Australia Calls (1913 film)
Encyclopedia
Australia Calls is a 1913 Australian silent film
directed by Raymond Longford
about the fictitious invasion of Australia by an unnamed Asian country.
) rejects the advances of a suitor. An unnamed Asian country lands 20,000 troops (called "Mongolians") on the New South Wales coast, and Australia issues a call to arms, mobilising its forces. The invading army attacks Sydney, setting buildings on fire and taking over the Min, Treasury Building and wireless telegraph station. The rejected suitor turns traitor and Beatrice is captured by the enemy. However she is rescued by plane with the help of aviator William E. Hart and the Australians are victorious.
A contemporary review said "the synopsis contains scenes of Australians at play, at the races, at football, the call to arms, the burning of Sydney, the enemy in possession, Australian mobilising, the capture of the wireless station, treachery, in the hands of the enemy, Australian bushmen rallying, tapping the overhead telegraph wires, the charge of the lancers, and ride for life, William E. Hart (Australia's aviator) to the rescue."
and sought to exploit Australia's fear of the Yellow Peril
. Filming was done with the assistance of the Australian Defence Department and took over a year to complete, including model work to convey the burning of Sydney.
The cast includes early Australian aviator William Edward Hart, who made the first cross-country flight in New South Wales
, and later tenor Alfred O'Shea. Ernest Higgins
shot some aerial photography for the film on a flight with Hart.
The movie is not to be confused with Longford's 1923 picture Australia Calls
and is considered a lost film
.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
directed by Raymond Longford
Raymond Longford
Raymond Longford was a prolific Australian film director, writer, producer and actor during the silent era. Longford was a major director of the silent film era of the Australian cinema. He formed a production team with Lottie Lyell...
about the fictitious invasion of Australia by an unnamed Asian country.
Synopsis
The film begins with a prologue, 'The Warning', showing a Sydney horse race, then a football match in front of thousands of spectators. Living on an outback station, Beatrice Evans (Lottie LyellLottie Lyell
Lottie Lyell was an Australian actress, screenwriter, editor and filmmaker born in Balmain, Sydney in 1890. She is regarded as Australia’s first film star, and also contributed to the local industry during the silent era with her collaborations with Raymond Longford.-Career:Charlotte Cox pursued...
) rejects the advances of a suitor. An unnamed Asian country lands 20,000 troops (called "Mongolians") on the New South Wales coast, and Australia issues a call to arms, mobilising its forces. The invading army attacks Sydney, setting buildings on fire and taking over the Min, Treasury Building and wireless telegraph station. The rejected suitor turns traitor and Beatrice is captured by the enemy. However she is rescued by plane with the help of aviator William E. Hart and the Australians are victorious.
A contemporary review said "the synopsis contains scenes of Australians at play, at the races, at football, the call to arms, the burning of Sydney, the enemy in possession, Australian mobilising, the capture of the wireless station, treachery, in the hands of the enemy, Australian bushmen rallying, tapping the overhead telegraph wires, the charge of the lancers, and ride for life, William E. Hart (Australia's aviator) to the rescue."
Production
The movie was written by two journalists from the magazine The BulletinThe Bulletin
The Bulletin was an Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its influence...
and sought to exploit Australia's fear of the Yellow Peril
Yellow Peril
Yellow Peril was a colour metaphor for race that originated in the late nineteenth century with immigration of Chinese laborers to various Western countries, notably the United States, and later associated with the Japanese during the mid 20th century, due to Japanese military expansion.The term...
. Filming was done with the assistance of the Australian Defence Department and took over a year to complete, including model work to convey the burning of Sydney.
The cast includes early Australian aviator William Edward Hart, who made the first cross-country flight in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, and later tenor Alfred O'Shea. Ernest Higgins
Ernest Higgins
Ernest Higgins was an Australian cinematographer during the days of silent film. He was the brother of Arthur and Tasman Higgins.-Select Filmography:*The Life and Adventures of John Vane, the Notorious Australian Bushranger...
shot some aerial photography for the film on a flight with Hart.
The movie is not to be confused with Longford's 1923 picture Australia Calls
Australia Calls (1923 film)
Australia Calls is a 1923 Australian silent film directed by Raymond Longford made for the British Empire Exhibition in London in 1924.It was a semi-documentary about the adventures of Ernest Idiens, a labourer from Staffordshire who moved to New South Wales with his brother in 1912 with only ₤30...
and is considered a lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
.
Cast
- Lottie LyellLottie LyellLottie Lyell was an Australian actress, screenwriter, editor and filmmaker born in Balmain, Sydney in 1890. She is regarded as Australia’s first film star, and also contributed to the local industry during the silent era with her collaborations with Raymond Longford.-Career:Charlotte Cox pursued...
as Beatrice Evans - Frank Phillips as Evans
- Alfred O'Shea
- George Wilkins
- William E. Hart as aviator
- Andrew Warr as Asian commander
External links
- Australia Calls at National Film and Sound ArchiveNational Film and Sound ArchiveThe National Film and Sound Archive is Australia’s audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national collection of audiovisual materials and related items...