The Charge of the Light Brigade

The Charge of the Light Brigade, directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Errol Flynn, is a period film loosely inspired by Tennyson's poem of the same name, but it strays far from the actual events of the Crimean War. The script invents a massacre that never happened in Crimea to manufacture a justification for the Light Brigade's real charge, which was in fact caused by a disastrous command error. During the filming of the final charge, tripwires used to bring down horses on cue caused 125 horses to be tripped, 25 of which died or had to be destroyed, and killed one stunt rider; Errol Flynn, an accomplished horseman, was furious at the cruelty and clashed with director Curtiz over it. The public outcry that followed helped lead to US legislation banning the use of tripwires on film sets. The film was a box office success and received three Academy Award nominations. Who it's for: anyone curious about a lavish 1930s period film whose on set animal cruelty scandal helped change American law, while the story itself knowingly departs from real history. Who it's not for: those wanting to learn the actual events of the Crimean War, since the film invents a fictional massacre to justify a real military disaster.