| Assigned to his Wife | |
|---|---|
 Sunday Times 9 Oct 1911 | |
| Directed by | John Gavin |
| Written by | Agnes Gavin |
| Produced by | John Gavin |
| Starring | John Gavin Agnes Gavin |
| Cinematography | A.J. Moulton [1] |
Production company | John F. Gavin Productions |
| Distributed by | John Gavin |
Release date |
|
Running time | over 4,000 feet [3] |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | Silent film |
| Budget | £500 [4] |
Assigned to his Wife is a 1911 Australian silent film from director John Gavin. [5] It is a convict-era "military romantic melodrama". [6]
The film is set in the early 1840s in England and Van Diemen's Land and concerns Jack Throsbie (John Gavin), an English soldier who is falsely accused of a crime and sentenced to Australia, where he befriends an aboriginal boy. [7]
The chapter headings were:
The main situations in the film were advertised as being:
The film was shot on location in bush near Sydney and at Gavin's improvised studio in Waverly. [4] [9] A highlight was a dive of 250 feet (76.2 m) by Yacka off a cliff into a river. [10]
The film was reportedly successful at the box office. The Newsletter said the film "is booming around Sydney, being booked up for about 30 different shows. This success is all the more pleasing when one recollects that it is a purely Australian product. All his dramas have been written and dramatised by his talented wife, Agnes Gavin. They are all acted by Austra lians, whose ability is quite up to, if not ahead of, the oversea products." [11]
It was meant to be followed by another from Gavin The White Hope but it does not appear this was made. [12]
The Advertiser called it "a picture of which every Australian should be proud. Among the many sensational incidents is a splendid dive of 250 ft. by a blackboy." [13]
The Sydney Sun said:
A proposal and a rejection of marriage; a clandestine meeting; a theft; a court-martial; a death sentence (afterwards com muted to transportation for life from Eng land to Tasmania); a two-man fight; a fight between more than two men; a fatal accident; a startling confession and a suicide, make a little list which you will admit would be extremely Interesting when pieced toge ther and portrayed by good actors. Such is "Assigned to His Wife"... The Gavins are Australians, the actors are Australians, the scene is mostly Australian, and next week, at the Lyric Theatre, Australians can come and see tho whole Australian thing. They certainly ought to, because It is well worth seeing. [14]
Bushrangers were armed robbers who hid from authorities in the bush of the British colonies in Australia. The earliest use of the term applied to escaped convicts in the early years of the British settlements in Australia. By the 1820s, the term had evolved to refer to those who took up "robbery under arms" as a way of life, using bases in the bush.
Thunderbolt is a 1910 Australian feature film based on the life of the bushranger Captain Thunderbolt. It was the directorial debut of John Gavin who later claimed it was the first "four-reel movie" made in Australia. It has also been called the first film made in New South Wales.
John F. Gavin was a pioneer Australian film actor and director, one of the early filmmakers of the 1910s. He is best known for making films about bushrangers such as Captain Thunderbolt, Captain Moonlite, Ben Hall and Frank Gardiner. Known informally as 'Jack', Gavin worked in collaboration with his wife Agnes, who scripted many of his films.
Moonlite is a 1910 Australian bushranger film about Captain Moonlite, played by John Gavin, who also directed for producer H.A. Forsyth. It was also known as Captain Moonlite and is considered a lost film.
Ben Hall and his Gang is a 1911 Australian film about the bushranger Ben Hall, played by John Gavin, who also directed. It is considered a lost film.
Agnes Gavin (1872–1947), was an Australian actor and screenwriter in the silent film era. She worked in collaboration with her husband John Gavin throughout her career. She wrote the majority of his films and was arguably the first specialist screenwriter in the history of the Australian film industry. In newspapers she was advertised as the "well known picture dramatizer" and was praised for creating "cleverly constructed stories". Many of her films are considered lost.
Frank Gardiner, the King of the Road is a 1911 Australian film about the bushranger Frank Gardiner, played by John Gavin, who also directed. It was the fourth consecutive bushranger biopic Gavin made, following movies about Captain Thunderbolt, Captain Moonlite and Ben Hall.
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.
The Mark of the Lash is a 1911 Australian silent film. It is a convict-era melodrama made by the husband-and-wife team of John and Agnes Gavin.
His Convict Bride is a 1918 Australian silent film from the team of John and Agnes Gavin. It was a convict-era melodrama.
'Neath Austral Skies is a 1913 Australian silent film directed by Raymond Longford.
Captain Starlight, or Gentleman of the Road is a 1911 Australian silent film about the bushranger Captain Starlight. It was based on Alfred Dampier's stage adaptation of the 1888 novel Robbery Under Arms. It is considered a lost film.
The Life of Rufus Dawes is a 1911 Australian silent film based on Alfred Dampier's stage adaptation of the 1874 novel For the Term of His Natural Life produced by Charles Cozens Spencer.
The Lady Outlaw is a 1911 Australian silent film set in Van Diemen's Land during convict days.
In the Nick of Time is a 1911 Australian silent film directed by Alfred Rolfe. It was described as a "sensational railway drama", although now is considered a lost film.
What Women Suffer is a 1911 Australian silent film directed by Alfred Rolfe. It is a Victorian melodrama, complete with a climax where a little child is placed on a moving saw bench and is considered a lost film.
The Miner's Curse, or the Bush Wedding is a 1911 Australian silent film directed by Alfred Rolfe set during the Australian Gold Rush.
Sentenced for Life is an Australian film directed by E. I. Cole. It was an adaptation of a play performed by Cole and his Bohemian Dramatic Company as early as 1904.
Dan Morgan is a 1911 Australian film from Charles Cozens Spencer about the bushranger Daniel Morgan. It was said to be starring "Alfred Rolfe and company". Rolfe directed three movies for Spencer, all starring himself and his wife Lily Dampier so there is a chance he may have directed this one and that it starred his wife. A prospectus for the Australian Photo Play Company said he directed it. It is considered a lost film.
The Australian Photo-Play Company was a short-lived but highly productive Australian film production company which operated from 1911 to 1912.