History Of Australian Cinema: 1896 to 1940 (2004)

Director: Joan Long Genres: Audio-Visual, Documentary, Performing Arts, Australian, History Origin: Australia Certificate: M Running Time: 152 min

synopsis

A three-part series looking at the early years of the film industry and motion pictures in Australia. The Pictures That Moved 1896-1920 - 45 Minutes (1967) A novel moving picture of Australia early in the 20th century. The film starts with the 1896 Melbourne Cup race, the 1900 multimedia event Soldiers of the Cross and the 1906 hour-long feature The Story of the Kelly Gang. It moves through ethnographic and actuality films, newsreels and features to the 1920 features Robbery Under Arms and The Sentimental Bloke. The Passionate Industry 1920-1930 - 60 Minutes (1973) The twenties was a passionate period - a decade of fervent, feverish activity in the film industry in Australia when over 100 feature films were made. Fewer than 30 survive today. This documentary features For the Term of His Natural Life, the husband-and-wife team of Louise Lovely and Wilton Wench and the work of director Raymond Longford among material from 50 newsreels, 16 feature films and still photographs drawn from over 70 collections. Now You're Talking 1930-1940 - 47 Minutes (1979) The story of the Australian film industry in the thirties, from the pioneering days of "talkies" through to the decline of the industry with the coming of World War Two. This is the decade that saw the rise of Cinesound and the emergence of screen-acting talents like Errol Flynn and Peter Finch, when Dad and Dave were brought to the screen and Charles Chauvel made Forty Thousand Horsemen.