The Victoria Cross

1912 War 15 minutes Directed by Hal Reid

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About The Victoria Cross

In the fall of 1854, before the Charge of the Light Brigade, Lieutenant Cholmondeley asks Colonel Carson for Ellen. The colonel says he may have her when he has won his spurs. Russia goes to war with England and France, and the brigade leaves. Ellen volunteers as a nurse under Florence Nightingale. Her father recognizes her when the nurses pass in review. During the charge Cholmondeley saves the colonel from three Cossacks, lifting one overhead. Ellen watches through her father's field glasses. After the war the survivors are mustered before Queen Victoria, the lieutenant receives the Victoria Cross, and the colonel gives him Ellen.

Cast & crew

More about The Victoria Cross

Hal Reid directed and wrote the scenario from Tennyson's poem The Charge of the Light Brigade. A Vitagraph one-reeler, distributed by General Film. Also known as The Charge of the Light Brigade and as The Victoria Cross; Or, The Charge of the Light Brigade. IMDb lists a release of 27 April 1912 and a running time of 15 minutes. Silent Era lists one reel and a surviving 16mm reduction positive.

Themes

Background

The story uses the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava in 1854 and Florence Nightingale's Crimean nursing.

Making

Vitagraph staged the Crimean charge and the muster before the queen inside one reel, with Reid playing the lieutenant who later became a star.

Preservation

A 16mm reduction positive survives. A copy is on the Internet Archive.

Notes

  • Wallace Reid plays Lieutenant Cholmondeley. Silent Era spells the name Cholmodelsky.
  • Edith Storey plays Ellen Carson. Tefft Johnson plays Colonel Carson. Rose Tapley plays Queen Victoria. Julia Swayne Gordon plays Florence Nightingale.
  • The colonel's line, recorded on IMDb, is "When you have 'won your spurs', I will give my consent!
  • An Internet Archive copy is filed as silent-the-victoria-cross.

Scenes

  • Cholmondeley lifts a Cossack overhead while defending Colonel Carson in the charge.
  • Ellen watches the charge through her father's field glasses.
  • Queen Victoria's muster, where he receives the cross and Ellen.

Influenced by

  • Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem The Charge of the Light Brigade

Also available

  • Internet Archive (silent-the-victoria-cross)

Quotes

When you have 'won your spurs', I will give my consent!