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Announcing the "British Empire in Film" Blogathon

9/13/2014

40 Comments

 
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I say, old chaps! Pip pip, tally-ho and all that, wot?

That's right, it's time to announce the British Empire Blogathon, hosted by the mad genius who dreamed up the idea in the first place, Clayton at Phantom Empires, and yours truly. We thought it was high time we sally forth into the world of blogathons with one of our own, and we'd like to invite like-minded fellow bloggers to join in the fun.

We love these movies, from beloved classics like Gunga Din, Zulu, The Charge of the Light Brigade and Kim, to less well-known titles like North West Frontier, Bhowani Junction, and King of the Khyber Rifles. We know we're not alone in our regard for these stories of high adventure and stiff-upper-lip heroism.

There are only a few ground rules
we ask contributors to follow:

  • Films set during the British Empire, particularly with archetypal British characters and subjects.
  • No duplicates, please - but different versions of the same films are OK.
  • Films made pre-1980, with bonus karma points for those filmed while the empire was still in existence.
  • While grinding political axes is OK, to a great extent we would prefer that the films be chosen because they are cool and exciting to watch, in the same way that Westerns and Foreign Legion films are.  That doesn't mean that the Brits have to be the good guys!
  • The more stiff-upper-lip and "I say, old chap", the better!

The event is scheduled for November 14 - 17. If you would like to submit an entry (or more! Don't be shy), please let us know by leaving a comment on this post below, or the similar announcement here at Phantom Empires. You can also feel free to use our contact forms here (for Clayton) or here (for me).

Please include the title and link to your blog, contact information and of course the title of the film(s) you'd like to cover. We also ask that you include a link to this post and Clayton's in your review, and to use one of the event banners
included in this post on your website to help promote the blogathon.

We think this event will prove a jolly good time
. Thank you and we look forward to your posts!


Contributors:


Speakeasy - The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

Movies Silently - The Four Feathers (the 1929 and 1939 versions)

Thrilling Days of Yesteryear - Carry On...Up the Khyber (1968)

Silver Screenings - The Life and Death of Col. Blimp (1943)

Tipping My Fedora - The Letter (1940)

Mike's Take on the Movies - Royal Flash (1975)

Tales of the Easily Distracted - Gunga Din (1939)

Girls Do Film - The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968)

A Person in the Dark - The Letter (1929)

Once Upon a Screen - The Little Princess (1917)

Critica Retro - The Rains Came (1939)

Silver Scenes - Kim (1950) and Flame Over India (1959)

Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier - Black Narcissus (1947)

Caftan Woman - The Last of the Mohicans (1936)

Mildred's Fatburgers - Zulu (1964)

Kevin's Movie Corner - The Sun Never Sets (1939)


Sometimes they go to Eleven - The Chess Players (1977) and Breaker Morant (1980)

Moon in Gemini - Young Winston (1972)

Laura's Miscellaneous Musings - King of the Khyber Rifles (1953)

Classic Movie Hub - Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

History on Film - The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936)

Shameless Pile of Stuff - Khartoum (1966)

Random Pictures - The Heart of the Matter (1953)

Phantom Empires - Three Sergeants of Bengal (1964)

The Stalking Moon (guest post by Jerry Entract) - The Drum (1938)

The Stalking Moon - The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935)



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40 Comments
Prashant C. Trikannad link
9/13/2014 01:39:50 pm

Jeff, this is a unique challenge — pre-1980 films set in and around the British Empire. I'll have to give it some thought. In case I do come up with something I'll let you know in advance. I'd enjoy participation in this event..

Reply
Jeff
9/13/2014 04:03:18 pm

Sounds great, Prashant! We'd love your input. Take your time and let us know what film you decide upon. Thanks for joining in!

Reply
Sergio (Tipping My Fedora) link
9/13/2014 05:43:29 pm

Hi Jeff - on the other site I suggested both THE LETTER (1941) and A PASSAGE TO INDIA but that's from 1984, so maybe just the Bette Davis movie - would that OK?

Reply
Jeff
9/13/2014 08:53:04 pm

THE LETTER sounds like a winner, Sergio! A PASSAGE TO INDIA is a wonderful film, but a bit past the 1980 cut-off date. Thanks so much for joining the blogathon!

