. ‘“Lili figured there would be a diner on the train so she didn’t.’’ ““Sit down,’’ said Niven. ‘<Thanks,’’? said Flynn. He sat down. So did Arno. So did your correspondent. Arno reached over and tried to take the paper bag out of Niven’s lap. “*Don’t be greedy,’’ said Flynn. He looked at the bag. ‘‘ What kind of a lunch did she fix?’’ he asked. **T don’t know,’ said Niven. ‘‘T’ll bet a quid there is a hard boiled egg in it,’’ said Flynn. ‘Merle wouldn’t put a hard boiled egg in my lunch,’’ said Niven. ‘Want to bet?’’ Flynn looked hopeful. ““Sure,’’ said Niven. ‘‘Five bucks says there’s no egg in here.’’ Niven opened his lunch and spread it out on the table. There were six sandwiches, two bananas and an apple Lak no hard boiled egg. ‘*T win,’’ said Niven. on, give me the money.’’ Flynn picked up a_ sandwich. ‘“Salami,’’ he said. ‘*Good too.’’ He took a big bite. ‘‘Try one.’’ *¢Come Patric Knowles has his most important film role in support of Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland in ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade,’’ which comes to the ........ See corn Theatre 0h ees Mat No. 115—10c He handed your correspondent a sandwich. They were good. So were the cheese sandwiches and the ham sandwiches and the bananas and the apple which Flynn divided with your correspondent and _ gave snacks to Arno. Niven looked sad. ‘‘You seem to have eaten my lunch,’’ he said. ‘“We had to make sure there was no hard boiled egg in it,’’ said Flynn. He took out his wallet and gave Niven five dollars. ‘‘ You win,’’ he added. “«Thank you,’’ said Niven, but he didn’t seem to mean it. ‘‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’’ is a dynamic drama produced on a mammoth seale with a distinguished cast and thousands of extra players. Besides Flynn and Niven the cast includes Olivia de Havilland, Patrice Knowles, Henry Stephenson, Nigel Bruce, Donald Crisp, C. Henry Gordon and G. P. Huntley, Jr. Michael Curtiz directed the production from the screen play by Michel Jacoby and Rowland Leigh, based on an original story by Jacoby. When Death Storms The Ramparts The perils of Empire building furnish many thrills and highly dramatic episodes in ‘‘The Charge of the Light Brigade,’’ Warner Bros.’ sae eee ER edelnaae va LOGEC: ONE film romance of high adventure in India and Crimea, which opens at the Above is shown Errol Flynn in command of a besieged gar vison while hordes of wild tribesmen storm the walls. Mat No. 301—30¢ Page Fifty-one 2