King of the Coiners

King of the Coiners is a 1912 Australian silent film directed by Alfred Rolfe. It is considered a lost film.[2]

King of the Coiners
Directed byAlfred Rolfe
Based onplay Under Remand by Eric Hudson and Reginald Stockton
StarringCharles Villers
Production
company
Release date
8 January 1912
Running time
2,500 feet[1]
CountryAustralia
LanguagesSilent film
English intertitles

Plot

The plot consists of two acts and 61 scenes. Luke Holt is a police sergeant who doubles as the head of a gang of counterfeiters under the name of Jean Leroy. He tries to recruit a young engraver, Ned Truman, into the gang but he is too honest. Holt then frames him by getting Biddy Higgins to place counterfeit coins in Truman's room. The young man is sent to gaol and his wife Nellie suffers great hardship.

A detective, Ben Burleigh, investigates and uncovers Holt's guilt. Holt tries to escape in a fast car but it cashes over a cliff and he is killed.[3][4][5]

Chapter headings were:

  • the false accusation;
  • turned into the streets;
  • the coiner's den
  • Wooloomooloo;
  • starving in the Domain ;
  • a woman's courage ;
  • hurled to destruction;
  • a dash for liberty;
  • The murder in Centennial Park;
  • escape in motor-car;
  • over the cliffs;
  • face to face with death.[1]

Cast
  • Charles Villiers[6]

Original Play
Under Remand
Written byEric Hudson
Reginald Stockton
Date premiered1894
Original languageEnglish
GenreMelodrama

The movie was based on an 1894 play entitled Under Remand which had been staged most recently in Australia in 1907 with Godfrey Cass.[7]

It has no connection with another play called King of Coiners despite being also about counterfeiters.[8]

Production

The motor smash was shot at Bondi cliffs.[9]

Reception

Charles Villiers, who appeared in the cast, would accompany the film and give lectures.[10]

The Advertiser said that "the subject is of an exceedingly interesting character, and a prominent feature is a motor car smash."[11]

References
  1. "Advertising". The Barrier Miner. Broken Hill, NSW: National Library of Australia. 12 February 1912. p. 1. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  2. Vagg, S., & Reynaud, D. (2016). Alfred Rolfe: Forgotten pioneer Australian film director. Studies in Australasian Cinema, 10(2),184-198. doi:10.1080/17503175.2016.1170950
  3. Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, p 31
  4. "AMUSEMENTS". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 20 February 1912. p. 9. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  5. "EMPIRE PICTURE PALACE, PORT ADELAIDE". Daily Herald. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 8 February 1912. p. 6. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  6. "LYTTON'S PICTURES". The Leader. Orange, NSW: National Library of Australia. 10 December 1912. p. 2. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  7. "AMUSEMENTS". The Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 15 August 1907. p. 6. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  8. "ENTERTAINMENTS. "KING OF THE COINERS."". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 21 January 1909. p. 2. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  9. "GENERAL GOSSIP". The Referee. Sydney: National Library of Australia. 6 December 1911. p. 16. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  10. "LYTTON'S PICTURES". The Dubbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate. NSW: National Library of Australia. 13 December 1912. p. 4. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  11. "AMUSEMENTS". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 8 February 1912. p. 12. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
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