My Boy Jack

[Pat Holscher]

A British production on Jack Kipling, Rudyard Kipling's son who was killed in WWI. An Imperial War Museum exhibit also exists on the same topic.

I haven't seen it, as we're not receiving this program here, but I'm mentioning it here in case somebody has. If you have let us know what your impression is.

http://london.iwm.org.uk/upload/package ... index.html

Pat

[Pat Holscher]

I note that this television movie series features Daniel Radcliffe, who is famous for portraying Harry Potter in that series of films. While it makes me stand out as unique in my family, I'm not really too familiar with his acting in these films, as I find them too boring to get through. But, having at least seen some of them, I have to note that I didn't even recognize him costumed here as Jack Kipling. He looks remarkably like a lot of the photos I see of young, middle and upper class, British officers from WWI.

Pat

[David Webb Φ]

I saw it last night, and was more impressed than I expected. The period details were well done, as were the trenches. Certainly not done on the cheap. I did wonder if Jack was a little too good to be true. It was not as sentimental as I thought it might be, but it had my wife in tears.
David

[Pat Holscher]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by David Webb</i>
<br />I saw it last night, and was more impressed than I expected. The period details were well done, as were the trenches. Certainly not done on the cheap. I did wonder if Jack was a little too good to be true. It was not as sentimental as I thought it might be, but it had my wife in tears.
David
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Is it a show in which the whole thing is presented in one single episode, or is it a mini series?

Pat

[David Webb Φ]

Pat,
It is a single episode. Not much scope for a series.
His father pulls many strings to get Jack commisioned despite his age and very bad eyesight.
Jack is a perfect officer, goes to the front. Missing on about his second day.
His family mount a long and detailed search for him. Killed heroically.

Many families of officers in the same position in WW1 apparently searched long and hard to recover their son's sword.
David

[Pat Holscher]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by David Webb</i>
<br />Pat,
It is a single episode. Not much scope for a series.
His father pulls many strings to get Jack commisioned despite his age and very bad eyesight.
Jack is a perfect officer, goes to the front. Missing on about his second day.
His family mount a long and detailed search for him. Killed heroically.

Many families of officers in the same position in WW1 apparently searched long and hard to recover their son's sword.
David



<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Was Jack too young, or too old, so that strings had to be pulled?

Pat

[David Webb Φ]

The real issue was that he was very shortsighted, almost blind without glasses, and was turned down by the Navy and later the Army. The sight test was without glasses, on the basis that if he lost them he would be in danger, a danger to his men and a liability.
His father Rudyard, was a prominent activist for the military, a friend of the King, and on the propaganda committee. So quite influential.
Jack was Commisssioned just under 18, too young for active service, and needed his father's permission to go to France. He died on the day after his 18th Birthday.
David