March 9 - The Four Feathers (1978)

Today’s movie is an action/adventure film with a scene that happens on March 9.  I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

THE FOUR FEATHERS            

Harry Faversham, a sensitive boy grows up in Victorian England listening to his father and his army friends recount tales of heroism and courage. Harry grows up and joins the army. However, after he gets engaged to the beautiful Ethne Eustace he resigns his commission in spite of rumors that there will be a war in Egypt. During their engagement ball, the regimental officers get telegrams recalling them for immediate transport to Egypt, but Faversham burns them so he can feign ignorance of the recall and still resign. The other officers learn of this and Jack Durrance, Thomas Willoughby and William Trench send Faversham the white feather of cowardice. When Harry tells Ethne that he burned the telegrams, she gives him a white feather also and breaks their engagement. She turns her attentions to Jack Durrance. Harry undergoes a period of deep introspection in which he even considers suicide. He travels to Egypt on his own and seeks out Abou Fatma> Faversham gets Abou to agree to let him act as a scout for the British army, disguised as an Arab. The army camps in the desert at Tamai and that night the Dervish army surrounds the camp. Abou rides to get reinforcements, while Harry rides to warn the camp. In spite of this the camp is overrun and only few men led by Durrance escape. Durrance is blinded by a powder flash during close combat, but is saved by Harry. Durrance takes back his feather and Harry asks him to take the feather to Ethne. Trench is captured. While in the hospital Durrance gets a letter from Ethne agreeing to marry him. Durrance returns to England and tries to convince Ethne to end her engagement to him, a blind man. Back in Egypt Harry saves Willoughby from an assassination attempt.  Willoughby takes his feather back and gives it to Ethne.   Harry arranges to be arrested and thrown into jail with Trench. With Abou’s help Harry and Trench escape. On March 9, 188_ [1:23:44 to  1:31:26] Durrance tells Ethne he is going to Germany for treatment that may fully restore his sight and he ends their engagement. Trench returns and gives Ethne his white feather. She races to their meeting spot where she and Harry are reconciled.  

A decent adventure film. This version follows the book very closely. Goes into more detail about Harry’s psychological struggle after he got the feathers.

Date of dispatch describing Trench’s return to Cairo is given as March 2 at 1:24:19. The dispatch is described as “a week old” at 1:25:19.

Producer – Norman Rosemont

Director - Don Sharp

Awards – The film was nominated for the Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for a Drama Special at the 30^th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Screenplay - A.E.W. Mason and Gerald Di Pego

Runtime – 1 hour 40 minutes

Released – January 1, 1978

Starring –

Beau Bridges as  Harry Faversham

Robert Powell as  Jack Durrance

Simon Ward as  William Trench

Jane Seymour as  Ethne Eustace

Harry Andrews as  Gen. Faversham

Richard Johnson as Abou Fatma

David Robb as  Thomas Willoughby

Richard Beale as  Wembol (valet)

Robin Bailey as  Col. Eustace

John Hallam as  Sergeant Major

Julian Barnes as  Lt. Bradley

Mary Maude as  Mrs. Faversham

Frank Gatliff as Old major

Robert Flemyng as Old colonel

Robert James as John (the butler)

Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014.