A Tale of the Australian Bush | |
Director: | Gaston Mervale |
Starring: | Godfrey Cass |
Studio: | Australian Life Biograph Company |
Runtime: | 2,500 feet[1] or 3,000 feet[2] |
Country: | Australia |
Language: | Silent English intertitles |
A Tale of the Australian Bush is a 1911 Australian silent film directed by Gaston Mervale. Set in colonial Australia, it was also known as Ben Hall, the Notorious Bushranger and is considered a lost film.
The story of the bushranger Ben Hall, including his duel with Melville, last stand and death. A contemporary review said that "unlike the usual bushranging films, instead of glorifying the villainy of the criminals of the bush, recorded a triumph of the law over the lawless."[3]
It was the first film from the production company Australian Life Biograph Company.[4]
The film was first released in Sydney as Ben Hall, the Notorious Bushranger[5] before being screened nationally under the other title.