This film is part of Free
This Most Gallant Gentleman
The remains of Irish nationalist Roger Casement are repatriated to Ireland almost half a century after his execution.
Overview
Almost fifty years after his execution for treason, the remains of Sir Roger Casement - exhumed from a quicklime grave at Pentonville Prison - arrive in Ireland for burial with full military honours. Sponsored by Ireland's Department of External Affairs, this official record of the repatriation of an icon of Irish nationalism features music by the Chieftains. Casement's body lay in state at Arbour Hill for five days, before a procession through the wintery streets of Dublin to a state funeral at Glasnevin Cemetery on 1 March 1965. President Éamon de Valera, last surviving leader of the 1916 Easter Rising, was among those in attendance.
Lauded by humanitarians for his exposure of human rights abuses in the Congo and Peru, Casement later embraced the Irish nationalist cause with formidable zeal. He was arrested on 21 April 1916, hours after landing on the Kerry coast in a German submarine and just three days before the Easter Rising began in Dublin. Casement was whisked away to London to stand trial and was executed on 3 August, his fate sealed by the discovery and malicious distribution of the legendary 'Black Diaries', which contained accounts of homosexual activities.
Related
Trial of Casement Trial of Casement
Non-Fiction 1916 1 mins
Crowds throng Bow Street during the trial of British diplomat turned Irish nationalist Roger Casement.
The Dublin Rebellion The Dublin Rebellion
Non-Fiction 1916 4 mins Silent
Powerfully raw on-the-streets newsreel report from a ravaged, smouldering Dublin.
The Trial of Sir Roger Casement The Trial of Sir Roger Casement
Drama-documentary 1960 52 mins
Peter Wyngarde plays the gay British diplomat turned Irish nationalist, executed for treason in 1916
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.