The Broken Melody (1937 film)
Encyclopedia
The Broken Melody is a 1938 Australian
drama film
directed by Ken G. Hall
and starring Lloyd Hughes
, Diana Du Cane and Rosalind Kennerdale. It was based on a best-selling novel by F.J. Thwaites
.
, who previously appeared in Lovers and Luggers
for Cinesound, returned to Australia to play the male lead. Regular female Cinesound star Ann Richards was not cast the film as she was exhausted after making three films back to back.
Noted Australian composer Alfred Hill
was especially commissioned to write an operetta for the movie.
Shooting took place from October to November, 1937. The film is notable for an appearance of future Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam
as an extra in one scene.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Ken G. Hall
Ken G. Hall
Kenneth George Hall, AO OBE , better known as Ken G. Hall, was an Australian film director, considered one of the most important figures in the history of the Australian film industry.-Early years:...
and starring Lloyd Hughes
Lloyd Hughes
Lloyd Hughes was an American silent film actor.-Life and career:Born in Bisbee, Arizona, Hughes received his education at the Los Angeles Polytechnic School. He sought a career as an actor early in life, and his clean-cut appearance and ability soon gained him recognition...
, Diana Du Cane and Rosalind Kennerdale. It was based on a best-selling novel by F.J. Thwaites
F.J. Thwaites
Frederick Joseph Thwaites was an Australian novelist best known for his first work The Broken Melody, which was adapted into a 1938 film....
.
Production
The film was the first of five Cinesound made for a total of ₤100,000. American star Lloyd HughesLloyd Hughes
Lloyd Hughes was an American silent film actor.-Life and career:Born in Bisbee, Arizona, Hughes received his education at the Los Angeles Polytechnic School. He sought a career as an actor early in life, and his clean-cut appearance and ability soon gained him recognition...
, who previously appeared in Lovers and Luggers
Lovers and Luggers
Lovers and Luggers is a 1937 adventure melodrama about a pianist who goes to Thursday Island to retrieve a valuable pearl.-Production:The script was based on a novel by Gurney Slade which was set in Broome and adapted by Frank Harvey...
for Cinesound, returned to Australia to play the male lead. Regular female Cinesound star Ann Richards was not cast the film as she was exhausted after making three films back to back.
Noted Australian composer Alfred Hill
Alfred Hill
Alfred Francis Hill CMG OBE was an Australian/New Zealand composer, conductor and teacher.-Biography:Alfred Hill was born in Melbourne in 1869. His year of birth is shown in many sources as 1870, but this has now been disproven. He spent most of his early life in New Zealand...
was especially commissioned to write an operetta for the movie.
Shooting took place from October to November, 1937. The film is notable for an appearance of future Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
as an extra in one scene.
Cast
- Lloyd HughesLloyd HughesLloyd Hughes was an American silent film actor.-Life and career:Born in Bisbee, Arizona, Hughes received his education at the Los Angeles Polytechnic School. He sought a career as an actor early in life, and his clean-cut appearance and ability soon gained him recognition...
- Diana Du Cane
- Rosalind Kennerdale
- Frank HarveyFrank Harvey (Australian screenwriter)Frank Harvey was an English-born actor, producer and writer best known for his work in Australia.-Biography:...
- Alec KellawayAlec KellawayAlec Kellaway was a South African-born actor best known for his work in Australian theatre and film, notably playing a number of character roles for director Ken G. Hall. He was the brother of Cecil Kellaway...
External Links
- The Broken Melody in the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- The Broken Melody at Australian Screen OnlineAustralian Screen OnlineAustralian Screen Online is an on-line database operated by the Australian National Film and Sound Archive. It provides information about and excerpts from a wide selection of Australian feature films, documentaries, television programs, newsreels, short films, animations, and home-movies. It also...