Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Wednesday 31 January 1934, page 8


AUSTRALIAN FILMS.

ACTIVITIES IN MELBOURNE.

There ls Interesting activity in the produi tion oí films In Melbourne, mostly relate to the plans of Mr. F. W. Thring, mnnaglr dlrector of Efftee Films, Ltd.

Mr. Frank Harvey has recently been pr< paring a scenario based on "The Streets ( London," which was staged recently at th Garrick Theatre. During the latter half t last century, this play, by Dion Bouclcau: the elder, was an exciting melodrama. I London last year, and later in Melbourne, i was put on (still In the original form) ns

screaming farce. In making it over for th screen, Mr. Harvey has sought to set it baci in its own period, and to emphasise that i did seriously cater for nlnetccnth-centur; tastes by converting it into a play within ¡ play. An old-fashioned theatre will nppca on the screen. Picture-goers will see, as wei as "The Streets of London" itself (cut dowr < from 2i hours to about 40 minutes), a crowdee I and enthusiastic audience, consisting of gal'

lerles, stalls, and pit. As a crowning inclI dent-the year being 1059-someone on tl« I stage will announce the fall of Lucknow.

Another film to be made shortly under tnt Efftee auspices will take for its subject the English play, "Clara Gibbings," which wai the first stage production at the Garrick The-atre Inst year under the new scheme for closer co-operation between stage and screen. "Collit's Inn," by Vnrney Monk and T. Stuart Gun-, the musical play now enjoying such a successful season nt the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, will also be filmed, with almost the same cast as in the theatre. Work ls still proceeding on "Sheepmatcs," by Wil-liam Hatfield; and George Wallace ls soon to take thc leading part hi another Hatfield story, "Ginger Murdoch." Mr. Wallace's current film, "A Ticket in Tatt's," is still being shown at Hoyt's Theatre in Melbourne.

An organisation called Centenary Films ts rehearsing at thc Bijou Theatre for a musi-cal film entitled "Something Different." In a week or two, this play (based on music by Les Raphael) will go into production at the Efftee studios. Mr. Alfred Frith is to play one

of the leading roles.