Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Tuesday 22 November 1927, page 12


AUSTRALIAN. FILMS.

HORSE RACING. j

"Only National Subject."

SCENARIO WRITER'S VIEWS.

When the Carroll interests decided in 1919

I to enter the field of motion picture making in Australia they brought to Sydney, as scenario writer. Miss Meredyth, who has since made the story continuity for three successful Ameri-can pictures-"The Ten Commandments," Ben 1 Hur," and "Don Juan." According to evidence

given by Mr. Dan Carroll before tho Common-wealth Film Commission yesterday, Miss Me-rodyth claimed after months of investigation of Australian conditions and careful research in the Mitchell Library, that the only truly national subject . vut which Australian pro-ducers could make a picture was horse racing, Australians, she said, had not yet developed any distinctive individuality of national

character or tradition.

On this assurance, Mr. Carroll told the Commission, the interests with which ho was associated turned to the production of films of bush and station life. They made "The. Man from Kangaroo" and "The Shadow of Lightning Ridge." They also distributed the "Sentimental Bloke" and "dinger Mick"

throughout the world.

"The Shadow of Lightning Ridge" was favourably received, Mr. Carroll stated, and his company was encouraged to consider making further pictures. It found, however, that small producers had entered the field and, releasing pictures of a low quality, had mado Australian films subjects tor the ridi-cule of audiences. Lack of Australian stories, suitable for dramatisation, and the fact that oversea producers were releasing films more than sufficient for market needs had also forced bim and his associates to abandon the production of films.