MASTERPIECE THEATRE: MY BOY JACK {THEATRICAL VERSION}
Summary
A film about famous author Rudyard Kipling’s grief over the loss of his son in World War I, based on the play of the same name. The story opens in Britain in 1914 at the dawn of World War I. Kipling distinguishes himself as an outspoken supporter of the war, working alongside the war propaganda council. He is outraged when his son John, nicknamed “Jack,” is disqualified from military service because of his severely impaired vision. Despite his continued efforts, Rudyard cannot secure his son a position in the army. Jack privately confides with his sister Elsie that his motivations for joining the army are not wholly patriotic; he feels the Kipling home has become inflexible and drab, and longs to escape it. After pulling some strings, Rudyard gets John instated in the Irish Guards as a second Lieutenant. After some initial difficulty in his training, John seems to take to his position well, eager for action. He visits his family one last time before setting off with his regiment to northern France to participate in the Battle of Loos, beginning the day after his birthday. His assignment is to secure a vital trench from the Germans. Soon after the battle, the Kiplings receive a telegram: Jack is missing in action, presumed wounded. The Kipling family makes every effort to try and find Jack, keeping a close correspondence with the military, inspecting photographs of survivors, and interviewing any soldier with even a remote acquaintance with their son. Finally a soldier under Jack’s command, Michael Bowe, arrives at the Kipling household and tells the full story of his fate: with most of his men gunned down by German bullets and shells, Jack orders his remaining soldiers to take a German machine gun outpost. Bowe can only watch as Jack is gunned down by enemy fire and dies. Finally faced with the truth, the Kipling family grieves for their bitter loss. Rudyard has difficulty reconciling that he may have facilitated his son’s untimely death. Slowly the Kiplings start to recover and move on with their lives, keeping Jack’s memory strong in their hearts. The film ends as Rudyard comforts King George V on the loss of his own son by reciting his poem, entitled “My Boy Jack,” about loss and remembrance. Cataloging of this program was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: April 20, 2008 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:35:11
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:92275
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Rebecca Eaton
- James Flynn
- Morgan O'Sullivan
- Robert Bernstein … Executive Producer
- Nicole Finnan
- Michael Casey
- Douglas Rae
- David Haig
- Mary Alleguen
- Brian Kirk
- Adrian Johnston
- David Haig … Cast, Rudyard Kipling
- Kim Cattrall … Cast, Carrie Kipling
- Daniel Radcliffe
- Carey Mulligan … Elsie Kipling
- Julian Wadham
- Martin McCann
- Richard Dormer
- Ruaidhri Conroy
- Laurence Kinlan … Cast, Doyle
- Ciaran Nolan … Cast, Daly
- Nick Dunning
- Michael McElhatton … Leo Amery MP
- Peter Gowen
- Brian de Salvo
- Simon Coury
- Michael Grennell
- Lucy Millar … Cast, Mrs. Carter
- Bill Milner … Cast, Peter Carter
- Sean O'Neill
- Peter Hanly … Major Sparks
- Bosco Hogan
- Rory Rae
- Robbie Kay
- Hannah McCabe
- Adam Goodwin … Cast, Captain Bruce
- John-Paul MacLeod … Cast, Ralph
- Peter O'Meara
- Billy Gibson … Maitland
- Fred Ridgeway
- Mark Huberman
- David Heap
- Chris McHallem
- Jason Maza … Cast, Journalist
- James Holmes … Cast, Photographer
- Rudyard Kipling