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The Four Feathers (1929)
Sheldon Hall


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 377
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Did anyone else see this on its two recent screenings at the National Film Theatre in London? It was shown as part of the Merian C Cooper and Ernest B Schoedsack season - they co-directed it, as they did the 1933 version of KING KONG, hence the timing. A 16mm archive print was imported specially from the US, and given live piano accompaniment (it's silent, though there was originally a music and effects track, not played at the NFT, and certain sequences are in pale two-colour Technicolor).

It's different from all other versions of the story that I've seen. After the familiar set-up (albeit without Eithne's father - no "Guns, guns, guns ... the thin red line", etc) it departs wildly from the usual story: no love triangle with Durrance, no sun-blindness in the desert, no branding or pretended dumbness (it's silent anyway!) and no Battle of Omdurman. Instead, a beleaguered fort in the desert, and a more small-scale desert battle with the soldiers forming a square followed by a savage and exciting set-to with the Dervishes. Also a helter-skelter prison escape with fleeing baboons crossing a river and dozens of hippos piling into the water!

Not exactly true to the letter of AEW Mason (though apparently the author saw and enjoyed it), and not up to the 1939 Korda version, but certainly in the right spirit and, despite the simplification and 'streamlining', still streets ahead of the recent remake; also more intriguing than the 1955 and 1977 versions because of its differences. No sign of a DVD release, so I'm not sure when it'll become available for viewing again, but if it does, watch out for it!
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Rich
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Sheldon..thanks for the heads up! That would be a nice title to have.

Looks like "Carl Denham" really had his start with the "Four Feathers", eh?... Wink . From what I read, old "Carl" wanted sound on the picture to boot but the studio wouldn't do it. BTW, I picked up "Kong". Boy what a film all the way back from '33! It just has to be at the top of one of the greatest films ever made!
Sheldon Hall


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 377
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Hi Rich,

It wasn't "Carl"'s first film - the same team had also made the feature-length documentaries GRASS and CHANG, and apparently TFF originated from a desire to make use of other exotic docu material shot on location (hence the baboons and hippos). It was one of the last "big" films to be filmed silent, possibly because it had been a long time in production. And yes, KK33 is terrific, and I gather the Region 1 DVD is likewise.

Merry Christmas!

Sheldon
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Rich
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Thanks Shel for the update! Funny how things hang together. Last night I popped in "The Searchers" by Johnny Ford and who comes up as producer.....ole Merion C!

And Merry Christmas!....this week I'll be getting another viewing of Alastair with his friend Marley!........For me it's the best "Christmas Carol" on celluloid...what about you? That's no humbug for me.....
Eduardo


Joined: 10 Dec 2005
Posts: 13
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I think that the 1939 version of the 4 feathers was indeed the best.
It seems that when preparing the mad charge of the mahdists, they realize/found out that there were many "extras" who were present/ participated in 1898, during the real battle of Omdurman, or had close relatives who were mowed down by British firepower, etc. Further, the lee-metfords would be firing blanks, while the fuzzi-wuzzis had swords and spears, made of some material, probably other than steel, but which could hurt if used agressively. In view of all this, it seems that Korda was afraid that once the charge was initiated with all its exhilarating components, the "extras" seeing the old enemiy in front of them, could get carried away and trample the British lines.....it would be a unique opportunity to have another go at the British, this time, sans firepower......
In view of all this, it seems that machine gun nests were positioned off cameras cum real ammo. If the "extras" got indeed carried away and crossed a certain line in the sand, the machinegunners were ordered to mow them down. Luckily, nothing like that happened.
Cheers!
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Sheldon Hall


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 377
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Eduardo,

Fascinating stuff - but what are your sources of info?
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Eduardo


Joined: 10 Dec 2005
Posts: 13
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Sheldon,

An older gentleman (passed away, recently) who saw the 1939 version shortly after its release told me he read about it in articles of the time reviewing the movie. He was a fine "straight shooter" type of a gentleman and a military history buff, and I have no reasons to doubt he was not telling the truth.
Cheers !
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Johnny_H


Joined: 19 Feb 2006
Posts: 101
Location: Canada, Halifax Nova Scotia
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I am going to order that once I clear off the book orders on my CC from Amazon.ca ahah Embarassed .. spent way way too much.

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"It looks, er, jolly simple doesn't it? (Bromhead to Adendorff)
Jolly deadly old boy! (Adendorff) "
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Johnny_H


Joined: 19 Feb 2006
Posts: 101
Location: Canada, Halifax Nova Scotia
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Very Happy Its been well over a decade since I have been lucky enough to watch this movie, so naturally I watched it as soon as I got home from work last night.

Movie's just as good if not better than I remembered it.
Everytime the old general tells "The Story about the Crimea, when War was War and Men were Men" it never gets old ahaha

I really only wish it wasn't full screen but Wide Screen format but I can't really complain the fact this incredible movie exists at all speaks volumes enough for me.

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Jolly deadly old boy! (Adendorff) "
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Sheldon Hall


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 377
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Johnny,

The 1939 version of THE FOUR FEATHERS (i.e., the one you have on DVD) was not made or meant to be shown in a wide-screen format. Like almost all films made before 1953, it was shot and designed to be shown in the 4x3 format also used for non-widescreen televisions. The only way to present it in a widescreen format would be (1) to crop the top and bottom of the frame, destroying the composition (this was actually done in the 1955 remake, STORM OVER THE NILE, which although filmed in CinemaScope - 2.55:1 ratio at the time - used 'blown up' footage from the 1939 version; both were made by the same director, Zoltan Korda); or (2) using the anamorphic display function on a widescreen TV to 'stretch' the image to fill the screen, thus making everyone look fatter and distorting the image completely, as in a fairground mirror. Sadly, a lot of people with 16:9 TVs seem to prefer this, which suggests either that they have no visual sense whatsoever or/and they believe that filling their TV frame is more important than seeing the film as it was designed and made to be seen... I'm sure you're not one of these. Your DVD is fine as it!!

Sheldon
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Johnny_H


Joined: 19 Feb 2006
Posts: 101
Location: Canada, Halifax Nova Scotia
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I never knew that Very Happy

yeah that being the case of course I would rather the full screen.
There is just sooo much in the movie, the Naval gunboat is what really made me lose my head, it looked pretty authentic.

I swore I saw some dervishes with Enfield 3.03's ( WWI era ) but that is easily forgotten and looked over, because this movie really gets me, I was stuck wondering "what if gunga din" was shot in color with the same sort of seriousness. I like Gunga Din but I still cant help but think even as old a film as it is that it could of been better perhaps not as goofy.

But things like that really catch me, seeing the breech loading guns in action, the gunboat, just the overall picture itself is incredible. Its really a shame that such movies are not made anymore, that the focus is largely on visual stimulation then making a truely epic war film these days.

I sound old saying that, much older than I am but I watch these movies including Zulu and hope that somethin that good will come out and Ill be lucky enough to see it on the big screen.

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"It looks, er, jolly simple doesn't it? (Bromhead to Adendorff)
Jolly deadly old boy! (Adendorff) "
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Eduardo


Joined: 10 Dec 2005
Posts: 13
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Johnny:

You may be interested in knowing that the gunboat depicted in the movie was the original one, the "Melik" For more trivia visit
http://www.melik.org.uk/articles_four_feathers.htm
Cheers !
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The Four Feathers (1929)
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