AOK4 Posted 30 January , 2003 Share Posted 30 January , 2003 Hello, This movie was on TV yesterday evening. To what degree is the story behind the movie true (about the "Sandringham" Company of the 5th Norfolk Regiment being completely destroyed during an attack in Gallipoli, a lot of the men being executed by the Turks)? Regards, Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 30 January , 2003 Share Posted 30 January , 2003 The full story is in the book with the same title as the film. It contains a battalion roll and details of casualties. I am in the office at the moment but will post the ISBN number and publisher details when I get home as I have the book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john w. Posted 30 January , 2003 Share Posted 30 January , 2003 I have the book at home. Can supply details if you want them. The film being a film may have some dramatic licence but in essence the book does show the build up and subsequent loss of the Sandringham Company in action. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 30 January , 2003 Share Posted 30 January , 2003 As promised here are the book details: ALL THE KING'S MEN Author: Nigel McCrery Publisher: Simon & Schuster ISBN: 0 671 71131 8 Nigel McCrery was an Associate Producer of the film first shown on BBC TV in 1999. Comments on the film can be found on www.gallipoli-association.org/all_the_kings_men Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_Grundy Posted 30 January , 2003 Share Posted 30 January , 2003 The Gallipoli Association's website carried an article challenging the script some time ago. Check it out under the 'News' link: http://www.gallipoli-association.org/ Personally speaking, I was very unimpressed with the production. In particular, I thought they went a long way beyond licence in the depiction of the nature of the relationship between the upper and lower classes on large estates of the time. Part of my family experienced the benevolance of one estate owner during the war when, after my great-grandfather died in 1916, his wife and 10 surviving children were kicked out of their tied cottage. Yep, that counts as a personal good old-fashioned working class grudge! I also considered the portrayal of the homosexual relationship between an officer (the same actor who played Wilfred Owen - not an accident I'm sure - in 'Regeneration') and one of the men, whilst certainly not impossible, viz. the Edward Brittain scenario in the 11th Notts & Derby, was portrayed risibly. It descended way into stereo-type and caricature. Mind you, stereo-type was one of the strengths of the film, as we all know that every Turkish sniper was a woman. My grandfather was nearly court-martialled for shooting a Turkish female sniper if you believe the family legend. There are merits in mixing fictionalised story-lines with actual events if it illustrates the actual experiences of those who were there (I can highly recommend any of Shelby Foote's American Civil War fiction in this respect) but this was too much fiction and not nearly enough fact. Shelby Foote never puts words into the mouths of an historical character that he cannot prove they actually said. As far as his fictional ones go, they don't say or do anything that did not fit in with the times they are set in. This rule was not so much broken as shattered by "All the King's Men". My four penneth, for what it's worth. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 30 January , 2003 Author Share Posted 30 January , 2003 Thanks a lot for the interesting link, although not familiar with the Gallipoli campaign, I must say I tend to agree with most of the remarks made about the movie. I didn't know that Turks used women in their army though... Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 30 January , 2003 Share Posted 30 January , 2003 Having visited Gallipoli recently I can tell you the Turkish farmer loves his wife to this day, he takes her to the fields with him every day... Seriously, what delightful people. Our bus got stuck twice, army people helped the first time, a farmer gave us watermelons and tomatoes. Next time a farmer with wife and child along actually pulled us out with his tiny tractor. Gallipoli is really remote, very few people there, lots of wild dogs, quite a visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 30 January , 2003 Share Posted 30 January , 2003 The book has been re-issued under the Pocket Book Label ISBN 0 671 01831 0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jock Bruce Posted 30 January , 2003 Share Posted 30 January , 2003 There is some solid information (from the regimental history) about the Norfolks at Gallipoli at http://user.online.be/~snelders/sand.htm Jock Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 31 January , 2003 Share Posted 31 January , 2003 The Gallipoli Association's journal 'The Gallipolian' not only published an article by the historian Col. Michael Hickey criticizing this film's inaccuracies, they also disributed a 12 page reprint of Dick Raymer's "The Sandringhams at Suvla Bay" which first appeared in 'Stand To!' No.58, April 2000. Raymer refers to the film having "a number of purely fictious figures and unsustainable incidents." He also "takes issue with several other aspects of the television production." His piece is well worth the reading. Lest there be any doubt as to The Gallipoli Association's feelings on this film, I strongly suspect that they were also reponsible for the small wooden cross and poppy which I saw at the foot of the Norfolk's memorial stone at Azmak CWGC in 2001. The cross carried the following legend: "5th Norfolks - ill served by the BBC" Michael D.R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon_Fielding Posted 31 January , 2003 Share Posted 31 January , 2003 If anyone has a copy of the Stand To! article on the 1/5 Norfolks, I'd be very pleased to get hold of a copy. Likewise Michael Hickey's article. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 31 January , 2003 Share Posted 31 January , 2003 Simon, If you cannot get these articles on line, then please e-mail me with your postal address and I will be happy to let you have photocopies. Regards, Michael D.R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest John Orfei Posted 31 January , 2003 Share Posted 31 January , 2003 I think that the movie "All the King's Men" by Masterpiece Theatre (BBC) did a great dis-service to the men who fought in, and lost their lives in that action. I for one would not rent or purchase it. However, I did view it a few years ago, when it aired(on cable) in the States. Regards, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryn_Hammond Posted 2 February , 2003 Share Posted 2 February , 2003 You might also like to read the excellent article by Philip Dutton which you can get to from http://www.iwm.org.uk/online/gallipoli/suv...vlaanafarta.htm http://www.iwm.org.uk/online/gallipoli/pdf...files/azmak.pdf It is downloadable as a PDF file you can print and read anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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