Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1955), Friday 18 December 1931, page 11


AUSTRALIAN FILMS

Earlier History

Australia began at the top in motion picture production, not at the bottom as most persons believe, according to Raymond Longford, who has entered upon his duties as a director of Efftee Film Productions.

Mr. Longford has been making pictures for 22' years in this country. Recently he gave some interesting sidelights on the history of motion picture production in the Commonwealth. He claims the distinction ' of having produced the first interior, picture in Australia. That was 'The Fatal Wedding,' made in 1911. 'A Maori Maid's Love,' for which he was responsible, was the first picture turned out in New Zealand. FIRST TO MAKE FEATURE Australia was otie of the first countries in the world— if not the first— to produce a long feature film, he recallsd. ,That was the original ? production of 'The Kelly ?Gang,' which was made 'in Melbourne at, a time when America had :not reached beyond the stage of ths 1000 feet . pictures. 'The Kelly Gang' -ran into 4000 feet, and was said to have been the first film produced of anything like that length. The first film depicted by Mr. Long ford was'' 'Caplam Midnight," made for Spencer's pictures from -the original script used in the stage play by Alfred Dampier. Mr. Ldngfprd had previously been associated with Dampier in the stage Version of the. play. This was followed by productions of 'Captain Starlight'' ('Robbery Under Arms' ) and 'Rufus Dawes' ('For the Term of His Natural Life'). The success of these productions induced the late Cosens Spencer to invest £10,000 in an up-to-date film studio at Rushcutterf Bay, Sydney, where Australia's fir»j- inferior film, 'The Fatal Wedding.' was produced. That picture, which only cost £360 to make, netted £18,000 for i^ producers, in Australia and New Zealand alone.Mr. Mr. Longford regards the late Mr. Spencer as the pioneer of ths film

AT THE GRAND — A scene from 'The Maltese Falcon' which comirnnces tomorrow.

making-, industry in Australia.. .Other, successful pictures released from Spencer's studio about that period included 'The Midnight, Wedding,' 'Margaret Catchpole' (the first Australian film to be screened abroad), 'The Mutiny .of the Bounty,' ' and 'Church of tlie Woman,' all of which were directed by Mr. Longford. RAN FOR NINE YEARS Another success was 'The Silence oL Dean Maitland,' which continued to be screened for nine years and netted a fortune for its producers. Mr. Langford also directed the screen version of 'Sweet' Nell of Old Drury,' for which the late Nellie -Stewart was paid £1000. Mr. Longford '.states that, a curious feature of the development of the moving picture making industry in Australia is the fact that successful Ameri- i can directors who have been brought here from tim^ to time have ndverbeen able to assimilate the right Australian atmosphere. Efftee Film Productions is now making a talkie of 'The Sentimental Bloke.' Mr. Longford' directed the silent version, which cost only £900 and was responsible for bookings of more than £50,000 on its tour of the world. Among other silent films produced by Mr. Longford were 'The .Pioneers' (Katherlrw Pritchard), 'Australia Calls,' 'On Our Selection.' 'Rudd's New Selection,' and 'Ginger Mick.' He was director of picture productions for the Commonwealth Government-. in connection with the British Empire Exhibition. Prior to undertaking talking picture work Mr. Longford spent about 18 months in Europe, where he visited studios and studied the latest methods. He considers that the U.F.A. studio is the. most advanced from the point of view of artistry. 'Naturally the talkies have revolutionised everything,' he declared, 'and to some extent I now feel as if 1 am returning to my original occupation— the talking stage.' Dorothy Mackaill and: Louise Fazenda are to spend a holiday hi Shanghai. P. G. Wodehouse's story, 'If I Were You,' is being considered for Buster Keaton's next talkie. .

SCENE FROM 'TILLY OF BLOOMSBURY' — The picture opens at the Ambassadors tomorrow