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Pat Hanna | |
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| Born | George Patrick Hanna 18 March 1888 Whitianga, New Zealand |
| Died | 24 October 1973 (aged 85) Ampthill, Bedfordshire, England |
| Occupation | Film producer |
George Patrick "Pat" Hanna (born 18 March 1888 in Whitianga, New Zealand – 24 October 1973 [1] in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, England) was a New Zealand-born film producer, he was a soldier of the First World War who entertained post-war audiences with the stage show Diggers, that was adapted to a film of the same title in 1931.
Hanna was born to Patrick Hanna, a hotelkeeper from Downpatrick, Northern Ireland and an Australian born mother Mary Jane, [2] Hanna's talent for art led him to a signwriting apprenticeship and cartooning for a Wellington, New Zealand newspaper. He enlisted at the start of the First World War as a private in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force where he participated in the Occupation of German Samoa. [3]
In 1916 he joined the Otago Infantry Regiment where he was sent to Egypt, then France and Belgium. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in December 1916 and was promoted to lieutenant in December 1917. [2] His expertise with hand grenades led him to be appointed a Bombing Officer. [4]
Lt Hanna remained in the Army of Occupation following the Armistice becoming Entertainment Officer forming No 1 Entertainment Unit. [5] His orders were to "organise entertainment, lay on laughter unlimited and rollicking relaxation". [6] Hanna set up a concert party called "The Diggers" where he was the director, chief writer and performer. [6] The Diggers toured in Germany, France and England. During this time he invented a scaled down version of badminton called "Batinton" that was played with bats on a smaller court.
Hanna posed for Jack Cato's photograph The Spirit of Anzac. [5] [7]
After leaving the Army, Hanna reformed The Diggers as Pat Hanna's Diggers where they toured New Zealand, then Australia with several former Australian Diggers now in the group; numbering 25. [8] The Diggers featured a musical sister act of Jessie and Hilda Meadows. Hanna married Jessie the pianist in 1922, the couple having two children Ian and Pattie.
Hanna became renowned for creating a caricature of the Digger stereotype and another of an Army Chaplain. One of the Chaplain's monologues The Gospel According to Cricket [9] and Hanna singing Mademoiselle from Armentières became big sellers.
The Digger shows' popularity led to Hanna making his first film Diggers (1931) as actor and writer for Efftee Studios led by Frank W. Thring, the father of Frank Thring. Diggers was Australia's second talking feature. [10] Hanna argued with Thring over the position of his musical numbers in the film leading him to form his own film production company [11] where he produced, directed and starred in Diggers in Blighty and Waltzing Matilda (both 1933) however the films were poorly distributed and not successful. [12]
Hanna toured America billed as the "Down Under Will Rogers" and returned to Australia where he broadcast on 3LO.
Too old for active service in World War II, Hanna invented a detonation device for a petrol grenade and trained troops and civilians planning to be guerrillas against the Japanese in the use of hand grenades. Hanna encouraged having fun with grenades and combined his knowledge of grenades and entertaining. He published a book in 1941 Grenade Training by Recreational Methods. [13] Hanna's son Ian served with the 2/24 Battalion posing for a drawing of Sybil Craig's called Soldier in a Digger Hat. [14]
Charles Chauvel considered casting Hanna as the lead in his Forty Thousand Horsemen film but was impressed by the younger Chips Rafferty who Chauvel cast in Hanna's place. [15] One of Hanna's Diggers troupe, Joe Valli, reprised his Scottish caricature he played in the Diggers show in the film and Chauvel's The Rats of Tobruk .
Hanna got the rights to some old films from Efftee Studios such as His Royal Highness (1932) and had success re-releasing them along with his old movies. [16]
Hanna and his family moved to England in 1961 where he researched the Clan Hannay's ownership of Sorbie Tower in Wigtownshire Scotland. Jessie Hanna and his daughter Pattie returned to Australia after Pat's death. [17]
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Magic 1278 is a commercial radio station in Melbourne, Australia owned by Nine Entertainment, and run under a lease agreement by Ace Radio.
Digger is a military slang term for primarily infantry soldiers from Australia and New Zealand. Evidence of its use has been found in those countries as early as the 1850s, but its current usage in a military context did not become prominent until World War I, when Australian and New Zealand troops began using it on the Western Front around 1916–17. Evolving out of its usage during the war, the term has been linked to the concept of the Anzac legend, but within a wider social context, it is linked to the concept of "egalitarian mateship".
