Australia Calls (1923 film)
| Australia Calls | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Raymond Longford |
| Written by | Lottie Lyell |
| Starring | Ernest Idiens |
| Cinematography | Arthur Higgins |
Production company |
Commonwealth Immigration Office British Empire Exhibition Commission |
Release dates |
24 November 1923 (Sydney)[1] 1924 (England) |
Running time | 4,000 feet |
| Country | Australia |
| Language |
Silent film English intertitles |
| Budget | £1,500[2] |
Australia Calls is a 1923 Australian silent film directed by Raymond Longford commissioned by the Australian government to be shown at the British Empire Exhibition in London in 1924.[2][3]
It was a semi-documentary about the adventures of Ernest Idiens, a labourer from Staffordshire who moved to New South Wales with his brother in 1912 with only ₤30 between them and by 1923 had assets worth ₤14,000.[4] In 1923 Idriens toured England talking about his success.[5]
The movie is not to be confused with Longford's 1913 picture Australia Calls and is considered a lost film.
Production
The Australian government originally commissioned Longford to make four films depicting Australian society, each running 4,000 feet and costing £1,500. However bad weather caused a delay in shooting and Longford only made two, this and An Australian By Marriage. The other two movies were shot by the official government cinematographer, Bert Ive.[2][6]
Shooting began in March 1923 in the country town of Harden, New South Wales and the film was completed by June, six weeks behind schedule. An Australian by Marriage was completed immediately afterwards but very little is known about it.[2] The other two films were completed by November, when they were all shown to leading members of the government.[7]
Reception
The reviewer from the Daily Telegraph praised the film saying "Seldom has the screen given a more striking demonstration of its power to tell a convincing story.".[8]
References
- ↑ ""AUSTRALIA CALLS.".". The Sydney Morning Herald (National Library of Australia). 26 November 1923. p. 13. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 119.
- ↑ "Raymond Longford", Cinema Papers, January 1974 p51
- ↑ "AUSTRALIA CALLS!.". The Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld.: National Library of Australia). 25 May 1923. p. 3. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ↑ 'Successful Migrant.', The Argus (Melbourne), 28 November, p. 21
- ↑ "THE EXHIBITION.". The Sydney Morning Herald (National Library of Australia). 8 November 1923. p. 12. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ↑ "EMPIRE EXHIBITION.". The Argus (Melbourne: National Library of Australia). 8 November 1923. p. 8. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
- ↑ 'MAKING GOOD IN AUSTRALIA' The Register (Adelaide) 24 Jan 1924: 13