Balaclava (film)
Encyclopedia
Balaclava is a 1928 British war film
directed by Maurice Elvey
and Milton Rosmer
and starring Cyril McLaglen
, Benita Hume
, Alf Goddard
, Harold Huth
and Wally Patch
. A British army officer is cashiered, and re-enlists as Private to take part in the Crimean War
and succeeds in capturing a top Russian spy. The film climaxes with the Charge of the Light Brigade
. It was made by Gainsborough Pictures
with David Lean
working as a production assistant.
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
directed by Maurice Elvey
Maurice Elvey
Maurice Elvey was the most prolific film director in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year....
and Milton Rosmer
Milton Rosmer
Milton Rosmer was a British actor, film director and screenwriter. He was born in Southport, Lancashire on 4 November 1881. He made his screen debut in the 1916 film The Mystery of a Hansom Cab and continued to act in film and television until 1956...
and starring Cyril McLaglen
Cyril McLaglen
Cyril McLaglen was a British actor who appeared in a variety of films between 1920 and 1951. He was born in London in 1899 and made his film debut in the 1920 film The Call of the Road. He was the younger brother of the actor Victor McLaglen...
, Benita Hume
Benita Hume
Benita Hume was an English film actress. She appeared in 44 films between 1925 and 1955.She was married to actor Ronald Colman from 1938 to his death in 1958; they were the parents of a daughter, Juliet...
, Alf Goddard
Alf Goddard
Alf Goddard was a British film actor.Brother of a famous boxer, Alf Goddard was once a boxer too. He was also a trained athlete and a professional dancer. He served in the army in World War I and when he was invalided out he worked on munitions. He made his stage debut in a musical hall act in 1916...
, Harold Huth
Harold Huth
Harold Huth was a British actor, film director and producer. Born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire in 1892. He made his screen debut as an actor in the 1928 film One of the Best and followed it up with the role of Captain Nolan in the film Balaclava about the Charge of the Light Brigade. He directed his...
and Wally Patch
Wally Patch
Wally Patch was a British character actor, who had supporting roles in many films. He was born Walter Sidney Vinnicombe in Willesden, London on 26 September 1888...
. A British army officer is cashiered, and re-enlists as Private to take part in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
and succeeds in capturing a top Russian spy. The film climaxes with the Charge of the Light Brigade
Charge of the Light Brigade
The Charge of the Light Brigade was a charge of British cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. The charge was the result of a miscommunication in such a way that the brigade attempted a much more difficult objective...
. It was made by Gainsborough Pictures
Gainsborough Pictures
Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, London. Gainsborough Studios were active between 1924 and 1951. Built as a power station for the Great Northern & City Railway it...
with David Lean
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
working as a production assistant.
Cast
- Cyril McLaglenCyril McLaglenCyril McLaglen was a British actor who appeared in a variety of films between 1920 and 1951. He was born in London in 1899 and made his film debut in the 1920 film The Call of the Road. He was the younger brother of the actor Victor McLaglen...
... John Kennedy - Benita HumeBenita HumeBenita Hume was an English film actress. She appeared in 44 films between 1925 and 1955.She was married to actor Ronald Colman from 1938 to his death in 1958; they were the parents of a daughter, Juliet...
... Jean McDonald - Alf GoddardAlf GoddardAlf Goddard was a British film actor.Brother of a famous boxer, Alf Goddard was once a boxer too. He was also a trained athlete and a professional dancer. He served in the army in World War I and when he was invalided out he worked on munitions. He made his stage debut in a musical hall act in 1916...
... Nobby - Miles ManderMiles ManderMiles Mander , born Lionel Henry Mander , was a well-known and versatile English character actor of the early Hollywood cinema, also a film director and producer, and a playwright and novelist.-Early life:Miles Mander was the second son of Theodore Mander, builder of Wightwick Manor, of the prominent...
... Captain Gardner - J. Fisher White ... Lord Raglan
- Henry MollisonHenry MollisonHenry Mollison was a British film actor. He was the brother of the actor Clifford Mollison.-Selected filmography:* Balaclava * Knowing Men * Third Time Lucky * The Face at the Window...
... Prisoner's Friend - Betty BoltonBetty BoltonBetty Bolton was a British actor, beginning as a child star during World War I and continuing her career in the 1920s and 1930s....
... Natasha - Robert Holmes ... Father Nikolai
- Harold HuthHarold HuthHarold Huth was a British actor, film director and producer. Born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire in 1892. He made his screen debut as an actor in the 1928 film One of the Best and followed it up with the role of Captain Nolan in the film Balaclava about the Charge of the Light Brigade. He directed his...
... Captain Nolan, Adjutant - Wally PatchWally PatchWally Patch was a British character actor, who had supporting roles in many films. He was born Walter Sidney Vinnicombe in Willesden, London on 26 September 1888...
... Trooper Strang - H. St. Barbe West ... Prosecutor
- Boris Ranevsky ... Tsar
- Wallace BoscoWallace Bosco-Selected filmography:* Won by a Head * The School for Scandal * The Kensington Mystery * Old Bill Through the Ages * Quinneys * Balaclava * The Man Who Changed His Name...
... Lord Palmerston - Marian Drada ... Queen Victoria