Colonial Wargames - Videos & DVDs

Videos and DVDs

The African Queen

The African Queen

THE AFRICAN QUEEN

Horizon Enterprises - 1951
Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Morley, Peter Bull, Theodore Bikel, Walter Gotell, Peter Swanick, Richard Marner

Directed by John Huston and based on C.S.Forester's novel of the same name. The film covers the attempt by a spinster missionary and a gin-loving riverboat captain to sink a German gunboat during the First World War. The novel was inspired by the real-life Spicer-Simpson expedition that took two motor gunboats across Africa to Lake Tanganyika to sink the German gunboats that dominated the lake.

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B

The Boer War

THE BOER WAR

Pegasus/Classic Pictures Entertainment - 2002
Narrated by Robert Powell

This documentary tells the story of the Second Boer War. It makes great use of contemporary photographs, magazine illustrations, and rare contemporary film footage.

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The Boer Wars

THE BOER WARS

Cromwell Productions THE HISTORY OF WARFARE SERIES - 1999

A documentary that features rare archive footage (including contemporary film reconstructions of events), stills from various collections, modern reconstructions, and analysis by military historians to tell the story of the First and Second Boer Wars.

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The Boer War and other colonial adventures

The Boer War and other colonial adventures

THE BOER WAR AND OTHER COLONIAL ADVENTURES

Cromwell Productions THE HISTORY OF WARFARE SERIES - 1996 (Originally issued under the title THE COLONIAL WARS - THE VICTORIAN MILITARY ADVENTURE)
Narrated by Brian Blessed

A documentary that features extracts from colonial war films (many of which are featured on this website page), stills from various collections, modern reconstructions, and analysis by military historians to tell the story of Britain's main Victorian colonial campaigns.

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Breaker Morant

Breaker Morant

BREAKER MORANT

South Australian Film Commission - 1980
Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson, John Waters, Bryan Brown, Charles Tingwell, Terrance Donovan, Frank Wilson, Ray Meager, Lewis Fitz-Gerald, Rod Mullingar

This is a fictionalised version of the story of the court martial of Lieutenant Harry (Breaker) Morant and two other Australian officers of the Bushveldt Carbineers. They were put of trial for killing prisoners during the 2nd. Boer War, and despite evidence that they were carrying out the intention of orders given to them by their superiors, two of them were executed. This incident led to the decision by the Australian Government that in future no Australian soldiers would ever be tried by a non-Australian court martial for a capital offence.

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C

Carry On up the Khyber

Carry On up the Khyber

CARRY ON UP THE KHYBER

Rank Films - 1968
Sidney James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Roy Castle, Joan Sims, Angela Douglas, Terry Scott, Peter Butterworth, Bernard Bresslaw

The classic CARRY ON ... film. It was recently voted one of the top ten best British films ever made. Besides poking affectionate fun at the colonial war films of the era (and a then current TV series entitled THE REGIMENT) it is a source of inspiration for character names for colonial wargamers. Who can ever forget Sir Sydney Ruff-Diamond, the Khasi of Kalabar, or the fearsome Burpas?

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The Charge of the Light Brigade

THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE

Warner Brothers - 1936
Errol Flynn, Olivia De Havilland, Patric Knowles, Henry Stephenson, Nigel Bruce, Donald Crisp, David Niven, Robert Barrat

The story begins on India's North West Frontier, where Major Geoffrey Vickers of the 27th Lancers is escorting an envoy to meet an important local tribal leader, Surat Khan. During the visit Major Vickers saves Surat Khan's life, but this does not prevent the latter from plotting - with help of a Russian military adviser - the destruction of the frontier post garrisoned by the Lancers. Whilst the bulk of the Regiment is absent on manoeuvres, the Khan's forces attack the frontier post. The survivors of the depleted garrison - including the women and children of the Regiment - eventually surrender after Surat Khan guarantees them safe passage, but once they are in the open the Khan's troops renew their attack. With the exception of Major Vickers and his brother's fiancée - both of whom escape on a raft - everyone is murdered in cold blood. Subsequently the Khan's forces are defeated and he flees to Russia. The story then moves to the Crimea, where the 27th Lancers form part of the famous Light Brigade. When news reaches Major Vickers that Surat Khan is serving with the Russian Artillery at Balaclava, the Major realises that the 27th Lancer have an opportunity to avenge their dead. He forges an order to the commander of the Light Brigade to the effect that the Brigade must attack the Russian Artillery, thus causing the famous charge. Despite horrendous losses - including the death of Major Vickers - the Light Brigade reach the Russian guns, and Surat Khan is killed.

