The Battle of Waterloo (film)
The Battle of Waterloo is a 1913 feature film created by British and Colonial Films to dramatize the 1815 battle, which saw the defeat of Napoleon and the end of the Napoleonic Wars, ahead of its centenary. The film is more than an hour long (though sadly only sections remain today) and enjoyed great commercial success. Some of the original footage is to be found on YouTube:
Featuring hundreds of extras, horses (alive and dead), and extensive pyrotechnics, it was directed by Charles Weston and filmed in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, a place the Duke of Wellington reportedly said reminded him of the terrain around Waterloo, Belgium.
The film was very significant for its time, marking the progression towards longer and more elaborate productions in British cinema, yet only took five days to make!
'C' Squadron of the 12th Lancers cavalry regiment was loaned to the production from its base at Weedon Barracks, with more than 100 horses from a London supplier.
The regimental historian recorded: "An accommodating American made the rounds of the pubs at night to pay for drinks. The fact that Napoleon could not ride and that a sergeant in the regiment appropriated Wellington's boots nearly prevented the film being made and 'C' Sqn from taking part in the most exciting, best paid, and least painful battle of the Regiment's long history."