Alfred Rolfe (director) explained

Alfred Rolfe
Birth Name:Alfred Roker
Birth Date:1862
Birth Place:Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia
Death Date:9 September 1943 (aged 81)
Death Place:North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation:stage and screen actor, stage and screen director
Spouse:Katherine Annabel Ely ('Lily') Dampier
Parents:Arthur Roker & Mary Ann (née Holman)

Alfred Rolfe, real name Alfred Roker (1862– 9 September 1943), was an Australian stage and film director and actor, best known for being the son-in-law of the celebrated actor-manager Alfred Dampier, with whom he appeared frequently on stage, and for his prolific output as a director during Australia's silent era, including Captain Midnight, the Bush King (1911), Captain Starlight, or Gentleman of the Road (1911) and The Hero of the Dardanelles (1915). Only one of his films as director survives today.[1]

Biography

Alfred Roker was born in 1862 in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, the son of Arthur Roker & Mary Ann (née Holman).[2]

He used the stage-name 'Alfred Rolfe' when he began working as an actor. Rolfe joined Charles Holloway's acting company, where he acted alongside Richard Stewart and Essie Jenyns.[3] [4]

In 1888 Rolfe toured New Zealand in George Darrell's company.

Alfred Dampier

He then joined the Alfred Dampier Company in 1890, first appearing in Robbery Under Arms.[5] He mostly played smaller parts but in 1892 was promoted to the role of Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet.[6] The following year Rolfe married Dampier's daughter Lily. Rolfe acted opposite his wife and father-in-law numerous times around the country throughout the 1890s and early 1900s, most commonly playing juvenile leads.

England

In November 1897, Rolfe sailed for London with his wife and her parents.[7] While there they managed to get work in two plays which toured all over the country and ended up staying for twelve months.[8]

They returned in 1899 and rejoined the Alfred Dampier Company. Among the plays in which Rolfe most frequently appeared opposite his wife and father in law were The Bush King, Robbery Under Arms, and East Lynne.[9]

According to New Zealand's Stage magazine, Rolfe was "an actor of brilliancy on a somewhat wide range, a little overshadowed, perhaps, by the stars with whom he has been so long associated, but by no means obscured."[10]

In February 1907 Rolfe left for London with Lily Dampier and her parents once again.[11] Once again, they worked for a period over there.[12] [13] Alfred Dampier came home, seriously ill, meaning his company was unable to continue.[14] Rolfe was reported as "walking through his vast estates, plantations, and so on" in his spare time.[15] He and Lily also briefly took over the lead in a play with another company.[16] Dampier died in May 1908.[17]

Philip Lytton

In early 1909, Rolfe was credited as "general manager" on a series of advertisements throughout New South Wales for a £5,000 film depicting the fight between Tommy Burns and Jack Johnson.[18] It is possible this meant Rolfe directed the movie, or was in charge of its distribution.

In August 1910 it was announced Rolfe and Lily were joining Philip Lytton's company for a tour of country Australia and New Zealand. They played several of the Dampier repertoire, including Robbery Under Arms.[19] In September 1910 he and Lily headed Lytton's company, where the line-up of plays included Robbery Under Arms (play)|Robbery Under Arms, The Bush King and The Fatal Wedding;[20] all three would soon be turned into films by Charles Cozens Spencer with Rolfe directing and acting in the first two.

Filmmaker

In 1910 Rolfe received an offer to direct three films for Charles Cozens Spencer, all adaptations of productions performed by his father-in-law's and Lytton's company: Captain Midnight, the Bush King, Captain Starlight, or the Gentleman of the Road (an adaptation of Robbery Under Arms), and The Life of Rufus Dawes. Rolfe and his wife also appeared in all three films, the first two especially which appear to have been very successful critically and commercially. He was assisted on the films by Raymond Longford, who later claimed to have directed the movies.[21] He also appears to have directed Dan Morgan for Spencer.

When Rolfe left Spencer, the producer then hired Longford to make his directorial debut with a film adaptation of The Fatal Wedding.

Australian Photo-Play Company

Rolfe left Spencer to take up an offer from Stanley Crick to work at a new film production company, the Australian Photo-Play Company.[22] Rolfe ended up making an estimated 25 features for them, including Australia's first war movie (Mates of the Murrumbidgee (1911)), and first film to deal with aboriginal Australians (Moora Neya, or The Message of the Spear (1911)).

Rolfe seems to have worked less as an actor during this time, although he would occasionally appear in the films. He directed almost every one of Australian Photo-Play's films.[23]

Fraser Films

After the demise of the Australian Photo-Play Company, Rolfe moved over to Fraser Films, where his movies included adaptations of the popular play The Sunny South (1914) and the poem The Day.