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D

The Drum

THE DRUM

Alexander Korda - 1938
Sabu, Raymond Massey, Roger Livesey, Valerie Hobson, Desmond Tester

The story deals with unrest and inter-tribal rivalry on the Indian North West Frontier. The Khan of Tokot, who is friendly to the British, fears that his brother, Prince Ghul, intends to overthrow him and his son. As a result he signs a treaty with the British to ensure their protection. The Khan's fears are well founded, and Prince Ghul and his followers seize power and kill the Khan. The Khan's son, Prince Azim, manages to escape and after many adventures he helps the British to depose his uncle and regain his throne.

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55 days at Peking

FIFTY FIVE DAYS AT PEKING

Samuel Bronston Productions - 1963
Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, David Niven

The siege of the Legations at Peking is a story of courage in the face of overwhelming odds, and the film portrays this very well. There are several skirmishes between the Europeans and the Boxers that will provide excellent material for wargames scenarios, even thought the climactic battle, where the relief force arrives just in the nick of time, is a little overdone. This does not, however, detract from one's enjoyment of the film in any way.

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The Four Feathers

The Four Feathers

THE FOUR FEATHERS

Alexander Korda - 1939
John Clements, Sir Ralph Richardson, June Duprez, Sir Aubrey Smith, Allan Jeayes, Jack Allen

Korda's classic rendition of this famous story of self-doubt and subsequent heroism. Mainly set in the Sudan during the reconquest, Korda was able to use Sudanese extras who had actually fought at the Battle of Omdurman. Despite what now appears to the modern eye to be somewhat wooden performances by some of the actors, the story has pace and verve. The use of real locations and an actual gunboat that took part in the campaign makes this a 'must see' for anyone with even the slightest interest in the Sudan Campaign.

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The Four Feathers

The Four Feathers

THE FOUR FEATHERS

Trident Film Productions - 1977
Beau Bridges, Robert Powell, Simon Ward, Jane Seymour

To save money, this remake of A.E.W.Mason's story made use of footage from Korda's 1939 film of the same name. As a result it is often seen as a rather poor imitation of Korda's film. This is unfair, as those battle scene that were shot specially for this film have pace and verve, and compare well with those in Korda's version.

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The Four Feathers

THE FOUR FEATHERS

Miramax International & Paramount Pictures - 2002
Heath Ledger, Wes Bentley, Kate Hudson

This film tells a different version of A.E.W.Mason's story from that told in the films made in 1939 and 1977. The basic story is the same, but this film places it at the time of the expedition to relieve General Gordon, and not during the later reconquest of the Sudan. Some of the action sequences are stunning - especially the long distance view of the British square under attack from all sides - and the use of the 'Diehards' (the Victorian Military Society's re-enactors) to take portray the British soldiers and to train the locally recruited extras ensures that the rank and file British and Egyptian troops look right.

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G

Gunga Din

GUNGA DIN

RKO Radio Pictures Inc. - 1939
Cary Grant, Victor MacLagen, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Sam Jaffe, Joan Fontaine

Based very loosely on Kipling's poem of the same name. This is a fun romp through the history of British India as it never was! Featuring a frontier rising, a sick pet elephant, a lost Temple of Gold, the hidden rites of the Kali worshipping Thugs, and a final battle scene that includes the deployment of two Gatling guns carried on the backs of pack elephants. Not to be missed!

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Yound Indiana Jones - The Phantom Train of Doom

THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG INDIANA JONES - CHAPTER 10 - THE PHANTOM TRAIN OF DOOM

Lucasfilm Ltd. - 1992
Sean Patrick Flanery, Ronny Coutteure, Lynsey Baxter, Tom Bell, Ronald Fraser, Paul Freeman, Freddie Jones, Norman Rodway

The film is based around events in East Africa during 1916, and involves an attempt by Indiana Jones and a group of veteran members of the 25th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers to destroy a German railway gun. As in all Young Indiana Jones films, real-life characters appear, including General Smuts, General von Lettow-Vorbeck, Frederick Selous, and Richard Meinertzhagen. The film uses some excellent 'props' (including a magnificent narrow-gauge railway gun), and provides plenty of ideas for skirmish scenarios.

