Call of the Bush explained

Call of the Bush
Starring:Charles Woods
"Mr Barrington"
Studio:Australian Photoplay Company[1] or Gaumont Federal Films[2]
Runtime:2,000 feet[3] or 2,500 feet
Language:Silent film
English intertitles
Country:Australia

Call of the Bush is a 1912 Australian silent film. It is considered a lost film.[4]

Plot

The film was billed as "a story of the Australian bush, based on the incidents of the easy miner settlements."[5]

The home of Wm Collins, a squatter on the Lachlan, was shown, together with the return Fred, who had won his V.C. in the recent Boer war. Fred was secretly loved by Mary Campbell, but lost his heart to the shepherd's pretty daughter to whom he presented his dog Ruby. Bill Doyle, a stockman, was also infatuated with this girl and swore that if he could not have her Fred Collins would not. Through Bill's actions, Fred was sent away from home because of his alleged unfaithfulness to Mary Cameron, but was brought back when the latter declared that he had never made love to her. Young Cameron was killed by Doyle on the journey and the latter left Fred's riding whip under the body so that the crime might be fixed upon him. Fred, in due course was arrested and tried, but at this critical moment a sundowner who has witnessed the murder turned up and gave evidence, at the same time producing a handkerchief bearing the name of Doyle. Fred was released and married and married the shepherd's daughter while Doyle went to the scaffold. The sundowner, though offered a home with the happy young couple, could not remains in conventional quarters so responded again to the call of the bush.[6]

It was divided into the following chapters:

Production

This was the first film made in Australian by the Gaumont Company, trading as "The Gaumont Agency".[8] Other sources however say it was some the Australian Photoplay Company – who were bought out by Gaumont.[1] Another says it was from "Gaumont Federal Films", an amalgamation of Gaumont and APPC.[2]

The script was written by Jack Allen of Wollongong.[9]

It was shot on location on a New South Wales station.[10]

The Gaumont Agency later also made The Opium Runners.

Notes and References

  1. News: Advertising. . . 25 December 1912 . 7 June 2015 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
  2. News: THE KIOSK. . . SA . 28 December 1912 . 8 June 2015 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
  3. News: Williamstown Theatre. . . Vic. . 4 January 1913 . 14 April 2012 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  4. Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, p 37
  5. News: AMERICAN THEATRE. . . 16 December 1912 . 14 April 2012 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  6. News: WONDERLAND PICTURES. . . Vic. . 25 January 1913 . 7 June 2015 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  7. News: Advertising. . . Broken Hill, NSW . 21 December 1912 . 14 April 2012 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
  8. News: NAPIER ST. PICTURE GARDENS. . . Footscray, Vic. . 22 February 1913 . 14 April 2012 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  9. News: WEST'S. . . NSW . 28 February 1913 . 7 June 2015 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
  10. News: CENTRAL PICTURES. . . Adelaide . 18 December 1912 . 7 June 2015 . 6 . National Library of Australia.