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Post Info TOPIC: Criticalpast Film Update
James H


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Criticalpast Film Update
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Very grateful to Lincoln Tanker for the link to the Getty Images shots. Set on the trail by the "film in Dorset, 1927, " have come up with this:

The Somme, 1927. Director, M.A. Wetherell

Cast includes: James Richardson; T.W.H. Veale, V.C.

Found this synopsis: "The Somme" gives one the impression of having been (filmed) during the battles. There is a suggestion of Bairnsfather's famous "Better 'Ole" when two Tommies are in one of those shell holes. They are there waiting for a chance to join their pals. One of them pops up his head and then wants to know what ails him. His comrade laughs at him. They both look up, and in the distance they see something that through the mist looks like a prehistoric monster. Then, to their dismay, the thing becomes more distinct. It is their first sight of a tank! After that the crawling fortress pushes its way along, crushing dugouts, parapets and anything in its path."

That sounds like it to me. Will check with the kind people at the silent movie forum.

If I've got this right, Pte. Veale plays himself, and re-enacts the actions that led to his V.C.

Some links: http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C03E5D6103FE33ABC4F51DFB7678383639EDE

http://www.south-central-media.co.uk/chrono_list.htm (8th item down - it gives the location as Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire)

If it's meant to be the Somme, that would explain the grenade roof on the Mk V. Whether it's the same film as the one containing the mock-up A7V, I wouldn't like to say at the moment. Maybe they took some liberties with history.

 



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LincolnTanker


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Pleased you found that James, I didn't find any thing about the film

 

Noticed the New Era company name on the poster and found this :-

http://www.imdb.com/find?q=the+somme&s=all

Not sure whether the film can be viewed through this site.



-- Edited by LincolnTanker on Monday 23rd of January 2012 05:02:35 PM

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ChrisG


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James H


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It was the caption on your Getty Image that put me on the path. I'd like to thank LincolnTanker, the director,, the crew, my mother, etc.

Kind people at Nitrateville tell me that "the film survives, and the BFI have a Viewing Copy, ie, for a reasonable fee you can make an appointment with them and watch it on a Steenbeck in their London offices."

It seems a Steenbeck is a type of film viewing/editing contraption, nothing to do with 3rd Ypres. Small world.



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James H


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Ah. This one?

http://www.history.co.uk/videos.html?bctid=659758095001&The-Real-War-Horse

Continuity mistakes galore and a bit of dodgy history, but very much worth a watch. If we've got the right film, then some footage has clearly got into the system somehow, and keeps appearing. IWM?

Now a very kind gent from Oz has revealed this review from the Cairns Post of Aug 17, 1929:

'The great British war film "The Somme," produced by the New Era Company, in close co-operation with the War Office, will be seen to-night. Actual tanks, which saw service in '"The Somme," are utilised for scenes showing the first entry of the tanks into the fighting zone; and many thrills are supplied. Real shell-and machine-gun fire were used for many of the big scenes. An attack on German observation balloons by our aircraft is one of the thrills. V.C. incidents include the winning of the honor by Colonel Campbell, of the Coldstream Guards. Corporal Veale personally re-enacts his adventures for the film, and he is shown rescuing a wounded officer on No-Man's Land, under heavy shell fire - thus winning the V.C.'



-- Edited by James H on Tuesday 24th of January 2012 01:57:10 AM

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Rob


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Ah! Mk V's with a grenade roof explains the clip used on the 'Real War Horse' documentary I watched earlier today then

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James H


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The BFI has a full, scene-by-scene synopsis of The Somme: http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/352395?view=synopsis

"Two soldiers take cover in a fox-hole. One peers over the edge and sees a strange object. He tells his companion they both look out (1112). LS through smoke and explosions of tank coming to camera (1122). The tank nears the fox-hole, the tank turns left followed by camera, then turns facing the camera (1135). The tank moves past the fox-hole and crashes through barbed wire (1158). German machine gun fires in vain (1152-1153,1158-1160). Tank crosses barbed wire, CU as tank moves past camera (1170). Repeat sequence of (1153-1170), (1192). Troops gather behind tank for protection as it smashes through German trenches (1211). LS of two tanks crossing batleground coming to camera; smash way through barbed wire and trenches (1255). Allied troops take trenches and Germans retreat (1276). German machine gun position fires on tank, tank crushes it."

That does it for me.



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