Reply
Kendra link
9/14/2014 11:06:28 am

Fun! May I please sign up for Black Narcissus?

Reply
Jeff
9/14/2014 06:21:56 pm

Hi Kendra! Ir's yours! Welcome to the blogathon!

Reply
Margaret link
9/14/2014 11:26:05 pm

May I write about THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951)?

Reply
Jeff
9/15/2014 11:40:11 am

Hello, Margaret! We'd love for you to join the blogathon, but I'm afraid we both find THE AFRICAN QUEEN - while being a terrific movie - not quite fitting into the theme of the event. If you can think of another film that you'd like to cover that fits the more into the "British Empire" remit, we'll gladly sign you up right away.

Reply
Margaret link
9/16/2014 03:01:42 am

But the whole point of the movie is that they decide to sink the Louisa because they consider themselves British subjects and must fight for Britian even though they've lived in the colonies for years. I don't know how this could NOT be considered a film about the British Empire! If you look on most lists compiling movies are about the British Empire, AQ is right at the top.

Patricia Nolan-Hall (Caftan Woman) link
9/15/2014 02:12:07 am

I'd like to join in with a look at 1936s "The Last of the Mohicans".

Reply
Jeff
9/15/2014 11:41:28 am

Great choice, Caftan Woman! Looking forward to what you have to say about that film.

Reply
Raquel link
9/16/2014 06:19:48 am

Great idea for a blogathon! Looks like you already have a great line-up.

Reply
Clayton @ Phantom Empires link
9/16/2014 09:21:18 am

...there's always room for more! :)

Reply
Jeff
9/16/2014 09:51:06 am

Thanks for checking in, Raquelle! As Clayton says, we'd love more contributors. You'd be most welcome to join in if you have a mind to. There are plenty of other titles no one's yet claimed. Clayton has a good starter list at his page at www.phantomempires.weebly.com which should give you some further ideas.

Reply
Kevin Deany link
9/17/2014 12:39:01 am

Hi Jeff and Clayton: I'd like to do Universal's THE SUN NEVER SETS (1939), a gonzo Imperialist film with Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Basil Rathbone, Lionel Atwill and C. Aubrey Smith. With a title like that, Smith better be in it.

Reply
Jeff
9/17/2014 07:46:30 am

Damn straight, C. Aubrey better be in it...in fact, I'd go so far as to say it's not really a proper British Empire movie without C. Aubrey Smith. ;)

Great choice, Kevin! How have I not even HEARD of this movie? Welcome aboard!

Reply
Clayton
9/17/2014 06:00:18 pm

Err...Kevin, where can one find this obviously perfect film???

Reply
Kevin Deany link
9/18/2014 12:22:06 am

Clayton, I taped it off AMC many years ago. I still have a functioning VHS player. tried the tape and it still plays. It shares a tape with another Fairbanks THE FIGHTING O'FLYNN, yet another gem that has yet to receive a proper home video release.

Reply
Clayton
9/18/2014 02:28:32 pm

Astounding good luck, sir! I think it's already my favourite film, though I've yet to see it! The cast and the synopsis alone makes it 135% my kind of thing...and I had no clue! I found it on a grey market DVD source, though, so you've made my decade! I'll wait until the Blogathon to watch it!

Reply
john knight
9/22/2014 10:09:45 pm

Lesley Selander's DESERT SANDS is worth a mention but does not
fit the genre as it's a Foreign Legion flick,in color and Superscope.
I thought I'd mention it anyway as it has a great performance from
Aussie Ron Randell playing an upper class English twit.
(does Randell look like Mark Whalberg or what!)
DESERT SANDS is set in the Fifties BTW with helicopters and
stuff. A Blu-Ray from Kino-Lorber (who are slowing going through the
United Artists back catalog) would be sensational
Great cast too:Ralph Meeker,Marla English,J Carrol Naish,Keith
Larsen,John Carradine,John Smith.
Would also like to see Selander's ROYAL AFRICAN RIFLES
with Louis Hayward and Veronica Hurst and shot in L.A.!
Sadly this is yet another Allied Artists picture not owned by
Warners.

Reply
Jeff
9/23/2014 06:12:54 pm

Great to hear from you, John K.! I always love reading your comments at Colin's, :Laura's and Toby's blogs. You've got a real encyclopaedic knowledge of (and passion for) westerns and adventure films in particular.

