| Orphan of the Wilderness | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Ken G. Hall |
| Produced by | Ken G. Hall |
| Written by | Edmond Seward |
| Based on | novel Wilderness Orphan by Dorothy Cottrell |
| Starring | Brian Abbot Gwen Munro |
| Music by | Hamilton Webber |
| Cinematography | George Heath |
| Editing by | William Shepherd |
| Studio | Cinesound Productions |
| Distributed by | British Empire Films |
| Release date(s) | December 1936 (Australia) 10 November, 1938 (USA) 1938 (UK) |
| Running time | 85 minutes (Australia) 69 minutes (UK) |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ₤12,000[1] |
Orphan of the Wilderness is a 1936 Australian feature film from director Ken G. Hall about the adventures of a boxing kangaroo. It starred Brian Abbot who disappeared at sea not long after filming completed.
Contents |
Chut is a kangaroo whose mother is killed by hunters. He is befriended by a farmer, Tom Henton (Brian Abbot), who puts Chut in a travelling circus run by Shorty McGee (Harry Abdy). Tom's girlfriend Margot (Gwen Munro) works in the circus and says she'll look after Chut. Chut becomes a boxing kangaroo but neither Margot or Tom are aware that Shorty whips the kangaroo prior to bouts. Chut eventually escapes to safety at Tom's property.
The film was originally envisioned as a 50 minute support feature but was later expanded. Harry Abdy owned the kangaroo who played Chut in the movie.
Shooting took place in May and June 1936, on location at Burragorang Valley and Camden, and at Cinesound's studios in Bondi. J Alan Kenyon created a large bushland set inside the studio.[2]
Production was held up for several days due to an illness of Gwen Munro.[3]
Hall later expressed dissatisfaction with the performances of the cast, except for Harry Adby and Gwen Munro.[4]
The film was not a massive success at the local box office although it sold well overseas.[5]. It was the first Australian movie to be sold to England before it had even been completed[6] but ended up being banned for a time because it depicted cruelty to animals and did not achieve release until 1938 after several cuts had been made.[7] It was also released in the US as Wild Innocence.