The Relief of Lucknow – 1912

Filmed in Bermuda by the Edison Company in 1911, it is a short depiction of the Relief of Lucknow. The producer would claim, “This film does not yield to fiction to any extent whatever, as nothing could add to so dramatic an episode.” Released only 55 years after the siege itself to commemorate the anniversary of the mutiny, at the first screening in the UK in 1912, four veterans who had been present at the siege were reasonably impressed. One would state, in an article in the Penny Illustrated Paper (Saturday 14 September 1912), he was “roused by the correctness of the details.”

To give the film its dramatic wave of authenticity, the director, J. Searle Dawley, was assisted by the Bermuda Garrison itself and even requisitioned men from the 2nd Battalion, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment as extras.

The film does throw the timeline of the siege into some disarray – the mutiny that occurred on 30 May was a full month before the Battle of Chinhat and the start of the siege. Sir Henry Lawrence was wounded on 4 July and died two days later. There was also no volunteer sent to reach Havelock; not a British one, at any rate. However, two Indians, Ungud and Kanoji Lal, took many such risks throughout the siege; yet the film appears to be focusing on Kavanagh, right down to swimming across the river. This, however, would be on Campbell’s advance and not Havelock’s.
It then dramatically returns to Havelock’s advance, depicting the fighting in the narrow Lucknow streets, something that Campbell avoided. It would also have been suicidal to actually open the Bailey Guard Gate, and it never was, as it was blocked up from the inside. An opening was made off to the side to allow Havelock and his men to enter.

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