Film Links  Bates Film & Television Checklist Bates 101 Internet Movie Database (IMDb) British Film Institute (BFI) Not On BATES ARCHIVE News In Memoriam SPOTLIGHTS Knighthood American Film Theatre Fifties TV Al Hirschfeld FEATURES Biography Timeline Photo Gallery Actors Centre Piffle Ephemera ARCHIVE Theatre Film Television Audio Interviews Writing     Sooner or later, someone will finally offer me a Clark Gable type of role," Bates predicts, "and my true romantic self will emerge. But until then, I can't complain about being stereotyped. As Malcolm McDowell's nemesis in "Royal Flash," I'm so nasty, I positively reek. -Alan Bates quoted in the Royal Flash press book

f i l m Royal Flash Released on DVD, Region 1, 3 April 2007 Alan Bates on "Royal Flash," in a contemporary interview with Sydney Edwards, Evening Standard, July 1975: "The film was kind of fun. I was in a situation where I was knocked out from filming "In Celebration" all day and playing in "Life Class" in the evening and then jumping suddenly into a 19th century white costume and start fencing. "I'm the villain in the film. It's a sort of 'Prisoner of Zenda' situation. I've honestly forgotten what the story is. It's pure fantasy and it should have a lot of fun and charm. Richard Lester is a bit of a wizard with that sort of stuff. "He's very fast and works quickly; sometimes too quickly for me. I'd just come out of two extremely naturalistic pieces. It was like going from hot to cold. A film of that kind is made under such pressure of time and money they tend to accelerate in the making. This has its advantages -- where there is a slight risk involved Richard Lester perhaps works best." FRASER IS BEST KNOWN for his Flashman Papers series, which takes place in the middle of the 19th century. The books pretend to be the memoirs of one Harry Flashman. Flashman was the school bully in a book entitled Tom Brown's School Days that book records that he was expelled from Rugby School for drunkeness. Fraser feigns that he was a real person, and carries his career forward from that time.Harry Flashman is a bounder, a coward, a cad, a man of nasty habits and no principle except "Harry first!" He joins the British Army, and by lying, cheating, licking boots, and being in the right (or wrong) place every time manages to participate in many of the great events of the 19th century. He was at the Charge of the Light Brigade, and had very insulting things to say about his commanding officers (but not to their faces). He was involved in the Sepoy Mutiny in India. He helped sack the Summer Palace in China. He was at Little Bighorn with General Custer. He was at Harper's Ferry with John Brown. He knew Otto von Bismarck when he was nobody, and regretted it. He was (much against his will) supercargo on a slave ship and brother-in-law to Geronimo. He fought in the American Civil War...on both sides (although that book hasn't been written yet). Fraser embroiders the facts, obviously, but uses footnotes to clue us in on where he's telling the truth and where he's stretching it--always maintaining the illusion that he's just the editor of Flashman's memoirs. Some of the volumes in the series are Flashman, Royal Flash, Flash for Freedom, Flashman in the Great Game, and Flashman at the Charge. TO CALL Captain Harry Flashman (McDowell) a worthless bounder, an opportunist, a womanizer, and a coward would do him an injustice. Flashman has raised all of these to an art form. Due to a fortuitous and misinterpreted disaster, Harry is also a celebrated military hero. In Victorian England Flashman crosses swords, among other things, with a hair brush wielding opera singer (Bolkan), Otto Von Bismark (Reed), Rudi von Starnberg (Bates), a queen in need of a husband (Ekland), and an iron fisted (literally) henchman (Jeffries) to name only a few. McDowell is perfect as the quick talking, charmingly boyish Flashman who can turn into a quivering coward in a heart beat. However, he is not above rising to heroic heights--although not always for heroic reasons. The cast is excellent. The humor ranges from droll to slapstick. Jolly good fun where everyone looks like they are having a grand time. Script by George MacDonald Fraser, from his novel. Directed by Richard Lester; starring Malcolm McDowell, Alan Bates, Florinda Bolkan, Oliver Reed, Britt Ekland, Lionel Jeffries, Tom Bell, Alastair Sim George Macdonald Fraser's character Harry Flashman has a loyal following. The Royal Flashman Society of Upper Canada has a fascinating array of links related to the books, characters, etc., including "Flashman and the Tragic Sensibility."

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