Sam's Army

Story

Synopsis

Canada was led to war by a bigoted, ignorant, self-obsessed Minister of Militia, who may well have been clinically insane, but the importance of Canada's contribution in that war owes a great deal to him. The man of course, was Colonel - later made Lieutenant General by his own hand - Sam Hughes. Sam's Army is a compelling portrait of a complex man and the formidable military he built. Sam Hughes was not your standard-issue military leader. Canada's World War I Minister of Militia and Defence concentrated power in his own hands, insisted that the Canadian military use the ill-conceived Ross rifle and liberally promoted his cronies. But there was no denying Hughes was a visionary. He assembled the world's largest-ever volunteer army and bucked superiors to keep his ferocious fighting force together in one Canadian Corps.

Director

Alan Erlich

Writers

James Wallen, Richard Nielsen

Language

English

Release date

1 March 1999

Ensemble

Cast

• 

  Paul Gross

  Narrator

• Bradford Jackson

• Brad Austin

• John Bayliss

• 

  David Calderisi

• 

  Benedict Campbell

• William Colgate

• William Dunlop

• Adrian Egan

• 

  Patrick Garrow

• 

  Linda Goranson

• Keith Hampshire