40,000 Horsemen

Cavalry charges were a staple of action films from Hollywood during their Golden Age. This film is a minor example of that genre. More elaborate films such as The Four Feathers, Charge of the Light Brigade and Beau Geste were far more successful economically. However, this film does have its points of interest. It is about a cavalry charge during WW 1, a rather unusual event for that era. It would be the last one, as mechanized warfare could destroy an entire regiment of horsemen quite easily in the future. Fun to watch the noble Australians, however.

So-so WW1 drama.

The story of a unit of soldiers in the Australian Light Horse, fighting in the Sinai and Palestine in WW1. Given its historic context, it should be a decent war drama.

However, it is rather lacklustre and amateurish. First problem is that this was made in 1940, ie during World War 2, so is first and foremost a propaganda movie. The empty patriotism and manipulation is laid on thick. The Australians are all fantastic, likable, soldiers. The Germans are all evil and inept. (Some respect is shown for the Turks, but this may be because Turkey was neutral in WW2).

Then we have the random, out-of-place, lame speeches. Out of the blue some uneducated soldier from a country town starts pontificating on the meaning of life and war, etc.

To make things worse, the writers and director manage to throw in an unlikely romance (no, it doesn't involve a horse...), just to make things really silly.

Acting is fairly woeful, but that may be due to the script and direction.

On the plus side, the battle scenes are good and you do get a good sense of the history and bravery involved.

For a much better, more realistic and grittier depiction of the Australian Light Horse's exploits in the Sinai and Palestine in WW1, especially the Battle of Beersheba, watch "The Lighthorsemen" (1987) instead. A great movie.

This is quite a poignant take on a story of three young Australian lads who joined the Allied forces during the Great War and ended up serving in a Middle East replete with Bosch, scheming and plotting locals and a British high command that sadly wasn't as sharp as their lances. Yep, they were horse soldiers in a signals corp who actually still used signals. It's "Red" (Grant Taylor) who leads this band of irreverent and outwardly undisciplined "individuals" but as the lively vernacular gives way to some courageous and shrewd wartime activities, they soon prove to be more than a small thorn in the sides of their rather pompous and arrogant opponents who just assumed that these ex-con colonialists were a symbol of a British empire on it's knees and scraping the bottom of the barrel. The special effects, particularly the battles and the shelling, are really quite well directed and framed here, giving us a true sense of just how indiscriminate the attacking was and at just how perilous it was for these, and other, young men who had come to take part in a war for King and country that had precious little to do with the security or prosperity of their own nation. It's on that score that this is perhaps a little jingoistic. That's only to be expected, though, given it was made just as the Nazis were starting their own attempt to conquer Europe, but it's quite sophisticated in it's approach and not just a feel-good flag waving exercise. It portrays decent and ordinary men who were hard as nails when called for, but human and considerate of their colleagues when the chips were down. There is room for a soupçon of romance, courtesy of "Red" being rescued by the equally heroic "Juliet" (Betty Bryant), but it still manages to focus more on the spirit of those engaged here and in the end delivers predictably, but still quite effectively.

I definately liked this film mainly because it tells an important battle won by our brave Australian soldiers. Although the charge was made by the Light Horse which was mounted infantry it was the last REAL cavalry charge. The characters were very likeable Jim Bourke (Chips Rafferty) Red Gallagher (Grant Taylor) Larry Bourke (Pat Twohill) are all mates that are in the light horse, they are all Aussie bush men who joined up like so many others because it was the right thing to do. Its nice to see Chips Rafferty as the easy going Aussie bush man that made him famous. This movie was the predecessor to "The Rats Of Tobruk". In many ways they are both quite similar, they both talk about battles that are well known to Australians because they were both won by Australians, and they even use two of the same actors, Chips Rafferty and Grant Taylor. This movie and Rats Of Tobruk make great companions after spending ages looking for them i found copies of both them in the same shop. Both movies are very hard to find and if your a nationalist (like me) it will make you appreciate films like this a lot more so if you see a copy of this movie buy it.

Of course, since my dad passed away many years ago, I can't verify this. But I do remember him telling us kids that, as a member of the Australian Army Signals Corp, he and many of his fellow soldiers were recruited as horsemen to ride over the Kurnell sand hills as extras in this movie.

Since this was filmed in 1941, Australia was already in the war. My Dad's was record shows his service in New Guinea as a Lieutenant in the signals corps. I also remember him telling me about how he was trained to ride a motor bike so, along with the horse riding his story about being an extra was probably something to do with preparing them for service overseas.

If anybody that reads this is able to provide some verification that would be greatly appreciated.