| Sea Dogs of Australia | |
| Director: | Martyn Keith |
| Producer: | J.S. McCullagh |
| Starring: | Charles Villiers |
| Studio: | Western Pacific Feature Films |
| Runtime: | 2,500 feet[1] |
| Language: | Silent film English intertitles |
| Country: | Australia |
Sea Dogs of Australia is a 1913 Australian silent film about an Australian naval officer blackmailed into helping a foreign spy.[2] The film was publicly released in August 1914, but was almost immediately withdrawn after the Minister for Defence expressed security concerns about footage of the battlecruiser .
Lieutenant Verner (Eric Howell) incurs massive gambling debts, and a foreign spy, Herman Markoff, tries to blackmail him into stealing some secret plans for an explosive. Verner agrees and helps Markoff kidnap his friend, Lieutenant Sidney, but is stopped by Dave Smith, a champion Australian boxer. Verner tries again and by torturing Sidney succeeds in securing the plans. Verner decides to use the plans to blow up the battlecruiser, but Sidney manages to escape and kill Markoff. Verner almost escapes on a ship, but Australia sinks it and Verner dies.[2]
The chapter headings were:[1]
During late 1913, filming occurred aboard Australia.[3]
The film was trade screened in December 1913 but not released commercially until August the following year. It was then withdrawn from screening by order of the Minister for Defence, most likely due to security concerns over footage of Australia.[3] [4]