Thanks for the info re: DESERT SANDS and ROYAL AFRICAN RIFLES...those are both films that I've never seen. They sound great (just looking at the cast list for DESERT SANDS is enough to grab my interest). I would think ROYAL AFRICAN RIFLES would certainly fit the blogathon criteria, though you might be right re: DESERT SANDS perhaps being iffy, due to its genre and time period. I can well imagine that my pal Clayton would be interested in hosting a Foreign Legion Film blogathon at some point down the road, though.

Thanks again for the comment and hope to see you around here when the mood strikes you in the future!

Reply
Clayton
9/23/2014 09:39:53 pm

I just got ROYAL AFRICAN RIFLES fom a grey market dealer recently! It's a reasonable print. There's a clip from it on Youtube.

A Foreign Legion Blogathon would be a tight one access-wise for most, but an excellent ideer!

john knight
9/23/2014 09:43:20 pm

Jeff,thank you so much for your kind comments,I feel somewhat
humbled by them though!
I will certainly try to join in more in the fun here in the future.
Interestingly, a friend went to a special screening a year or so back
in London where Veronica Hurst was the guest speaker.
She looked terrific and had many interesting stories to tell.
She did however have nothing good to say about ex husband
William Sylvester. That's a pity because I always liked Sylvester
in movies,I guess they met while filming the excellent Brit Noit
THE YELLOW BALLOON.
Veronica is best known for her leading role in "cult" horror flick
THE MAZE....yet another great Allied Artists picture not owned by
Warner Brothers.....the bain of my life.
Anyway Jeff thank you so much for your most kind words.

Reply
John Knight
9/24/2014 09:29:56 pm

Just to add to titles that might fit the genre are the two India set films KHYBER PATROL (1954)
and from the same year BENGAL BRIGADE. Neither of these are as good as the aforementioned
KING OF THE KHYBER RIFLES with Lone Pine standing in for the Northwest Frontier.
There are also a couple of big-budget romps from the UK based Warwick Films ZARAK (1956)
and KILLERS OF KILIMANJARO (1959) The latter was also known as Adamson Of Africa.
The downside of the British Empire was also reflected in CONDUCT UNBECOMING (1975)
and even more so in the later WHITE MISCHIEF (1987) which sadly is outside the given time-frame.
Another film, outside the time-frame is Eastwood's superb WHITE HUNTER BLACK HEART
(1990) While the sun had set on the empire when this film was set,it did examine colonial
racism (and anti Semitism.)
I did explain to animal-loving Laura that only Eastwood could make a film about the mystique of
big game hunting where not one animal is shot. Thanks also to Laura for directing me to this most
interesting thread.

Reply
Jeff
9/25/2014 07:58:10 am

Hello again, John! Thanks for the information on Veronica Hurst, and especially for introducing some further titles for the blogathon...was aware of BENGAL BRIGADE but not KHYBER PATROL, and ZARAK is an excellent choice that completely slipped my mind. CONDUCT UNBECOMING is also an inspired choice. WHITE MISCHIEF is indeed a fine movie but, as you say, outside the time limit for this event.

Thanks so much for your informative comments!

Reply
Jerry Entract
9/25/2014 12:22:45 am

I would like to submit a rather wonderful film for this from the Alexander Korda stable, "THE DRUM" (1938) starring Sabu, Raymond Massey (playing the rotter of course), Roger Livesey ( as the wonderfully-named Capt. Carruthers!) and Valerie Hobson.

A perfect example of a film about the British Empire and one to savour and enjoy.

Reply
Jeff
9/25/2014 08:01:36 am

Greetings, Jerry! THE DRUM is a wonderful choice! We'd love to have you cover it for the blogathon! I'm not sure if you have a dedicated website or not, but you are very welcome to submit your piece (if indeed you are interested in doing one) to me here and I'll gladly publish it on this site as a guest post. The same goes for you, too, John K.!)

If that sounds satisfactory to you, please let me know. And thanks for the comment!

Reply
Jerry Entract
9/25/2014 10:56:42 pm

I don't have a website, Jeff, so if it could be submitted as a "guest" post here that would be great. Thanks.
When would you want to receive a piece by??

