Masterpiece Theatre: All the King's Men | David Jason; Maggie Smith; William Ash; Sonya Walger;...

Masterpiece Theatre: All the King's Men | David Jason; Maggie Smith; William Ash; Sonya Walger; Stuart Bunce; James Murray (XIII); Ed Waters (II); Tom Burke (IV); Ben Crompton; Eamon Boland; Jo Stone-Fewings; James Hillier (II); David Troughton; Emma Cunniffe; Adam Kotz; Patrick Malahide; Gaye Brown; Phyllis Logan; Ian McDiarmid; Danny Worters | Moving Drama

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Masterpiece Theatr...

Masterpiece Theatre: All the King's Men
David Jason; Maggie Smith; William Ash; Sonya Walger; Stuart Bunce; James Murray (XIII); Ed Waters (II); Tom Burke (IV); Ben Crompton; Eamon Boland; Jo Stone-Fewings; James Hillier (II); David Troughton; Emma Cunniffe; Adam Kotz; Patrick Malahide; Gaye Brown; Phyllis Logan; Ian McDiarmid; Danny Worters

WGBH BOSTON, 2005

average customer review:

based on 9 reviews
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highly recommended

The true story of England's vanished regiment is revealed. It is one of the most compelling and curious legends of the First World War. Led by Captain Frank Beck (David Jason), a favorite agent of King George V (David Troughton, Madame Bovary), Sandringham Company was comprised entirely of servants, grooms and gardeners from the King's Norfolk Estate. On August 12, 1915 the unit marched into battle against the Turks in Gallipoli and simply vanished, never to be heard from again. Queen Alexandra, played by Dame Maggie Smith (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, A Room with a View), was the driving force behind the investigation into the real fate of the battalion. But despite her extensive inquires, no trace of the men was ever discovered. Now, All the King's Men brings the details of what really happened in 1915 to the screen for the first time. It tells the story of these amateur soldiers, the idyllic life and loves they left behind in the quintessential English country estate and the horrors of an ill-prepared campaign to which they were subjected.

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haunting story of a lost regiment

"All the King's men" is the story of the lost Sandringham regiment during the First World War at Gallipoli. The workers on the Sandringham estate wanted to do their bit to help in the war, and convinced the Queen to let them join their fellow soldiers at Gallipoli. The regiment disappeared, much to the puzzlement of the families they left behind. Of course, the men were killed, but since there were no letters, no word from the War Office, no witnesses, no returned mementos, there was a strong interest in finding out what happened to those men.
I thought that the movie did a good job. The costumes were of the period, the characters were believable, and there was a wonderfully poignant juxaposition of the bewilderment of the families back in England and the hard realities of battle at Gallipoli. There was also a heartbreaking touch during the scene in which the commander is reading one of Rupert Brooke's 1914 sonnets to his men "If I should die, think only this of me...." then the movie continues with the brutality of the war. Far more Sigfried Sassoon than Rupert Brooke, but Brooke illustrated the naivite that still existed at the time (Brooke too died en route to Gallipoli). I highly recommend this movie. If you are looking for another World War I movie, I also recommend "Gallipoli", starring a very young Mel Gibson.

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Moving Drama

A very well made, moving drama about the Estate workers at Sandringham who volunteer during The First World war to fight the Turkish in Gallipoli. Unlike the Mel Gibson Film, this focuses purely on the British contingent at the Dardanelles and the suffering and losses involved.

The legend of the Sandringham soldiers has it that a mist descended on them as the marched into battle and that they were never seen again. This actually shows the reality of battle, the distinct lack of glory and the shambolic reconnaisance which leads in turn to the inevitable result.

As the drama unfolds, we are introduced to the characters and have enough time to get used to them and start to understand and like them.

If war films are not your thing, believe me, this is very different. Worth a watch, especially the ever-dependable David Jason.

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All the King's Men

Slightly stuffy and fractured, but that really doesn't change this PBS miniseries' special qualities at all. Maggie Smith is quite good in her role, and adds humour to it as well. The other cast members are excellent, with direction and writing at tops.
A must if you enjoy Masterpiece Theater.

All the King's men

A thoughtful speculation on one of the great mysteries in WWI's forgotten war in the Dardanelles.

semi factual film

I must say a lot of this film is pure fiction and is definitely sensationalised such as the young bride who has to have sex with the nearest man!

Captain Frank Beck was a real person, and I was brought up with the story about him, as his 3rd daughter was my grandmother.

I feel it shows his nephews as quite pathetic characters but in fact they were very brave men(as were a lot of soldiers of their time) and they were later decorated with military crosses although sadly none of them survived the war.

As fiction its ok as fact, take it with a pinch of salt-loosely based on fact

David Jason did a much better job than I expected from an actor more known for comedy

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reviews: page 1, 2

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Great Period Movies ~ Masterpiece Theatre Edition
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WWI Movie Selection