140 Years, Rorke's Drift 1879

[OldTaff]

Today marks 140 years since the defence of Rorke's Drift and the utter disaster of Isandlwana on 22nd and 23rd January 1879. Let's raise a glass to all the courageous men of both sides who fought and fell in those actions.

Alan

 

[Joe55]

Now where is my ZULU DVD?

 

[OldTaff]

Watched it! Each year on the anniversary, a mate and I both give it a celebratory viewing, and even with all its faults, it's still a stirring piece

 

[chippy]

A really interesting fact come up on my Local News program last night about one of the main characters from the film Zulu . Henry Hook , in the film he is portrayed as a idle Cockney drunkard . Where as in fact he was a Gloucester Man from a place called Churcham , a teetotaller and lay preacher .
Artistic licence taken a bit to far in the case of a very brave man .
chippy

 

[OldTaff]

In 1963 James Booth was an up and coming "character " actor from the Joan Littlewood stable . He was in "Sparrows Can't Sing" on stage and in the B&W film in the '60's, and tended to portray all his parts as a right 'Cockney geezer'. I seem to recall that Hook's descendants took a very dim view of his portrayal of their illustrious ancestor.
It's always grated with me a bit, too.

Alan

 

[housecarl]

In 1963 James Booth was an up and coming "character " actor from the Joan Littlewood stable . He was in "Sparrows Can't Sing" on stage and in the B&W film in the '60's, and tended to portray all his parts as a right 'Cockney geezer'. I seem to recall that Hook's descendants took a very dim view of his portrayal of their illustrious ancestor.
It's always grated with me a bit, too.

Alan

A poem describing Hook's part in the battle of Rorke's Drift was written by William McGonagall in 1899. In the film Zulu, Hook is depicted as an insubordinate malingerer placed under arrest in the hospital, only to come good during the battle. However, Saul David writes in his book, Zulu: The Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879, that he was there as the hospital cook, subsequently as part of a small guard detail assigned to protect the patients. Saul David continues that far from the miscreant portrayed, Hook was actually a teetotaler, Methodist preacher and model soldier. Further to this, he had been awarded Good Conduct pay shortly before the battle. His elderly daughters were so offended at the way their father had been depicted in the film that they walked out of the premiere. (Wiki)

 

[chippy]

Carl thank you very much for adding far more interesting to this thread . Nothing was mentioned in the News report about his elderly daughters even attending the premiere let alone walking out of it . The next time I watch the film I will watch it as just a movie not a piece of historical reference .
chippy

 

[Helm]

C/Sgt Bourne was another one, totally unlike his film portrayal. He was the youngest ever to reach that rank and was called the kid.

 

[frank h]

Hi
The film Zulu is a great piece of entertainment ….putting aside its historical inaccuracies
I did read that Michael Caine was auditioning for the part of Henry Hook
When the casting director said …..He looks more like a bloody officer …….if he can speak properly well have him
that's how he got role of Gonnville Bromhead

Not a lot of people know that ….

Frank