Always Another Dawn

Always Another Dawn
Directed by T.O. McCreadie
Produced by T.O. McCreadie
Written by Zelma Roberts
T.O. McCreadie
Based on novel by Zelma Roberts
Starring Charles Tingwell
Guy Doleman
Cinematography Harry Malcolm
Editing by Alex Ezard
Studio Embassy Pictures
Distributed by Universal
Release date(s) 1949
Running time 108 mins (Aust), 73 mins (England)
Country Australia
Language English
Budget ₤30,000[1]

Always Another Dawn is a 1948 Australian wartime melodrama directed by T.O. McCreadie. It was the first leading role for Charles Tingwell.

Contents

Synopsis

Terry Regan (Charles Tingwell), from Camden, New South Wales, is the son of Molly Regan (Queenie Ashton) and a naval officer who died in action in 1916. He is called up to serve in the navy during World War II, and turns down a commission in order to see action early. He becomes friends with fellow sailor Warren (Guy Doleman) and serves in the Mediterranean on the HMAS Dauntless for two years. While home on leave he falls in love with his neighbour's daughter, Patricia (Betty McDowall) and they plan to marry on his next leave. The Dauntless is attacked and sunk by the Japanese during the Battle of the Java Sea; Terry is killed but Warren is one of the handful of survivors. He goes to visit Molly and they talk about Terry.

Production

The script was co-written by New Zealand author Zelma Roberts whose husband had been killed on active service with the New Zealand armed forces. It was Charles Tingwell's first lead role and only his second film. Terrence Coy, who plays Tingwell as a boy, won his role in a competiton.[1]

Although the ship in the film, Dauntless, was fictitious, it is based on the real-life HMAS Yarra, which was sunk by the Japanese in 1942 with only 13 survivors.

The film was made with the co-operation of the Royal Australian Navy, with filming taking place at Flinders Naval Depot, Camden, Embassy Studios in Sydney and aboard the destroyer HMAS Bataan. During filming of the final battle in Port Phillip Bay, £300 went missing from the Bataan which represented payroll for the film crew.[2]

Shooting began in February 1947 and lasted six months, with post production taking another four months.[3]

Release

The film only lasted in Sydney cinemas for two weeks but a shortened version was released in England.[4]

Critical reception was not strong, the critic from the Sydney Morning Herald claiming that "the dialogue is stilted and unreal, character development is inadequate and stodgy, and the tale is not crystallised in terms of fluent camera action."[5] The Argus thought "the film scores in its camera work - and in being 'so close to home.' The handling of its rather tragic story and its efforts to introduce comedy are not quite so impressive. Charles Tingwell and Gus Doleman are interesting male leads."[6]

Cast

References

  1. ^ "TERRY COY WINS PART IN AUSTRALIAN FILM." The Sydney Morning Herald 30 Apr 1947: 1 Supplement: Playtime Children's Newspaper accessed 4 Dec 2011
  2. ^ "Police Inquiring; Into £300 Warship Robbery." The Mail (Adelaide) 17 May 1947: 2 accessed 4 Dec 2011
  3. ^ "No title." The Australian Women's Weekly 10 Apr 1948: 26 accessed 4 Dec 2011
  4. ^ "Film Streamlined." Sunday Times (Perth) 22 May 1949: 1 Supplement: Sunday Times Comics accessed 4 Dec 2011
  5. ^ "NEW FILMS IN SYDNEY." The Sydney Morning Herald 27 Sep 1948: 2 accessed 4 Dec 2011
  6. ^ "THE ARGUS SCREEN REVIEW" The Argus (Melbourne) 20 Nov 1948: 30 accessed 4 Dec 2011

Notes

  1. ^ Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 206.

External links