Will They Never Come?

Will They Never Come? is a 1915 Australian film directed by Alfred Rolfe and starring Guy Hastings. It was based on a cartoon published by the Weekly Dispatch and the story "is based upon duty to one's country, in contradistinction to the younger members devoting their leisure to sport".[3] It is considered a lost film.[4]

Will They Never Come?
Directed byAlfred Rolfe
Written byPhillip Gell
Loris Brown
Based onpicture by Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett[1]
StarringGuy Hastings
Production
company
Release date
  • 5 April 1915 (1915-04-05)[2]
Running time
2,000 feet
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

Premise

A hero enlists in the Australian army during World War I while his brother does not. But while the brother is at the races, surfing and cricket, he imagines that thousands are suffering because he shirked.[5]

Production

The film was written by two publicists from Australasian Films and was made with the co-operation of the Minister of Defence, Senator Pearce. Colonel Wallack and Majors Page and Sadler were the military liaisons.[6]

It was shot at Liverpool using real members of the First Australian Imperial Force, who when the film was released were serving in the Dardanelles.

The lead role was played by the "very cockney comic lead of the late lamented George Blood Co."[7]

Reception

The film was very successful and resulted in a full-length sequel, The Hero of the Dardanelles (1915). Both films were used as a recruiting tool, taken around the country by members of the armed forces for special screenings.[8] However, the original film did not feature any battle sequences.

References
  1. "HERO OP THE DARDANELLES". The Argus. Melbourne. 16 July 1915. p. 8. Retrieved 30 March 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. "PICTURE BLOCK THEATRES". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 April 1915. p. 15. Retrieved 30 March 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "TO AID RECRUITING". The North Western Advocate and the Emu Bay Times. Tas. 21 April 1915. p. 2. Retrieved 30 March 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. 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
  5. ""Will They Never Come [?]"". The Dubbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate. NSW. 13 July 1915. p. 2. Retrieved 30 March 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ""WILL THEY NEVER COME ?"". The Sunday Times. Sydney. 28 March 1915. p. 16. Retrieved 19 November 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "PAVILION". The Sunday Times. Perth. 25 April 1915. p. 16. Retrieved 30 March 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "Heroes of The Dardenelies". The McIvor Times and Rodney Advertiser. Heathcote, Vic. 21 June 1917. p. 2. Retrieved 30 March 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
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