Waltzing Matilda (1933 film)

Waltzing Matilda is a 1933 Australian film directed by and starring Pat Hanna.[4] It features Coral Browne.[5]

Waltzing Matilda
Directed byPat Hanna
associate
Raymond Longford[1]
Written by
Produced byPat Hanna
Starring
CinematographyArthur Higgins
Production
company
Pat Hanna Productions
Distributed byUniversal Pictures[2]
Release date
2 December 1933
Running time
77 mins
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
Box office£8,000[3]

Plot

Chic Williams and his friend James Brown wrongly believe they have injured a policeman in a drunken fight. Fleeing a private detective who is following them, they head for the bush.

Chic and James find work as drovers at Banjaroo Station, where his old army mate Joe works as an overseer. James falls in love with the station owner's daughter. The detective arrives and tells James he has inherited money. James and his girlfriend announce their engagement and Chic sets off alone as a swagman, accompanied by a chorus of "Waltzing Matilda".[6]

Cast
  • Pat Hanna as Chic Williams
  • Joe Valli as Joe McTavish
  • Frield Fisher as Albert
  • Coral Browne
  • Norman French as James Brown
  • Joan Lang[7]
  • Nellie Mortyne
  • Dorothy Parnham as Dorothy Young
  • George Moon
  • Bill Innes

Production

Pat Hanna held a competition for the name of the film. A prize of £10 was shared amongst the 20 people who suggested "Waltzing Matilda".[8]

The character of Chic William was well established on stage and in Pat Hanna's previous movies but changed for this film- he is poor, drinking heavily and drifting from job to job.[9]

The movie was shot at Efftee Studios in Melbourne in mid 1933.[10]

The romantic male lead, Norman French, was a casting director for Efftee and Hanna.[11]

Reception

The film only ran for a short time in the cities but enjoyed more popularity in the country.[9] Reviews were mixed.[12] It was classified as a "middle grade" success at the box office.[3]

Hanna was frustrated at the financial return he was getting for his efforts and this was his last film.[13] However, in 1950 he said he was still making money by re-releasing his films.[14]

References
  1. "Raymond Longford", Cinema Papers, January 1974 p51
  2. ""WALTZING MATILDA."". The West Australian. Perth. 22 September 1933. p. 3. Retrieved 9 August 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "Counting the Cash in Australian Films"', Everyones 12 December 1934 p 19
  4. "FILM REVIEWS". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 February 1934. p. 6. Retrieved 2 June 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "CAROL COOMBE RETURNS TO LONDON". The West Australian. Perth. 26 March 1935. p. 3. Retrieved 9 August 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "AUSTRALIAN COMEDY". The Argus. Melbourne. 4 December 1933. p. 5. Retrieved 9 August 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "PAT HANNA'S "DISCOVERY"". The Daily News. Perth. 28 September 1933. p. 6 Edition: LATE CITY. Retrieved 9 August 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "Title for New Film". The Argus. Melbourne. 28 June 1933. p. 8. Retrieved 9 August 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 163.
  10. "FILM WORLD". The West Australian. Perth. 4 March 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 9 August 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "ENTERTAINMENTS". The Mercury. Hobart, Tas. 18 July 1933. p. 5. Retrieved 9 August 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "FILM REVIEWS". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 February 1934. p. 6. Retrieved 9 August 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. "AUSTRALIAN FILMS". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 February 1934. p. 16. Retrieved 9 August 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. "He still collects on "Digger" films". The Argus. Melbourne. 14 March 1950. p. 3. Retrieved 9 August 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
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