"I wish't yeh meant it, Bill."

The noblest of intentions often fail, when they fly in the face of power and greed. The portrayal of a nationalist identity in the early years of Australian cinema suffered a bitter disintegration during the silent era, as block booking and the clout of collective film distribution (Australasian Films) dominated the market, eliminating the independents. What began as an informal ‘cottage industry’ with its focus on regional stories and settings, was pushed aside by expensive, and foreign, Hollywood imports.

At the forefront of this regional cinema were Raymond Longford and Lottie Lyell. With their roots in live theater, they dabbled in film and stayed. Beginning as an actor for Spencer’s Pictures in 1911, Longford eventually became the highly successful director of A Maori Maid’s Love (1915), The Mutiny of the Bounty (1916) and The Church and The Woman (1917). Lyell is generally considered Australia’s first true film star. Her athleticism, equestrian skills and ability to present the archetypal outback girl made her an audience favorite.

The informal nature of early filmmaking encouraged the freedom to function in various roles of production. Lyell and Longford shared in direction, editing, production design and writing, on most of their films. Late in her career, Lyell’s poor heath limited her involvement to work behind the camera. Longford was badly shaken by her untimely death in 1925. His remaining career was a slow decline. An attempted transition into sound resulted in only one film, The Man They Could Not Hang (1934). Longford left the business after years of humiliating setbacks brought on by his opposition to the distribution "combine."

All but three of his feature films are now presumed lost. The Woman Suffers (1918) was Longford’s first production with the Southern Cross Feature Film Company. A controversial melodrama starring Lyell, it survives as a reconstructed fragment. On Our Selection (1920), depicts the farming life of early Australian settlers. Lyell and Longford’s acknowledged masterpiece, The Sentimental Bloke (1919) emerged from obscurity as a 16mm print at the 1955 Sydney Film Festival, screened while Longford worked as a night watchman on the nearby docks.

The Sentimental Bloke (1919)

Saturday June 2, 7:00pm , SIFF Cinema (The Nesholm Family Lecture Hall), Seattle
Saturday June 16, 4:00pm, ACMI Cinemas, Melbourne

" I nudge Doreen. She whispers, "Ain’t it grand!" ‘Er eyes is shinin’, an’ I squeeze ‘er ‘and."

The earthy, humorous poems of C. J. Dennis’ roughneck "larrikin" Bill, first appeared as installments in The Sydney Bulletin. After a stint in jail, Bill grows weary of his drinking and gambling ways, "All them joys o’ life I ‘eld so sweet is up the pole." Published in 1915 as The Songs of A Sentimental Bloke, thousands of hardbound pocketbook copies entertained homesick AIF (Australian Imperial Forces) infantrymen in European trenches during The Great War.
Raymond Longford purchased the rights from Dennis and the film, starring Lottie Lyell as the "bit ‘o fluff" who reforms Bill, was a solid hit in Australia and New Zealand. "I knoo she weren’t no ordinary tart." An attempt was made to modify the original verse used in the intertitles for an American release. The sweetness and appeal of Dennis original slang was lost, and the story of Bill and his "bonzer peach" Doreen, the pickle factory girl, failed in the U.S. market. Ironically, as subsequent restorations have improved the quality of the film, the best surviving source, an original 35mm negative, was discovered in the archives of GEH (George Eastman House) with the rewritten titles.

My best pitch …

The formalities having been dispensed, here, in my humble opinion, is why this film should not be missed. Please note, I have studied this production and principle players, but have not yet seen the film myself. The Sentimental Bloke is a rare surviving silent feature from a foreign, English market. It is considered by many to be the best example of regional Australian film from that period. It is currently unavailable on commercial video, anywhere, and is rarely seen outside of Australia. The folks at the NFSA (National Film and Sound Archive) have assured me a video will be released, eventually. This film will not be screened at the SFSFF (San Francisco Silent Film Festival), so to the best of my knowledge this is the only currently scheduled screening available within a reasonable distance (if you know otherwise, please let me know, I asked!). An earlier restoration was screened at Pordenone in 1993, followed by this version in 2005. I have read some criticism describing the production values as inferior. Wouldn’t anything pale in comparison to a Hollywood film from this period? Based on my knowledge of the book, which I found utterly charming and the production stills (included in this preview) I anticipate this will be a wonderful experience. I read that Americans have struggled with the language, so a brief primer is essential to appreciate this film. Please visit the online publication of the book here. The original also included a fifteen-page glossary (even in Australia) I will provide as an e-mail attachment on request (too long to include here). I also own an original copy of the book (the illustrations are great) I will bring to this screening.

Post-show comments ....

Observations pointing out inferior production values in this film ignore the superior quality of the composition and the historic provenance of the locations. While, Australian film had not reached the technical levels of Hollywood lighting and camera movement, the overall content more than overcomes these minor deficiencies. In more than one instance, actors within the open interior sets are struck by direct sunlight, something seen in French and American films years earlier. The visual narrative, use of frequent close-ups and subtle, naturalistic acting, is equal to many American films from the same period. Longford’s use of natural light in outdoor scenes, superimposed and reflected images are in fact, quite advanced.
If the context in which this film was originally viewed is considered (the conclusion of a war where thousands of Australian boys perished half-way around the world, and the profoundly demoralizing effect this had at home), The Sentimental Bloke must have been a welcome tonic. An utterly charming masterpiece, this greatest survivor of Australian silent film deserves the broadest global audience.