In November 1914 it was reported Rolfe and Lily Dampier were "wandering the globe".[24]

Australasian Films

Fraser Films soon ceased production. From 1915 to 1916 Rolfe worked for Australasian Films, directing shorts, industrial films and features. He was directing a film in Sydney in February 1915 when his wife Lily died in Melbourne.[25]

Rolfe's feature work for Australasian Films included two immensely popular war films, Will they Never Come? (1915) and its sequel, The Hero of the Dardanelles (1915). A movie about the Eureka Rebellion, The Loyal Rebel (1915), was less successful. He then made two more World War I-related movies, How We Beat the Emden (1915) and A Man – That's All (1916); these were used to recruit soldiers.

In May 1916 it was reported that Rolfe had "produced more Australian pictures than any other Australian director". Rolfe said at the same time the greatest difficulty for Australian filmmakers is they are unable to market their films in America or England. "If this could be remedied", said Mr. Rolfe, "as many as fifty copies of any picture would be required and the production would then show a 'worth-while' profit." But in 1916 Australia only four copies could be disposed of "which does not make much of an inducement to intending manufacturers."[26]

In July 1916 it was reported Rolfe had just finished directing a series of educational films for Australasian Pictures, each one about one reel long, adding up to 15,000 feet of film in all.[27]

In November 1916 it was announced in the trade press that Rolfe had "severed his connection with Australasian Films after a long period of service. He has just completed a big industrial subject for this film dealing with practically every Australian industry of note."[28]

Retirement

Rolfe eventually retired from show business, although he did direct one more film, for charity – the Red Cross sponsored feature Cupid Camouflaged (1918). As Lily Dampier's widower, he appears to have inherited the rights to Alfred Dampier's plays, particularly Robbery Under Arms and The Bush King, and authorized various stage productions of these.[29] [30] In 1920 he registered a new script based on The Bush King for copyright, but no film of this was made.

Rolfe had been involved in amateur athletics for a number of years, particularly the East Sydney Amateur Athletics Company,[31] but focused on it increasingly from 1917 through the 1920s.[32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37]

Rolfe lived in Sydney towards the end of his life. He and Lily had a son, Sidney Alfred Rolfe, who was an artist.[38] He also occasionally appeared on stage[39] [40] and managed a warehouse.

Appraisal

Only one of Rolfe's films survives today, The Hero of the Dardanelles, but according to film historians Graham Shirley and Brian Adams:

It indicates a director skilled in the type of visual and naturalistic sophistication later attributed to Raymond Longford. The conventions of spectacle melodrama so favoured in late nineteenth century Australian theatre, with their realistic settings and real chases on horsebacks and trainwrecks, played a large role in the films he made for Australian Photo-Play in 1911–12... If... reviews of other films are an indication, Rolfe's work for [Charles Cozens] Spencer and Australian Photo-Play had helped refine the achievement of naturalistic performances for the screen, not to say the basis of a screen grammar that vividly captured setting and spectacle.[41]

Personal life

In the 1890s, Rolfe backed the race horse Cremorne.[42]

