Bonnie Prince Charlie (1948)

In 1744, Prince Charles Stuart (David Niven) returns to Scotland to lead the Scottish armies in a fight to gain independence from Britain. But King George II (Martin Miller) is determined to crush the rebellion and sends the ruthless Duke Of Cumberland (Elwyn Brook Jones) to stop him and his band of Scottish patriots. Directed by Anthony Kimmins (THE CAPTAIN'S PARADISE). A turgid piece of historical film drama albeit highly fictionalized. The Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 is a fact but the film makers elected to add an unsubstantiated romance (Margaret Leighton is the lass) to provide some female pulchritude to the movie. Names such as Leslie Howard and Michael Powell expressed interest in making a film about Prince Charles but by 1948, Alexander Korda borrowed Niven (sans moustache) from Samuel Goldwyn for the project. Niven seems miscast and ill at ease and according to him, he knew it was a turkey from the beginning. With Jack Hawkins, Finlay Currie, Torin Thatcher and Judy Campbell.