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Young Indiana Jones - Oganga

THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG INDIANA JONES - CHAPTER 11 - OGANGA, THE GIVER AND TAKER OF LIFE

Lucasfilm Ltd. - 1992
Sean Patrick Flanery, Ronny Coutteure, Bryan Pringle, Michael Duchaussoy, Isolde Barth, Yann Colette, Friedrich Von Thun

The film is based around events in East Africa and the Congo during 1916, and involves an attempt by Belgian troops (including Indiana Jones) to cross Africa to retrieve and deliver some much needed weapons. As in all Young Indiana Jones films, real-life character appear, including Albert Schweitzer and his wife. The film opens with an attack by Belgian-led Askaris on a position held by German-led Askaris, and also features a wonderful African Queen-like riverboat.

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Young Indian Jones - The Daredevils of the desert

THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG INDIANA JONES - CHAPTER 15 - THE DAREDEVILS OF THE DESERT

Lucasfilm Ltd. - 1992
Sean Patrick Flanery, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Julian Firth, Cameron Daddo, Douglas Henshall, Haluk Bilginer

The film is based around events in Palestine during 1917, and involves an attempt by Indiana Jones and a beautiful, belly dancing spy to ensure that the wells at Beersheba are not destroyed by the Turks and Germans when the town is attacked by the Australian Light Horse. As in all Young Indiana Jones films, real-life character appear, including General Allenby, Richard Meinertzhagen, and Lawrence of Arabia. The film features the charge by the Australian Light Horse that captured Beersheba.

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Khartoum

Khartoum

KHARTOUM

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. - 1966
Charlton Heston, Lord Olivier (Sir Laurence Olivier), Richard Johnson, Sir Ralph Richardson

The film concentrates on the struggle between men who thought that they were doing the work of God - General Gordon and The Mahdi. The film starts with a narration written by Winston Churchill, and moves through the events leading up to Gordon's appointment as Governor-General of the Sudan. It then follows the incidents of the siege of Khartoum, culminating in Gordon's death. The film has some memorable battle scenes including the defeat of Hick's Expedition, a foraging expedition by the defenders of Khartoum to collect wheat and cattle that is ambushed by the Mahdists, and the attempt by an armed riverboat to break through the Mahdist blockade. The latter even features a Gardener gun being fired by an Egyptian crew.

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Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence of Arabia

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA

Columbia Picture - 1962
Peter O'Toole, Sir Alec Guiness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, Jose Ferrer, Sir Anthony Quayle, Claude Rains, Arthur Kennedy, Omar Sharif

Directed by David Lean and based on T.E.Lawrence's own account of his work entitled THE SEVEN PILLARS OF WISDOM. The film follows T.E.Lawrence's rise from being a junior Intelligence officer in Cairo to leadership of part of the Arab Army. As one would expect from David Lean, the film is extremely well made and has stunning photography. The battle scenes are excellent, and the ambush of the train is outstanding. The film does not glorify war in any sense, and the scenes that feature the aftermath of an attack on a Turkish convoy are horrifying in the way they depict man's inhumanity to one another.

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The Lighthorsemen

THE LIGHTHORSEMEN

Medusa Pictures Ltd. - 1987
Jon Blake, Peter Phelps, Tony Bonner, Bill Kerr, John Walton, Gary Sweet, Tim McKenzie, Sigrid Thornton, Anthony Andrews

The film covers the story of the Australian Light Horse from its arrival in Egypt until its climactic charge during the Battle for Beersheba. A sub-plot deals with the true story of a ploy by Richard Meinertzhagen to deceive the Turks and German into thinking that no attack would be made against Beersheba.

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The man who would be King

The man who would be King

THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING

Columbia Pictures - 1975
Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer, Saeed Jaffrey, Shakira Caine

A rip-roaring film, based on a short story by Rudyard Kipling. It follows the adventures of Danny Dravot and Peachy Carnehan - both former British Army soldiers and Freemasons - in the legendary Kingdom of Kafiristan. After a series of battles Dravot and Carnehan - helped by Billy Fish, a Ghurka Rifleman - conquer Kafiristan. The local tribesmen, who believe Danny Dravot to be the reincarnation of Alexander the Great, make Dravot the new King of Kafiristan. Against Carnehan's advice Dravot decides not to return to India with the treasures they have plundered during their conquest of Kafiristan. This eventually leads to disaster when the tribesmen, led by their priests, revolt and kill Dravot and Billy Fish. Only Carnehan, who is seriously wounded, escapes back to India to tell his story to Kipling.

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© Robert George Cordery (2005)