| A Girl of the Bush | |
|---|---|
 Still from film | |
| Directed by | Franklyn Barrett |
| Written by | Franklyn Barrett [1] |
| Produced by | Franklyn Barrett |
| Starring | Vera James |
Production company | Barrett's Australian Productions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 6,000 feet [2] |
| Country | Australia |
| Languages | Silent film English intertitles |
A Girl of the Bush is a 1921 Australian silent film directed by Franklyn Barrett. It is one of the few films from Barrett to survive in its entirety today.
Lorna Denver manages Kangaroo Flat sheep station and is pursued by two men, evil Oswald and handsome young surveyor, Tom Wilson.
Lorna gives shelter to a baby that has survived an attack by aboriginals, but Tom thinks the baby is hers. This upsets Lorna who breaks it off with him.
Oswald is murdered and Tom is arrested. A Chinese cook reveals that the real killer was the father of a woman who had been seduced by Oswald.
The script was heavily influenced by the plays The Squatter's Daughter and On Our Selection . [3]
This was the first of three films Barrett made for his own company. [4] Shooting began in October 1920 at the Fremantle Station near Bathurst. [5]
Filming was conducted both on studio sets and on location and the plot is interwoven with lengthy documentary-style passages that depict then-contemporary rural Australian activities such as sheep sheering and dipping, wool packing and transportation by horse team, cattle branding, and horse-breaking in the outback, as well as the playing of the illegal gambling game two up in the back alleys of Sydney.
The film was widely distributed and appears to have been a success at the box office. [3]
Vera James' father bought the rights to distribute the film in New Zealand. [6]
William Henry Ogilvie was a Scottish-Australian narrative poet and horseman, jackaroo, and drover, and described as a quiet-spoken handsome Scot of medium height, with a fair moustache and red complexion. He was also known as Will Ogilvie, by the pen names including 'Glenrowan' and the lesser 'Swingle-Bar', and by his initials, WHO.
Officer 666 is a 1916 silent film made in Australia, based on a successful Broadway comedy of 1912. The film was directed by Fred Niblo who would go on to direct The Mark of Zorro, The Three Musketeers, Blood and Sand and over forty more films.
Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford is a 1916 Australian silent comedy film directed by Fred Niblo. The film was the first made by the film unit of theatrical firm J. C. Williamson, although it was one of the last to be released. It was Niblo's debut film as a director and is considered a lost film.
Robbery Under Arms is a 1920 Australian film directed by Kenneth Brampton and financed by mining magnate Pearson Tewksbury. It is an early example of an "Australian Western".
The Assigned Servant, or the Life Story of a Deported Convict is a 1911 Australian silent film about a convict who is transported to Van Diemen's Land. It was made by the husband-and-wife team of John and Agnes Gavin and is considered a lost film.
Keane of Kalgoorlie, or a Story of the Sydney Cup is a 1911 Australian silent film set in the racing and gambling circles of Sydney, based on a popular play by Edward William O'Sullivan and Arthur Wright, adapted from the novel by Wright.
His Convict Bride is a 1918 Australian silent film from the team of John and Agnes Gavin. It was a convict-era melodrama.
Our Friends, the Hayseeds is a 1917 Australian rural comedy from director Beaumont Smith. It centers on the rural family, the Hayseeds, and their rivalry with a neighbouring family, the Duggans.
While the Billy Boils is a 1921 Australian film from director Beaumont Smith based on Smith's stage play adaptation of several stories from Henry Lawson.
The Squatter's Daughter or, The Land of the Wattle is a 1907 Australian play by Bert Bailey and Edmund Duggan, writing under the combined pseudonym Albert Edmunds.
On Our Selection is a 1920 Australian silent film directed by Raymond Longford based on the Dad and Dave stories by Steele Rudd.
Walter Franklyn Barrett, better known as Franklyn Barrett, was an Australian film director and cinematographer. He worked for a number of years for West's Pictures. It was later written of the filmmaker that "Barrett's visual ingenuity was to be the highlight of all his work, but... his direction of actors was less assured".
The Breaking of the Drought is a 1920 Australian silent film from director Franklyn Barrett based on the popular play by Bland Holt and Arthur Shirley. According to Graham Phillips, this film is one of the most damaged films in Australia's film archive, although few sequences have severe damage in the film.
The Cup Winner is a 1911 Australian silent film directed by Alfred Rolfe. It is set against a backdrop of horseracing and the finale involves real footage from the 1911 Melbourne Cup.
Charles Villiers was an Australian actor and occasional director who appeared in many silent films. According to a contemporary report, "there is probably no actor in Australia that has done more consistent picture work than Mr. Villiers, both as heavy lead, and director." He was particularly well known for playing villains.
Struck Oil is an 1874 play set during the American Civil War and a 1919 Australian silent film, now considered lost. The play, which introduced Maggie Moore to Australian theatre-goers, was popular with the Australian public and the basis of J. C. Williamson's success as a theatre entrepreneur. A film based on the play and directed by Franklyn Barrett was produced in 1919.
Know Thy Child is a 1921 Australian silent film directed by Franklyn Barrett.
A Rough Passage is a 1922 Australian silent film directed by Franklyn Barrett based on the novel by Arthur Wright. It was Barrett's final feature and is considered a lost film.
Ernest Henry Higgins was an Australian cinematographer during the days of silent film. He was the eldest brother of Arthur and Tasman Higgins. He shot the film The Throwback (1920) for director Arthur Shirley which resulted in Shirley unsuccessfully suing Higgins for breach of contract.
Vera James Munro was a New Zealand actress who worked in theatre and film. In 1929 she appeared in the first all-talking, all-colour feature length movie ever made, Warner Bros On with the Show!, and was already well known for starring in A Girl of the Bush in 1921.
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