Francis William Thring IV was an Australian character actor in radio, stage, television and film; as well as a theatre director. His early career started in London in theatre productions, before he starred in Hollywood film, where he became best known for roles in Ben-Hur in 1959 and King of Kings in 1961. He was known for always wearing black and styling his home in black decor.
Efftee Studios was an early Australian film and theatre production studio, established by F.W. Thring in 1930. It existed until Thring's death in 1935. Initially Efftee Films was based in Melbourne and used optical sound equipment imported from the US.
George Stephenson "Onkus" Wallace, was an Australian comedian, actor, vaudevillian and radio personality. During the early to mid-20th century, he was one of the most famous and successful Australian comedians on both stage and screen, with screen, song and revue sketch writing amongst his repertoire. Wallace was a small tubby man with goggle eyes, a mobile face and croaky voice who appeared in trademark baggy trousers, checkered shirt and felt hat. His career as one of Australia's most popular comedians spanned four decades from the 1920s to 1960 and encompassed stage, radio and film entertainment. Ken G. Hall, who directed him in two films, wrote in his autobiography that George Wallace was the finest Australian comedian he had known.
Forty Thousand Horsemen is a 1940 Australian war film directed by Charles Chauvel. The film tells the story of the Australian Light Horse which operated in the desert at the Sinai and Palestine campaign during World War I. It follows the adventures of three rowdy heroes in fighting and romance. The film culminates in the charge of the Australian Light Horse at the Battle of Beersheba. The film was clearly a propaganda weapon, to aid in recruitment and lift the pride of Australians at home during World War II. It was one of the most successful Australian movies of its day.
His Royal Highness is a 1932 Australian musical film directed by F. W. Thring, also known as His Loyal Highness, starring George Wallace in his feature film debut. It was the first Australian film musical.
Arthur Embery Higgins was a pioneering Australian cinematographer known for his use of trick photography during the silent era. His ongoing collaborations with director Raymond Longford include The Sentimental Bloke (1919) and The Blue Mountains Mystery (1921). He briefly turned to directing with Odds On (1928) however returned to cinematography in 1931 for the remainder of his career.
Harmony Row is a 1933 Australian musical comedy directed by F. W. Thring and starring popular stage comedian George Wallace. It marked the film debut of Bill Kerr.
A Ticket in Tatts is a 1934 musical comedy film starring popular stage comedian George Wallace as an accident-prone stablehand. It was the last of three films Wallace made for F. W. Thring.
Francis William Thring III, better known as F. W. Thring, was an Australian film director, producer, and exhibitor. He has been credited with the invention of the clapperboard.
Diggers is a 1931 Australian comedy film produced and directed by F. W. Thring starring popular stage comedian Pat Hanna. It was the first feature film from both men.
Waltzing Matilda is a 1933 Australian film directed by and starring Pat Hanna. It features Coral Browne.
Diggers in Blighty is a 1933 Australian film starring and directed by Pat Hanna. Hanna decided to direct this film himself after being unhappy with how F. W. Thring had handled Diggers (1931).
The Streets of London is a 1934 Australian film directed by F. W. Thring. It was a filmed version of a play by Dion Boucicault which Thring had produced on stage the previous year. It was the last film made by Efftee Film Productions – Thring ceased production afterwards with the aim of resuming it later but died in 1936 before he had the chance.
Clara Gibbings is a 1934 Australian film directed by F.W. Thring about the owner of a London pub who discovers she is the daughter of an earl. It was a vehicle for stage star Dorothy Brunton.
Sheepmates was a proposed Australian film from director F. W. Thring based on a 1931 novel by William Hatfield. It commenced filming in 1933 but was abandoned.
The Haunted Barn is a short 1931 Australian comedy film produced by F.W. Thring directed by Gregan McMahon. It was one of the first productions by Thring's Efftee Studios. The film was produced to support of the feature Diggers (1931) and shown on the same bill.
A Co-respondent's Course is a short 1931 Australian film. The screenplay was written by Montague Grover (1870–1943), an experienced journalist. The film was the first film made by Efftee Studios, a production company owned by F.W. Thring, the first Australian narrative film to be completed with an optical soundtrack and part of the first all-Australian full-length unit programme to be screened in Australia.
Lance Fairfax was a singer and actor from New Zealand, classed as a light baritone, who had a substantial career in Australia.
