Newsletter: an Australian Paper for Australian People (Sydney, NSW : 1900 - 1919), Saturday 4 February 1911, page 3


A Well-known Biograph Actor

Jack F Gavin, who has played the title role in the recently produced bio graph film of Ben Hall, Thunderbolt, and Moonlite, is a man admirably adapted to this class of work. He is a man of fine physique and imposing pre sence. He started life as a cattle drover, and was connected with a record drive

from Camooweal (North Queensland) to Adelaide. He knows bush life thoroughly, and, being a man of keen perception, is able to tell whether the local color in a film is accurate or not. He served for a time in the Sydney Lancers as captain of a squadron. He had from an early age leanings towards the stage. When an opportunity came to join Bland Holt's company he seized it, and played a couple of seasons with them. He next made a trip to America, and secured an engagement with Barnum and Baileys Circus, eventually joining Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Be coming home sick and longing for a sight of his native land, he returned to Australia and organised a Wild West

Show, which was a great success at the Melbourne Cyclorama. His wife, Agnes Gavin, is of great assistance to him in dramatising the stories of the bush rangers' lives. There are, all told, 150 actors and actresses in his company, and he has a large stock of old time coaches, weapons, etc. Being an in veterate stickler for accuracy of detail, Captain Gavin always proceeds to the actual scene of bushrangers' exploits for the purpose of taking the film pic turn. This and the dashing horseman ship are two of the factors of the success of the films Captain Gavin has been re sponsible for. 'Stuffing' is the name go a new one-act play. It sounds very seas onable. The Druids' Gala and Art Union Demonstration, which was postponed from Anniversary Day on account of the rain, will eventuate on Saturday next at the Sydney Sports Ground, Moore Park. (Theatrical Continued nn pa lie II).