| Three in One | |
| Director: | Cecil Holmes |
| Producer: | Cecil Holmes |
| Based On: | stories by Henry Lawson (Joe Wilson's Mates) Frank Hardy (The Load of Wood) |
| Narrator: | John McCallum |
| Starring: | Reg Lye |
| Music: | Raymond Hanson |
| Cinematography: | Ross Wood |
| Editing: | A. William Copeland |
| Studio: | Australian Tradition Films |
| Runtime: | 89 minutes |
| Country: | Australia |
| Language: | English |
| Budget: | £28,000[1] or £8,000[2] |
Three in One is a 1957 Australian anthology film directed by Cecil Holmes and starring Reg Lye. It consists of three separate stories, "A Load of Wood", "The City", and "Joe Wilson's Mates".
In Joe Wilson's Mates, Joe Wilson dies alone in a small town during the 1890s without friend or family. But because he carries a union card the local union member give him a decent burial.
The Load of Wood is set during the 1930s. Two men are doing relief work but can not afford to buy enough fuel to keep their families warm. They steal a truck of wood from a rich man's estate and distribute it around to need families.
In The City a young factory worker and ship assistant plan to marry but cannot afford it. The argue an walk the streets but realise they love each other.
Filming for tall three stories took place at Pagewood Studios before and after Smiley was shot there in 1955. Exteriors for the first two stories were shot in Camden and locations for the third were filmed on Sydney streets.[1]
The film was positively received by overseas critics and screened at a number of festivals (including one in Communist China[3]) but struggled to obtain commercial release in Australia. It failed to recover its cost and Australian Tradition Films was liquidated in 1959.[1]