Select filmography

Dramatic films

Industrial films

Select theatre credits

Holloway Dramatic Company

George Darrell Company and Others

Alfred Dampier Company

Maggie Moore Company

W. Elton Company

Alfred Dampier Company

England performances

Alfred Dampier Company

Replacements

Philip Lytton Company

External links

Notes and References

  1. Vagg, S., & Reynaud, D. (2016). Alfred Rolfe: Forgotten pioneer Australian film director. Studies in Australasian Cinema, 10(2),184-198. doi:10.1080/17503175.2016.1170950
  2. Victorian birth registration: Alfred Roker; reg. no. 7598/1862.
  3. News: Celebrated Australian Theatrical Family . . Adelaide . 18 July 1914 . 19 November 2014 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
  4. News: Mems about Mummers. . . Adelaide . 25 February 1897 . 15 February 2015 . 15 . National Library of Australia.
  5. News: Advertising. . . Melbourne . 27 September 1890 . 31 March 2015 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
  6. News: Theatrical Topics. . . Brisbane . 25 May 1892 . 31 March 2015 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  7. News: Mems about Mummers . . Adelaide . 4 November 1897 . 15 February 2015 . 15 . National Library of Australia.
  8. News: General Gossip. . The Referee. Sydney . 22 March 1899 . 15 February 2015 . 10 . National Library of Australia.
  9. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TS18990411.2.52&srpos=21&e=-------100--1-byDA---2%22Alfred+Rolfe%22-- The Play and Players
  10. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NZI19040101.2.16&cl=search&srpos=43&e=-------100--1-byDA---2%22Alfred+Rolfe%22--&st=1 The Stage. New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, 1 January 1904, Page 322
  11. News: General Gossip. . The Referee. Sydney . 21 February 1906 . 20 February 2015 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
  12. News: Theatrical Tit-bits . . Surry Hills, NSW . 21 August 1907 . 20 February 2015 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  13. News: The Strutter's Page . . Sydney . 24 August 1907 . 20 February 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  14. News: Theatrical Tit-bits . . Surry Hills, NSW . 1 January 1908 . 20 February 2015 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  15. News: Theatrical Tit-bits . . Surry Hills, NSW . 5 February 1908 . 20 February 2015 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
  16. News: Criterion Theatre . . Surry Hills, NSW . 8 April 1908 . 20 February 2015 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  17. News: Death of Alfred Dampier . . 25 May 1908 . 1 December 2014 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  18. News: Advertising. . . NSW . 16 January 1909 . 20 February 2015 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  19. News: WESTS PICTURES. . . Surry Hills, NSW . 17 August 1910 . 20 February 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  20. News: Theatrical Gossip. . . Sydney . 17 September 1910 . 19 November 2014 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  21. News: AUSTRALIAN FILMS. . . Perth . 18 December 1931 . 26 November 2014 . 11. HOME (FINAL). National Library of Australia.
  22. News: Advertising. . . 3 June 1911 . 20 February 2015 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
  23. Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 14
  24. News: The Theatre . . Sydney . 19 November 1914 . 23 November 2014 . 11 . National Library of Australia.
  25. News: Melbourne Theatrical. . The Referee. Sydney . 10 February 1915 . 19 November 2014 . 15 . National Library of Australia.
  26. https://archive.org/stream/movpic28chal#page/n71/mode/2up/search/%22alfred+rolfe%22 "Australian Notes;" Moving Picture World(May 1916)
  27. https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew141unse#page/252/mode/2up/search/%22alfred+rolfe%22 "Film News From Foreign Parts" Motion Picture News (Jul-Aug 1916)
  28. https://archive.org/stream/movpicwor302movi#page/996/mode/2up/search/%22australian+photoplay%22 "Australian Notes"
  29. News: Advertising. . . Adelaide . 14 April 1917 . 20 February 2015 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  30. News: Advertising. . . Adelaide . 11 May 1918 . 23 November 2014 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  31. News: Athletics . The Referee. Sydney . 17 February 1915 . 19 November 2014 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  32. News: Athletics . . Sydney . 23 June 1917 . 19 November 2014 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
  33. News: Mr A. Rolfe Dead . . 13 September 1943 . 12 January 2012 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  34. Richard Fotheringham, "Introduction", Robbery Under Arms by Alfred Dampier and Garnet Walch, Currency Press 1985 p60
  35. News: SOME OF THE OFFICIALS AT THE BOYS' SPORTS. . The Referee. Sydney . 10 October 1928 . 19 November 2014 . 14 . National Library of Australia.
  36. News: N.S.W. CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP. . The Referee. Sydney . 27 July 1927 . 19 November 2014 . 16 . National Library of Australia.
  37. News: ATHLETIC GOSSIP. . . Sydney . 2 September 1921 . 19 November 2014 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  38. News: Theatrical Tit-bits . . Surry Hills, NSW . 8 March 1911 . 20 February 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  39. News: Amusements . . Adelaide . 4 February 1905 . 20 February 2015 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
  40. News: ACTORS I HAVE KNOWN. . . Qld. . 5 October 1937 . 19 November 2014 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  41. Graham Shirley and Brian Adams, Australian Cinema: The First Eighty Years, Currency Pres 1989 p 40
  42. News: Sports and Sportsmen. . . Melbourne . 30 October 1896 . 15 February 2015 . 14 . National Library of Australia.
  43. News: Untitled . . Sydney . 7 May 1916 . 19 November 2014 . 16 . National Library of Australia.
  44. News: The MIMIC WORLD. . . Sydney . 18 June 1916 . 19 November 2014 . 24 . National Library of Australia.
  45. News: AUSTRALIA'S GREATEST IRRIGATION SCHEME. . . Sydney . 4 June 1916 . 19 November 2014 . 3 Supplement: Issued as a Supplement with the "Sunday Times" . National Library of Australia.
  46. News: WORLD OF LABOUR. . . Brisbane . 17 August 1916 . 19 November 2014 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
  47. News: Advertising. . . Melbourne . 12 May 1883 . 14 February 2015 . 16 . National Library of Australia.
  48. News: HOLLOWAY'S DRAMATIC SEASON. . . 14 August 1883 . 2 September 2013 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
