The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936)

Popularity:

Down 15% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Alfred Lord Tennyson (poem)
Michael Jacoby (original story)
(more)

Release Date:

1936 (Germany)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Romance | War

Tagline:

The reckless lancers sweep on and on - so that a woman's heart might not be broken! You're not fighting a single legion - you're fighting the entire British army, Surat Khan!

Plot:

A major countermands orders and attacks to revenge a previous massacre of men, women and children.

Plot Keywords:

Lancer | Attack | India | Massacre | Fort

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	Major Geoffrey Vickers
Olivia de Havilland	...	Elsa Campbell (as Olivia De Havilland)
Patric Knowles	...	Captain Perry Vickers
Henry Stephenson	...	Sir Charles Macefield
Nigel Bruce	...	Sir Benjamin Warrenton
Donald Crisp	...	Colonel Campbell
David Niven	...	Captain Randall
C. Henry Gordon	...	Surat Khan
G.P. Huntley	...	Major Jowett (as G. P. Huntley Jr.)
Robert Barrat	...	Count Igor Volonoff
Spring Byington	...	Lady Octavia Warrenton
E.E. Clive	...	Sir Humphrey Harcourt
J. Carrol Naish	...	Subahdar-Major Puran Singh (as J. Carroll Naish)
Walter Holbrook	...	Cornet Barclay
Princess Baba	...	Prema's Mother (as Princess Baigum)
Charles Sedgwick	...	Cornet Pearson
Scotty Beckett	...	Prema Singh
George Regas	...	Wazir
Helen Sanborn	...	Mrs. Jowett
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jimmy Aubrey	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Frank Baker	...	Officer (uncredited)
Dick Botiller	...	Native (uncredited)
David Cavendish	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Phyllis Coghlan	...	Woman at Ball (uncredited)
Charles Croker-King	...	Lord Cardigan (uncredited)
Jack Curtis	...	Sepoy (uncredited)
George David	...	Suristani (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Majordomo (uncredited)
Martin Garralaga	...	Panjari (uncredited)
Lumsden Hare	...	Colonel Woodward (uncredited)
Gordon Hart	...	Colonel Coventry (uncredited)
Ben Hendricks Jr.	...	Officer (uncredited)
Holmes Herbert	...	General O'Neill (uncredited)
Shep Houghton	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Brandon Hurst	...	Lord Raglan (uncredited)
Olaf Hytten	...	Officer (uncredited)
Boyd Irwin	...	General Dunbar (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Major Anderson (uncredited)
Crauford Kent	...	Captain Brown (uncredited)
Jon Kristen	...	Panjari (uncredited)
Frank Lackteen	...	Panjari (uncredited)
Wilfred Lucas	...	Captain (uncredited)
Lal Chand Mehra	...	Sepoy (uncredited)
Carlyle Moore Jr.	...	Junior Officer (uncredited)
Stephen Moritz	...	Sepoy (uncredited)
Georges Renavent	...	General Canrobert (uncredited)
Sally Sage	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Carlos San Martín	...	Court Interpreter (uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Sepoy Chief (uncredited)
Reginald Sheffield	...	Bentham (uncredited)
R. Singh	...	Orderly (uncredited)
George Sorel	...	Surwan (uncredited)
Arthur Thalasso	...	Sepoy (uncredited)
David Thursby	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Michael Visaroff	...	Russian General (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Curtiz

Writing credits
Alfred Lord Tennyson		(poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade")
Michael Jacoby		(original story) (as Michel Jacoby)
Michael Jacoby		(screen play) (as Michel Jacoby) and
Rowland Leigh		(screen play)

Produced by
Samuel Bischoff	....	associate producer (uncredited)
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Harry M. Warner	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Sol Polito		(photography by)

Film Editing by
George Amy

Art Direction by
John Hughes

Costume Design by
Milo Anderson		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Ray Romero	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Frank Mattison	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
B. Reeves Eason	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Frank Heath	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Jack Sullivan	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Fred Tyler	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Harper Goff	....	set designer (uncredited)
John More	....	props (uncredited)
Herbert Plews	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Harold Hanks	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Nathan Levinson	....	sound (uncredited)
C.A. Riggs	....	sound (uncredited)
Frank Weixel	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Dick H. Williams	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Fred Jackman	....	special photographic effects
Hans F. Koenekamp	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Frank Baker	....	stunts (uncredited)
Yakima Canutt	....	stunt double: Errol Flynn (uncredited)
Iron Eyes Cody	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ben Corbett	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Herbert Holcombe	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buddy Mason	....	stunt double: Errol Flynn (uncredited)
Leo J. McMahon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Montgomery	....	stunts (uncredited)
Spike Spackman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunts (uncredited)
Don Turner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buster Wiles	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Evans	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Frank Flanagan	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Al Green	....	second camera operator (uncredited)
Mac Julian	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Harold Noyes	....	grip (uncredited)
John Polito	....	second camera operator (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Lloyd Ward	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mary Dery	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Allan Taylor	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Henry West	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
R.H. Bassett	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Hugo Friedhofer	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Sam Harris	....	technical advisor: military drills and tactics (as Major Sam Harris Ret.A.L.H.)
Stanley Logan	....	dialogue director
Frank Fox	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Irving Rapper	....	dialogue director (uncredited)

Thanks
E. Rochfort-John	....	we gratefully acknowledge the technical advice of (as Captain E. Rochfort-John formerly of The Royal Engineers)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. (present) (as Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.) (as A Warner Bros. Picture also)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1936) (USA) (theatrical)
• Balet y Blay (1937) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Finland (1937) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1937) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1937) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1937) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Dominant Pictures Corporation (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• CDE Home Video (????) (Italy) (VHS)
• Epoca (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• M & R (????) (Italy) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Western Costume Company  costumes (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

115 min | West Germany:100 min (re-cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Australia:G (TV rating) | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 (DVD version) (uncut) | Netherlands:14 (re-rating) (1951) | Netherlands:18 (original rating) (1937) | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:Btl (re-rating) (1938) | Sweden:15 (cut) (1937) | UK:U (original rating) (passed with cuts) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | USA:Approved (MPPDA rating: certificate #2156) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | West Germany:16 (nf) (heavily cut)

Filming Locations:

Agoura Hills, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros.

Trivia:

The poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, is superimposed over the action in the final scenes of the film.

Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred."

"Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns," he said; Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them Volley'd and thunder'd;

When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made! All the world wonder'd. Honor the charge they made! Honor the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred.

Goofs:

Continuity: The Union Flag colors being carried by the lancers as they are about to go into "the valley of death" is flying upside down. In all the subsequent shots the flag is the correct way up.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sir Humphrey Harcourt:How do you fellows manage to look so comfortably, Vickers?
Maj. Geoffrey Vickers:We may look it Sir, but we're not. They say the first 40 years are about the hottest up here on the frontier, after that you get used to it.
Sir Humphrey Harcourt:Really?

Movie Connections:

Featured in It's Showtime (1976)

Soundtrack:

God Save the Tsar

Charge against History

Well, if you want to learn about crimean war or the famous attack, put into immortal words by Tennyson's poem, this one is definitely not for you. Turn to the 1968 GB movie of the same title for this. If you want thrilling entertainment and great battle scenes, this one is right for you. Errol Flynn at his usual best except loosing his usual love interest (O.d. Havilland) to his younger brother and his life to his revenge. The war scenes are staged perfectly alike Custer's fight in They died with their boots ... and the acting is good, also for younger side kicks like David Niven. Taking for the entertainment it is, not for anything serious and you will love it.