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The Four Feathers (1978)
Director: Don Sharp
Writers: A.E.W. Mason(novel), Gerald Di Pego(screen play)
Cast: Beau Bridges, Jane Seymour, Robert Powell, Simon Ward
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Romance
Yes, I watched another one of those Four Feather movies again! This one was made in 1978 for British TV and features that British beauty Jane Seymour. Jane is paired up with American actor Beau Bridges, brother of Jeff Bridges. To my American ears, Beau did a passable English accent and fit the part well.
This version, unlike the 1939 & 1955 versions that I watched, followed closely the classic novel by A.E.W. Mason. It's funny how just a little difference in story telling makes the movie all the more compelling. In the earlier movie versions the soldier on the eve that his army unit is to be deployed to Egypt, resigns...thus earning him four white feathers, the mark of a coward. But that seemed a bit harsh to me, and unbelievable.
So in this version at his wedding announcement party he receives four messages from military command telling him and his three army friends that they have been called to duty in Sudan. Well, he burns those messages and lies to his friends, saying nothing of the orders to report for duty. This causes his friends to earn scorn from their commander officer as they are basically AWOL. They then give him their personal calling card with a white feather attached. The mark of a coward.
I thought Jane Seymour was stunning, regal and perfect in the role. I like Beau Bridges but not as much as I did the actor who did the role in the 1939 version. There was less of the action and fighting in this 1978 version than the earlier movies...but there was more time spent in England getting to know the characters.
Overall, I liked this story quite a bit.
+
The Four Feathers (1978)
Writers: A.E.W. Mason(novel), Gerald Di Pego(screen play)
Cast: Beau Bridges, Jane Seymour, Robert Powell, Simon Ward
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Romance
Yes, I watched another one of those Four Feather movies again! This one was made in 1978 for British TV and features that British beauty Jane Seymour. Jane is paired up with American actor Beau Bridges, brother of Jeff Bridges. To my American ears, Beau did a passable English accent and fit the part well.
This version, unlike the 1939 & 1955 versions that I watched, followed closely the classic novel by A.E.W. Mason. It's funny how just a little difference in story telling makes the movie all the more compelling. In the earlier movie versions the soldier on the eve that his army unit is to be deployed to Egypt, resigns...thus earning him four white feathers, the mark of a coward. But that seemed a bit harsh to me, and unbelievable.
So in this version at his wedding announcement party he receives four messages from military command telling him and his three army friends that they have been called to duty in Sudan. Well, he burns those messages and lies to his friends, saying nothing of the orders to report for duty. This causes his friends to earn scorn from their commander officer as they are basically AWOL. They then give him their personal calling card with a white feather attached. The mark of a coward.
I thought Jane Seymour was stunning, regal and perfect in the role. I like Beau Bridges but not as much as I did the actor who did the role in the 1939 version. There was less of the action and fighting in this 1978 version than the earlier movies...but there was more time spent in England getting to know the characters.
Overall, I liked this story quite a bit.
+