Jeff
9/26/2014 07:25:22 pm

Jerry, a guest post sort of deal works just fine for me. If you'd just kindly send me your submission on or before Nov. 14th, that would be great. Clayton and I love us some Sabu and Roger Livesey can do no wrong in my book...haven't seen THE DRUM other than pieces of it way back when I was a wee nipper, so am really looking forward to reading your piece. Feel free to send it to me at my email address:

jeffflugel@yahoo.com

Thanks!

Reply
Laura link
9/25/2014 06:32:03 am

Hi Jeff!

Have read all of the above with great enjoyment -- and thanks to you and John for the kind mentions of my site!

Has anyone else signed up for KING OF THE KHYBER RIFLES yet? I'm a huge Tyrone Power fan but have not yet seen it, and I have a Fox Movie Channel recording. I've not yet seen it so am assuming it's appropriate just based on the mention at the top of the page, LOL. Please let me know if that title's still free. Thanks!

Funny thing, I'm finally seeing Tyrone in PONY SOLDIER for the O Canada! blogathon next month!

Best wishes,
Laura

Reply
Jeff
9/25/2014 08:04:08 am

Hi Laura! Great to hear from you!

KING OF THE KHYBER RIFLES was just standing idly by, waiting for you to claim it...it's yours! A very fun movie, can't wait to hear what you have to say about it!

Thanks so much for joining our blogathon!

Reply
Laura Grieve link
9/25/2014 12:15:30 pm

Wonderful, I've put it on my calendar! :)

Thanks, Jeff!

Best wishes,
Laura

Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub link
9/25/2014 08:10:29 am

Hi Jeff,

Wonderful idea for a blogathon. Would Lawrence of Arabia fit the bill. If so, I would like to do that.

Best,
Minoo Allen for CMH

Reply
Jeff
9/25/2014 09:37:50 pm

Welcome, Minoo! Sure, we'd be happy to have you discuss LAWRENCE OF ARABIA - one of the greatest movies of all time! - for the blogathon. Thanks for joining in!

Reply
john k
9/26/2014 12:02:01 am

One sub genre that does come to mind and I'm not sure if it fits,is the Australian
Penal Colony Movie.
Two that spring to mind are BOTANY BAY (1953) with Alan Ladd and James Mason
and ADAM'S WOMAN (1970) with Beau Bridges,John Mills and the lovely Jane Merrow

Reply
Jeff
10/10/2014 11:01:14 pm

John K. - Sorry to reply to your last comment so belatedly. Clayotn and I did consider films like BOTANY BAY, but as a large part of it takes place on board a sailing vessel, it sort of fell between the two stools of Empire and naval adventure. We're planning on hosting a "Seven Seas" blogathon next year, so maybe we can fit the Ladd film in then (not that we'd rule it out for the British Empire blogathon if someone offered to cover it). I must plead ignorance concerning ADAM'S WOMEN, but it certainly looks promising.

Reply
John Hitchcock link
11/7/2014 08:29:20 pm

This sounds like it could be fun. If I'd found out about it sooner I probably could have contributed a few things. Unfortunately I know that in November things often get really hectic for me between essay assignments and exam preparation (the ironic thing about being a film student is that it often becomes really hard to find time to watch movies). so I don't know I'd be able to find time to watch anything letalone write about it. These review based blogathons can be fun but I've found they're easier to participate in during the Summer when I have more free time.

However if it is of any interest, perhaps you'd like to consider joining the crazy space-themed blogathon adventure I have going on this month and into December:

http://hitchcocksworld.blogspot.ca/2014/10/voyage-to-stars-blogathon.html

Reply
Jeff
11/9/2014 06:06:14 am

Trust me, John, I hear you about this time of year being hectic! I completely understand about having a lack of time to commit to writing a post, but if you do decide to change your mind, feel free to chime in at any time during the event.

Thanks for the invite to your "Voyage to the stars" blogathon...I'll check it out later and see if it's feasible for my time schedule.

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment!

Reply
Sergio (Tipping My Fedora) link
11/15/2014 06:47:03 pm

Thanks for the link Jeff - I think the blogathon is going splendid well - congrats to you and Clayton, great fun!

Reply
Jeff
11/18/2014 06:08:57 am

Cheers for taking part, Sergio!

Reply



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