  49. News: Advertising. . . 5 October 1883 . 14 February 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  50. News: Advertising. . . Tas. . 25 February 1884 . 2 September 2013 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
  51. News: Advertising. . . Melbourne . 15 March 1884 . 2 September 2013 . 16 . National Library of Australia.
  52. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TS18841106.2.28&srpos=4&e=-------10--1-byDA---2%22Alfred+Rolfe%22-- Theatre Royal. Star, Issue 5152, 6 November 1884, Page 3
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  54. News: Theatre Royal . . Hobart, Tasmania . 18 March 1886 . 14 February 2015 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  55. News: Advertising. . . Hobart, Tasmania . 2 April 1886 . 14 February 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  56. News: Advertising. . . NSW . 18 May 1886 . 14 February 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  57. News: Classified Advertising. . . 30 July 1886 . 14 February 2015 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
  58. News: Royal Princess Theatre . . Vic. . 23 April 1887 . 14 February 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  59. News: Amusements . . 13 August 1887 . 2 September 2013 . 258 . National Library of Australia.
  60. News: Classified Advertising. . . 27 August 1887 . 2 September 2013 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  61. News: Amusements . . 26 September 1887 . 2 September 2013 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
  62. News: Criterion Theatre —"The Merchant of Venice" . . 19 December 1887 . 2 September 2013 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
  63. News: Victoria Theatre . . 27 December 1887 . 19 November 2014 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
  64. News: Amusements . . 28 June 1888 . 2 September 2013 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
  65. News: Advertising. . . Melbourne . 17 August 1888 . 15 February 2015 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
  66. News: OUR NEWCASTLE LETTER. . . NSW . 21 May 1889 . 15 February 2015 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  67. News: Amusements . . 22 May 1889 . 19 November 2014 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
  68. News: Amusements . . 25 May 1889 . 19 November 2014 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
  69. News: HER MAJESTY'S OPERA-HOUSE. . . Melbourne . 16 September 1889 . 2 September 2013 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  70. News: Amusements . . Adelaide . 16 June 1890 . 19 November 2014 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  71. News: Advertising. . . Melbourne . 27 September 1890 . 2 September 2013 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
  72. News: Advertising. . . Melbourne . 27 December 1890 . 2 September 2013 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
  73. News: Advertising. . . Melbourne . 10 January 1891 . 2 September 2013 . 16 . National Library of Australia.
  74. News: ALEXANDRA THEATRE. . . Melbourne . 20 July 1891 . 2 September 2013 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  75. News: Advertising. . . Melbourne . 25 April 1891 . 2 September 2013 . 16 . National Library of Australia.
  76. News: Advertising. . . Broken Hill, NSW . 17 September 1891 . 2 September 2013 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  77. News: Advertising. . . Melbourne . 30 April 1892 . 2 September 2013 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
  78. News: Advertising. . . Melbourne . 19 March 1892 . 24 May 2015 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
  79. News: Theatre Royal —"The Green Lanes of England" . . 22 May 1893 . 2 September 2013 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  80. News: Advertising. . . Melbourne . 8 December 1894 . 2 September 2013 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
  81. News: Amusements. . . Adelaide . 23 February 1895 . 2 September 2013 . 15 . National Library of Australia.
  82. News: Amusements . . Adelaide . 3 May 1895 . 15 February 2015 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  83. News: Amusements . . Adelaide . 18 May 1895 . 2 September 2013 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  84. News: Before the CURTAIN. . . Sydney . 3 November 1895 . 15 February 2015 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  85. News: HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE. . . 30 November 1895 . 2 September 2013 . 10 . National Library of Australia.
  86. News: ROYAL PRINCESS' THEATRE. . . Vic. . 16 April 1896 . 2 September 2013 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  87. News: Advertising. . . Melbourne . 16 October 1896 . 15 February 2015 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
  88. News: Theatre Royal . . Hobart, Tasmania . 2 January 1897 . 2 September 2013 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  89. News: Theatre Royal . . Hobart, Tasmania . 15 January 1897 . 2 September 2013 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  90. News: LYCEUM—"ROBBERY UNDER ARMS. ". . . 20 September 1897 . 15 February 2015 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  91. News: Amusements . . 30 July 1898 . 2 September 2013 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
  92. News: Amusements . . 30 July 1898 . 15 February 2015 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
  93. News: Last Night's Amusements . . Sydney . 14 August 1898 . 15 February 2015 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  94. News: Amusements . . Adelaide . 9 March 1899 . 15 February 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  95. News: Theatre Royal . . Hobart, Tasmania . 1 January 1900 . 16 February 2015 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  96. News: Theatre Royal . . Hobart, Tasmania . 11 January 1900 . 16 February 2015 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  97. News: "BRITON AND BOER.". . . Launceston, Tasmania . 18 January 1900 . 16 February 2015 . 3 . DAILY. National Library of Australia.
  98. News: Last Night's Amusements . . Sydney . 15 April 1900 . 19 November 2014 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  99. News: Amusements . . NSW . 18 October 1905 . 20 February 2015 . 1010 . National Library of Australia.
  100. News: Lytton Dramatic Co. . . NSW . 31 August 1910 . 19 November 2014 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  101. News: Dramatic Company. . . NSW . 26 August 1910 . 19 November 2014 . 2 . National Library of Australia.