The Burgomeister

The Burgomeister is a 1935 Australian film directed by Harry Southwell based on the 1867 play Le juif polonais (aka The Bells) by Erckmann-Chatrian, adapted into English in 1871 by Leopold Lewis, previously filmed a number of times. The Burgomeister (1935) is considered a 'substantially lost' film, with only one sequence surviving.[2][3]

The Burgomeister
Directed byHarry Southwell
Written byDenzil Batchelor
Based onthe play The Bells adapted by Leopold Lewis
from the play Le Juif Polonais by Erckmann-Chatrian
Produced byHarry Southwell
StarringJanet Ramsey Johnson
CinematographyGeorge Heath
Edited byWilliam Shepherd
Music byIsador Goodman
Production
company
Film Players Corporation
Distributed byScott Films
Release date
  • 29 September 1935 (1935-09-29)
Running time
56 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
Budget£10,000[1]

Southwell had performed the play in Europe, and had previously filmed it in Belgium (1925) as Le juif polonais (The Bells).[4] This silent film version was shown in Australia in 1928.[5][6]

Cast
  • Harry Southwell as Mathias
  • Janet Ramsey Johnson as Annette
  • Muriel Meredith as Catherine[7]
  • Lily Molloy as Sozel
  • Stan Tolhurst as the Polish Jew
  • Gabriel Toyne as Fritz
  • Ross Vernon as Christian
  • Harold Meade as Father Walter
  • Bertie Wright as Heinrich
  • Leslie Victor as Hans
  • Judy Eccles as Baby Annette
  • Paul Furness as hypnotist
  • James Toohey as witness
  • Jane Munro as Marie
  • Alf Scarlett
  • Reginald Riddell

Production

Southwell wanted to make the 1935 remake for less than £4,000.[8] He formed a production company in April 1935 called Film Players Corporation. Among its directors were Sir John Butters, a director of Associated Newspapers, and W.J. Bradley, K.C. and society figure George Rayner.[1][9]

Production began in June 1935 at Cinesound's Bondi studios.[10][11] It ended in July with a cost of £10,000.[12]

The original music score was by Isador Goodman, and costumes by Barbara Robison.[13] Rupert Kathner worked as art director.

The final scenes of the film were shot in the snow on Mount Kosciuszko. Cameraman George Heath worked under difficult conditions including freezing cold and a blizzard.[14]

Release

During pre-production, RKO signed to distribute the movie in Australia and Britain.[15] The film was refused registration under the quality clause of the New South Wales Film Quota Act.[16]

It was previewed on 29 September 1935[17] but was not screened commercially. This caused the investors to lose their money, an event which was blamed for scaring Australian investors away from putting their money into local films.[18]

A re-edited version of the film called Hypnotized screened in some country areas. In 1937 the move was released in the UK as Flames of Conscience.[1]

See also

References
  1. Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 171.
  2. "NFSA's Most Wanted". National Film and Sound Archive. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  3. Huber, Andreas (6 February 2013). "The Burgomeister". lost-films.eu. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  4. "The Bells". australiancinema.info. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  5. ""The Bells" Film". The Daily News. Perth: National Library of Australia. 20 June 1928. p. 8 Edition: HOME (FINAL) EDITION. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  6. ""The Bells"". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 27 June 1928. p. 16. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  7. "First Australian Feature". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 13 July 1935. p. 24. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  8. "Local Film Production". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 28 November 1932. p. 9. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  9. ""The Burgomeister"". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 4 May 1935. p. 12. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  10. "In the Studio". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 29 June 1935. p. 15. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  11. "Talkie Production". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 10 July 1935. p. 12. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  12. "Studio Party". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 29 July 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  13. "'The Burgomeister.'". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 June 1935. p. 5. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  14. "The Burgomeister: Scenes at Kosciusko". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 August 1935. p. 6. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  15. ""The Burgomeister"". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 11 May 1935. p. 10. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  16. "Film Quota". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 30 December 1936. p. 7. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  17. ""The Burgomeister"". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 30 September 1935. p. 8. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  18. "Quota Films. Conference Urged". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 1 April 1937. p. 10. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
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