The Royal Oak (film)
Encyclopedia
The Royal Oak is a 1923 British
silent
historical drama film
directed by Maurice Elvey
and starring Betty Compson
, Henry Ainley
and Henry Victor
. A woman disguises herself as Charles II
in order to allow to real King to escape Oliver Cromwell
's troops after the Royalist defeat at the Battle of Worcester
. It was based on a play The Royal Oak by Henry Hamilton
and Augustus Harris
the title of which is a reference to the Royal Oak
in which Charles is said to have hidden.
The film proved popular and was re-released in 1929.
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
silent
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
historical drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
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 starring Betty Compson
Betty Compson
Betty Compson was an American actress. Born Eleanor Luicime Compson in Beaver, Utah, she had an extensive film career. Her father died when she was young, and she was forced to drop out of school and earn a living for herself and her mother...
, Henry Ainley
Henry Ainley
Henry Hinchliffe Ainley was an English Shakespearean stage and screen actor. He was married three times to Susanne Sheldon, Elaine Fearon and the novelist Bettina Riddle, later Baroness von Hutten zum Stolzenberg...
and Henry Victor
Henry Victor
Henry Victor was an English-born character actor. Raised in Germany, Victor is probably best remembered for his portrayal of the strongman Hercules in Tod Browning's 1932 film Freaks. He originally was a leading figure in UK silent films...
. A woman disguises herself as Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
in order to allow to real King to escape Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's troops after the Royalist defeat at the Battle of Worcester
Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II...
. It was based on a play The Royal Oak by Henry Hamilton
Henry Hamilton
Henry Hamilton was an Irish-born soldier and official of the British Empire. He was captured during the American War of Independence while serving as the Lieutenant Governor at the British post of Fort Detroit.-Early career :...
and Augustus Harris
Augustus Harris
Sir Augustus Henry Glossop Harris , was a British actor, impresario, and dramatist.-Early life:Harris was born in Paris, France, the son of Augustus Glossop Harris , who was also a dramatist, and his wife, née Maria Ann Bone, a theatrical costumier...
the title of which is a reference to the Royal Oak
Royal Oak
The Royal Oak is the English oak tree within which King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The tree was located in Boscobel Wood, which was part of the park of Boscobel House. Charles confirmed to Samuel Pepys in 1680 that while he was...
in which Charles is said to have hidden.
The film proved popular and was re-released in 1929.
Cast
- Betty CompsonBetty CompsonBetty Compson was an American actress. Born Eleanor Luicime Compson in Beaver, Utah, she had an extensive film career. Her father died when she was young, and she was forced to drop out of school and earn a living for herself and her mother...
- Lady Mildred Cholmondeley - Henry AinleyHenry AinleyHenry Hinchliffe Ainley was an English Shakespearean stage and screen actor. He was married three times to Susanne Sheldon, Elaine Fearon and the novelist Bettina Riddle, later Baroness von Hutten zum Stolzenberg...
- Oliver Cromwell - Henry VictorHenry VictorHenry Victor was an English-born character actor. Raised in Germany, Victor is probably best remembered for his portrayal of the strongman Hercules in Tod Browning's 1932 film Freaks. He originally was a leading figure in UK silent films...
- Charles I / Charles II - Thurston HallThurston HallThurston Hall was an American film actor. He appeared in 250 films between 1915 and 1957 and is probably best remembered for his portrayal, during the later stages of his career, of often pompous or blustering authority figures.Hall's best-known television role was as Mr. Schuyler, the boss of...
- Colonel Ancketell - Clive Brook - Dorian Clavering
- Bertie WrightBertie Wright-Selected filmography:* A Little Bit of Fluff * General John Regan * The Wheels of Chance * The Royal Oak * Young Lochinvar...
- Dearlove - Peter Dear - Lord Cholmondeley
- Dallas CairnsDallas Cairns-Selected filmography:* Guy Fawkes * The Royal Oak * The York Mystery * Rodney Fails to Qualify * Sally Bishop * Pearl of the South Seas...
- Pendrel - Blanche Walker - Parry
- Rolf Leslie - Melchizedek