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      The Charge of the Light Brigade

      Released Oct 20, 1936 1h 56m Action List
      71% 7 Reviews Tomatometer 59% 500+ Ratings Audience Score While stationed in India during the Crimean War, Major Geoffrey Vickers (Errol Flynn) is twice betrayed. His brother, Captain Perry Vickers (Patric Knowles), has swept his fiancée, Elsa (Olivia De Havilland), off her feet. Meanwhile, after Vickers saves the life of Surat Khan (C. Henry Gordon), the rajah launches a massacre in a nearby city and allies himself with the British troops' Russian enemies. Vickers and his Light Brigade respond to this provocation at the historical Battle of Balaklava. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Jan 01 Buy Now

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      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member Remember--This is fiction, not real history -- I give it a decent grade for action and drama. But like the poem of the same name, the movie glorifies a fine example of stupidity. The charge accomplished nothing militarily. While the brigade was not completely destroyed, it suffered terribly, with 118 men killed, 127 wounded and about 60 taken prisoner. After regrouping, only 195 men still had horses. The futility of the action and its recklessness prompted the commanding French Marshal Pierre Bosquet to state: "It is magnificent, but it is not war. It is madness." The Russian commanders believed that the British soldiers were drunk. So, the next time someone says, "Ours is not to reason why, ours but to do & die," remind them that it's from a poem about a military suicide run. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member In the mid 1930s and well into the 40s, Warner Brothers made many fine films starring Errol Flynn that were very high on production values and fun but also of dubious historical value. While historically speaking this is not the worst of the lot (that honor goes to SANTA FE TRAIL), this film doesn't seem to have a lot to do with the Tennyson poem or the Crimean War and in fact, much of the movie is set around the same region of the world as GUNGA DIN--around Pakistan or Afghanistan. So, assuming you aren't looking for a history lesson, the film is packed full of excellent acting, sets and fast-paced fun. Part of the reason I particularly liked it was because it teamed Errol Flynn with Olivia de Havilland--a wonderful combination that began with CAPTAIN BLOOD and lasted for seven films. So, if you like this film, check out all their other films together--especially CAPTAIN BLOOD and THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. Their chemistry was always excellent and it is further enhanced by such wonderful supporting actors as Henry Stephenson, Nigel Bruce, Donald Crisp and David Niven. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Frances H This was one of the Flynn-de Haviland movies that I used to watch on The Early Show in the Pittsburgh area as a kid with my sister when we got home from school, although this one was not our favorite since Flynn did not get de Haviland in th end, as he did in Captain Blood, They Died with their Boots On and Robin Hood. What makes me like it less now is the scene of hunting leopards and using elephants for hunting, as well as the fact that much of the battle scenes were done in Mexico, where there were fewer laws protecting animals during filming, so the bhe charge where the horses go down in great number were not done under SPCA auspices, which I find horrendous! But it does have so many of the great British character actors who I just love and they do perform so well, but just not enough to make me overlook all of the injuries there must have been to the poor horses! Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/26/20 Full Review Audience Member The best thrilling movie ever made! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review ashley h Charge of the Light Brigade is a decent film. It is about a major who countermands orders and attacks to avenge a previous massacre of men, women, and children. Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland give good performances. The screenplay is a little slow in places. Michael Curtiz did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because of the action and romance. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review kevin w there's little fact here in this, a golden age of Hollywood historical retelling of an actual military blunder made famous by a bit of flag waving poetry, but what matter? Flynn and de Havilland reteam with Michael curtiz, my fav golden age director, to mumble some more about "England! homeland! forever!" whilst brushing off the dust of dealing with some dirty and ungrateful third world types. it all leads invariably, to the charge at the end, which should serve as a lesson about trusting the military but instead plays like a parade into Valhalla. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Ann Ross Maclean's Magazine With a climax which, next to the San Francisco earthquake, is the season's most spectacular wind-up. Aug 7, 2019 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Forget about historical accuracy: Michael Curtiz's version of the narrative poem, starring Errol Flynn, is fanciful, stirring (assistant director won Oscar), and entertaining. Rated: B+ Jun 22, 2012 Full Review John J. Puccio Movie Metropolis ...what a grand piece of filmmaking it is, and as a pure adventure yarn, it's hard to beat. Rated: 7/10 Mar 27, 2007 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews It climaxes in a rousing battle scene of the famous Light Brigade charge. Rated: B Aug 21, 2006 Full Review Steve Crum Video-Reviewmaster.com Great Flynn, great action sequences, but pretty dated. Rated: 4/5 Dec 19, 2005 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Jun 13, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis While stationed in India during the Crimean War, Major Geoffrey Vickers (Errol Flynn) is twice betrayed. His brother, Captain Perry Vickers (Patric Knowles), has swept his fiancée, Elsa (Olivia De Havilland), off her feet. Meanwhile, after Vickers saves the life of Surat Khan (C. Henry Gordon), the rajah launches a massacre in a nearby city and allies himself with the British troops' Russian enemies. Vickers and his Light Brigade respond to this provocation at the historical Battle of Balaklava.
      Director
      Michael Curtiz
      Screenwriter
      Michael Jacoby, Rowland Leigh
      Distributor
      Warner Bros. Pictures
      Production Co
      Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
      Genre
      Action
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Oct 20, 1936, Wide
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Nov 21, 2016
      Runtime
      1h 56m
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