"Fall of Eagles" (1974)TV mini-series

Creator:

John Elliot
(more)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

15 March 1974 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

British drama about the collapse of three great European dynasties - the Romanovs, the Habsburgs and the Hohenzollerns.

Plot Keywords:

TV Mini-Series

Cast

Michael Hordern	...	Narrator (8 episodes, 1974)
Charles Kay	...	Tsar Nicholas II (7 episodes, 1974)
Barry Foster	...	Willy (7 episodes, 1974)
Gayle Hunnicutt	...	Tsarina Alexandra (6 episodes, 1974)
Laurence Naismith	...	Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria-Hungary (3 episodes, 1974)
Patrick Stewart	...	Lenin (3 episodes, 1974)
Curd Jürgens	...	Otto von Bismarck (2 episodes, 1974)
Maurice Denham	...	Kaiser Wilhelm I (2 episodes, 1974)
Bruce Purchase	...	Von Plehve (2 episodes, 1974)
Griffith Jones	...	Hintze (2 episodes, 1974)
Lynn Farleigh	...	Krupskaya (2 episodes, 1974)
Denis Lill	...	'Fritz', Prince Frederick William / ... (2 episodes, 1974)
Freddie Jones	...	Witte (2 episodes, 1974)
Peter Copley	...	Bethmann-Hollweg (2 episodes, 1974)
Peter Dyneley	...	Von Bulow (2 episodes, 1974)
Robert Brown	...	Uncle Serge (2 episodes, 1974)
David Dodimead	...	Kokovtsey (2 episodes, 1974)
Sandra Clark	...	Wally (2 episodes, 1974)
David Collings	...	Milyukov (2 episodes, 1974)
Isla Blair	...	Ella / ... (2 episodes, 1974)

(more)

Series Directed by
David Cunliffe		(3 episodes, 1974)
Bill Hays		(3 episodes, 1974)
Rudolph Cartier		(2 episodes, 1974)
Stuart Burge		(unknown episodes)
David Sullivan Proudfoot		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
John Elliot		(3 episodes, 1974)
Jack Pulman		(2 episodes, 1974)

Series Produced by
Stuart Burge	....	producer (unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
A.A. Englander		(unknown episodes)
Peter Sargent		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Peter Evans		(unknown episodes)
Sheila S. Tomlinson		(unknown episodes)
Chris Wimble		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Design by
Allan Anson		(unknown episodes)
Peter Brachaki		(unknown episodes)
Peter Kindred		(unknown episodes)
Chris Pemsel		(unknown episodes)
Moira Tait		(unknown episodes)
Fanny Taylor		(unknown episodes)

Series Costume Design by
Daphne Dare		(unknown episodes)
Robin Fraser-Paye		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Magdalene Gaffney	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)
Pauline Gyertson	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)
Jill Hughes	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)
Veyatie MacLeod	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)
Maureen Winslade	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Sheelagh Rees	....	unit production manager (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Sarah Griggs	....	graphic artist (unknown episodes)
Eddie Newstead	....	graphic artist (unknown episodes)
Jennifer Wade	....	graphic artist (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Clive Derbyshire	....	sound assistant (unknown episodes)
Alan Edmonds	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Ron Edmonds	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Terry Elms	....	sound assistant (unknown episodes)
Brian Hiles	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Derek Miller-Timmins	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Bill Wild	....	sound (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Sam Barclay	....	studio lighting (unknown episodes)
Howard King	....	studio lighting (unknown episodes)
Bill Walker	....	camera operator: rostrum camera (unknown episodes)
John Walker	....	assistant camera (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Penny Lowe	....	costumes: uniforms (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Alan Bradley	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Kenneth Platts	....	composer: incidental music (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Michael Bartley	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Adrian Dobinson	....	graphics sequences (unknown episodes)
Ann Faggetter	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Prudence Fitzgerald	....	programme coordinator (unknown episodes)
Richard Markell	....	graphics sequences (unknown episodes)
Bill Meekums	....	film recordist (unknown episodes)
Jennifer Osborn	....	researcher (unknown episodes)
Bill Wild	....	film recordist (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Distributors

• Koch Vision (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

50 min (13 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:12 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Brinkburn Priory, Northumberland, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Quotes:

Tsar Nicholas II: [Referring to his son, Tsarevich Alexis, who has just left the room] There goes half my sadness, and a great deal of my joy.

Magnificent program from the golden age of TV

Looking back at the old programs from the 70's coming out on DVD, one realises that TV reached a peak at that time and has gone downhill ever since.

This miniseries harks back to the days when Britain only had two TV channels, the BBC and ITV. This meant that not only was there more money to spend on individual programmes, but half the viewing audience would watch them. Along with I Claudius, Fall of Eagles was the best of the best, and I doubt that it could be made today, with the myriad of channels spreading the available money thinly. I grew up with live drama on the BBC ever Sunday night - plays by Shakespeare, Shaw and more controversial writers. Contrast this with the inane reality offerings of today!

This series was the first time I had ever seen Patrick Stewart, who has remained Lenin for me ever since, just as Michael Caine will always be Alfie and Christopher Eccleston has remained the tragic slow witted Derek Bentley. The acting and production values are outstanding throughout, although the actors are noticeably stage actors, and some episodes, especially the final one are very "talky". The series holds up startlingly well compared with big budget films covering the same events, Nicholas and Alexandra and Reds, to name two.

My main complaint is that there is no captioning for the hearing impaired on the US release, which means that impaired people such as myself cannot follow allthe dialog despite the crisp theatrical delivery of the actors. This is a particular handicap in the more "talky" scenes - I was unable to follow any of the last episode where the Kaiser went into exile rather than being hanged as a war criminal. A detailed synopsis of each chapter would have helped, but captions are essential in an aging population. I really hope to see more of these great TV series of the past, but hope that they will add captions.