In 1917 when the British forces are bogged down in front of the Turkish and German lines in Palestine they rely on the Australian light horse regiment to break the deadlock.
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Title: The Lighthorsemen (1987)
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2 wins & 1 nomination.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Peter Phelps | ... |
Dave Mitchell
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Nick Waters | ... |
Lighthorse Sergeant
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John Larking | ... |
Station Master
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John Heywood | ... |
Dave's Dad
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Di O'Connor | ... |
Dave's Mum
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| Shane Briant | ... |
Reichert
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Ralph Cotterill | ... |
Gen. Friedrich von Kressenstein
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Bill Kerr | ... | |
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Grant Piro | ... |
Charlie
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| Tony Bonner | ... |
Col. Murray Bourchier
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Serge Lazareff | ... |
Rankin
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| Gary Sweet | ... |
Frank
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John Walton | ... |
Tas
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Tim McKenzie | ... |
Chiller
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Jon Blake | ... |
Scotty
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Palestine, 1917. The British advance has been stopped by the Turkish line running from Gaza to Beersheba. The latest attack on Gaza has failed. The attacking forces included a regiment of Australian mounted infantry, the Light Horse... Lighthorseman Frank is wounded in a skirmish with Bedouin. He is replaced by a young soldier, Dave, who proves to be a crack shot, but reluctant to fire at the enemy. Dave proves himself during a German biplane attack. Recuperating in hospital, he meets a sympathetic nurse, Anne... The regiment is called upon for a bold flanking attack on Beersheba. But how do you convince the Turks the main attack will come at Gaza? And how do you attack across a desert without water? Written by David Stanko
Taglines:
They did what they were told...They didn't know it was impossible See more »Certificate:
See all certifications »Parents Guide:
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
AustraliaLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
10 September 1987 (Australia) See more »Also Known As:
Jinetes de leyenda See more »Box Office
Budget:
AUD 10,500,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
DolbyColor:
Color (Eastmancolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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Scotty: No.
Dave: Then, why do they call you Scotty?
[Scotty thinks]
Scotty: Cause I'm Irish.
See more »
Music and lyrics by W.W. 'Skipper' Francis
By Arrangement with Allans Music (Australia) Pty. Limited
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
In the climactic scene depicting the charge of the Australian Lighthorse at Beersheba several of the riders are actually women dressed in men's uniforms. See more »Quotes
Dave: Hey, Scotty, you're not Scotch, are you?Scotty: No.
Dave: Then, why do they call you Scotty?
[Scotty thinks]
Scotty: Cause I'm Irish.
See more »
Connections
Edited into The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Palestine, October 1917 (1993) See more »Soundtracks
AUSTRALIA WILL BE THEREMusic and lyrics by W.W. 'Skipper' Francis
By Arrangement with Allans Music (Australia) Pty. Limited
See more »
Historically accurate and meticulously researched, this is one of the genre of "federation-era" war productions in the 1980's by the Australian film industry. The high-quality movies and mini-series of this collection included such titles as "Breaker Morant", "Gallipoli" and "ANZACS", and one can see obvious similarities in the techniques and methodology used in their production. This, however, does not detract from their appeal or their entertainment value; quite the reverse, in fact. The formula for this genre was to take an historically-documented campaign and translate it as faithfully as possible to the big screen, with emphasis on characterisation, accuracy of detail and background.
The formula works, because the characters are believable, and the situations, events and settings have been faithfully re-created. Much of the background and information for this genre came from personal diaries and military archives preserved over the years, which adds credence to the plots, the action and the stories.
"The Lighthorsemen" highlights the campaign of the Australian mounted rifles in the North Africa battleground of the Great War, and culminates with the last successful action of horse-riding troops in combat. Without giving away the story too much, the taking of Beersheba in the closing days of 1918 was a decisive event in military history, and the screen portrayal of this action will have you on the edge of your seat.
Masterful performances by Jon Blake, Shane Briant and Bill Kerr (all veterans of this movie formula,) the attention to detail, the drama, and the occasional humour make for a very entertaining movie. It's recommended viewing.