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| Director: Zoltan Korda
Actors: John Clements, Ralph Richardson, C. Aubrey Smith, June Duprez, Allan Jeayes
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
List Price: $14.95
Buy Used: $6.40
You Save: $8.55 (57%)
New (2) Used (14) Collectible (5) from $6.40
Rating:  48 reviews
Sales Rank: 11797
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Original Recording Reissued, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 130 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 0792844602
UPC: 027616807236
EAN: 9780792844600
ASIN: 0792844602
Theatrical Release Date: August 3, 1939
Release Date: April 4, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 48
 A Dream Overseas Posting April 3, 2005
Mr. K. C. Vellam (Kent England)
14 out of 16 found this review helpful
Back in 1939 aged 13 on holiday in Wales my parents took me to the cinema to see 'Four Feathers'. I was enthralled by the location and the acting and from that day the film became and still is my favourite. By 1945 I was serving my National Service and in December we embarked on the troop ship 'Strathmore' destination unknown. Off we sailed across The Bay of Biscay into the Med, a brief stop at Malta, on to Port Said through the Suez Canal where they announced our destination.....Khartoum.
And so I visited the scenes of my favourite film where I stayed until November 1947. In those days the Sudan and its people was a very friendly place so it saddens me to read of the long and bitter struggles that have existed there to this day.
Naturally whenevr 'Four Feathers ' is shown on TV it is a must for me and always will be. Wonderful colour,scenery,acting and a real 'Boys Own' adventure story. No swearing, no sex and no special effects.
Ken Vellam 71 Palm Court Westgate on Sea kent England
They don't make them like this anymore May 12, 2000
Michael J. Nathan (California, USA)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
Amazing that I waited until my 47th year to view this brilliant movie. Most of those seated at this year's Academy Award Ceremony could learn a good lesson from this film. You don't need sleexe, gore. sex and filthy language to make a great film. As one of those people who spends his time watching only the great classic films and only views 1 or 2 New Releases per year (This year it was Tarzan and Stuart Little) I would wholeheartedly recommend this movie to anyone who is reading this review.
Four Feathers- Five Stars April 13, 2000
clarence r. chagnon (burlington, vt. United States)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I have waited for this movie to come out on video because it is one of the best by Alexander Korda. It is authentic, fast paced, exciting, with excellent cimetography and character developement.Alexandra Korda was renown for his adherrance to historical detail, which makes his movies masterpieces. I firmly believe " The Four Feathers" is his crowning masterpiece and I don't think anyone who gets this video will be disappointed.I thoroughly enjoyed it and I highly recommend it for anyones collection.
Puts the Remakes to Shame October 20, 2005
Aloysius Oneill (Vienna, VA)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
The 1939 Zoltan and Alexander Korda production of The Four Feathers is one of the greatest adventure movies ever. Accept no substitutes -- especially the 2002 version with Heath Ledger as a totally anachronistic Harry Faversham. That one was shot somewhere with a lot of sand, but it wasn't the Sudan. In addition to an exciting and cohesive plot, one of the factors that make this 1939 version so extraordinary is the authenticity of production. In 1939, "shot on location" meant filming where the story actually took place, not, as now, just outdoors in a place that resembles the story's setting. Then, "location" meant the Sudan, which the British still controlled. The British soldiers were played by the contemporary British Army garrison in Cairo, with correct uniforms and weapons drawn from quartermaster warehouses and arsenals where they had been preserved for decades. Moreover, the Khalifa's Sudanese warriors were played by sons of men who had fought the British 41 years before at Omdurman; indeed, it is likely that some of the oldest Sudanese extras were veterans of that battle.
Although in many respects -- and not just in uniforms and weapons -- the book and the movie were products of their time and place, certainly people today still grapple with questions of service to their country and competing loyalties to family, not to mention self-doubt and bravery. These are central themes of this movie and are handled very well. In 1939, of course, the British were facing the terrible dangers posed by Hitler, giving the movie special relevance to theater patrons.
I've had the VHS version for years and this DVD is a welcome improvement in clarity of picture, color and sound. However, I agree with those who have complained about the chintzy packaging of the DVD: no bios of the stars, no liner notes or even a scene list. That's not the fault of the Kordas but of the present-day cheapskates at MGM. And the DVD jacket notes were obviously jotted down on the back of a leaflet at some anti-war rally by someone who had not seen this movie at all. These are annoyances and disappointments, but they don't detract from the story or the movie production.
Having read the book by A.E.W. Mason, I can say this is one of those rare instances (like "Goldfinger") where the movie is better than the book. Those who choose to project contemporary attitudes back many decades will sniff or gasp at this movie and the standards and mores it portrays. So be it. I suspect that if C. Aubrey Smith (as General Burroughs) were still around, Queen Elizabeth II would even now be toasted as "Queen Empress" in British regimental messes.
A beautiful up-to-date film February 1, 2006
Classic Movie watcher
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Many a time I saw the cover of this DVD; the faces of the 3 leading characters, notably the stunning beauty of June Duprez, and the rich colour of the film shots somehow misled me to think this as a modern movie.
Finally I watched this 1939 classic - a breathtakingly beautiful film, both in terms of the cinematography and the natural flow of the plot. The combat scenes were real and visually capturing - they would not pale compared with its modern counterparts.
To top it all, the story was simple and enchanting. Four feathers were given to Harry Faversham for his apparent cowardice to withdraw, in the last minute, from his regiment which was set to battle in Egypt. To prove his own worth, he would go to Egypt, disguise himself and did courageous deeds to these 4 people so that they would take the feathers back and reinstate his reputation and courage. This is a story about noble characters, not only for Harry but also for his fellow officers.
What follows were as exciting as it was captivating. I like the ending most - the one courageous deed he did for his wife (the graceful June Duprez) proved to be the perfect comic twist for this otherwise heavy film. Highly recommend it!
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