The Devil's Playground | |
---|---|
Directed by | Victor Bindley |
Written by | John Bedouin (titles) |
Based on | lyrics of Hell's Highway by Ashley Durham |
Starring | John R. Allen |
Cinematography |
|
Edited by | J. Stebbing |
Production company | Fineart Films Productions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 8,385 feet |
Country | Australia |
Languages | Silent film English intertitles |
The Devil's Playground is a 1928 Australian feature-length film set in the South Seas. It was produced by a largely amateur group from the north shore of Sydney. [1]
The film was made by a largely amateur group who formed a company, Fine art Film, in 1927 with a capital of £2,000. [2]
Their first production was the Pacific Island adventure, Trobriana, which was never released. Scenes were shot on beaches near Sydney and interiors in the Mosman Town Hall. Natives were played by Sydney lifeguards in black face. [1]
It was known during filming as Pearl of the Pacific. [3]
Cast member Elza Stenning later became well known as Sydney socialite Elsa Jacoby.
The film sold to Universal Pictures in England. However, the censor prevented its export. According to the Sydney Morning Herald at the time,
"The Commonwealth censorship regulations specify the following heads under which a film may be condemned:
(a) Blasphemy, indecency, or obscenity; (b) likely to be injurious to morality, or to encourage or incite to crime; (c) likely to be offensive to the people of any friendly nation; (d) likely to be offensive to the people of the British Empire; (e) depiction of any matter the exhibition of which is undesirable in the public interest, or likely to prove detrimental or prejudicial to the Commonwealth. According to the Chief Censor, "The Devil's Playground" violates four out of the five stipulations, namely (a), (b), (d), and (e). [4]
More specifically, relating to (e), the Controller General of Custmos O'Reilly thought that showing ill-treatment of natives by Australians or a native revolt in Australian territory (the Trobriand Islands) would be detrimental to Australia's reputation. [5] Not released in Australia, the film "had no more than trade screenings at the time of its production and was not shown publicly until 1966 [6] ".
Jedda, released in the UK as Jedda the Uncivilized, is a 1955 Australian film written, produced and directed by Charles Chauvel. His last film, it is notable for being the first to star two Aboriginal actors, Robert Tudawali and Ngarla Kunoth in the leading roles. It was also the first Australian feature film to be shot in colour.
The Australian Open, owned and run by Golf Australia, is the oldest and most prestigious golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. The Open was first played in 1904 and takes place toward the end of each year.
Cinesound Productions Pty Ltd was an Australian feature film production company, established in June 1931, Cinesound developed out of a group of companies centred on Greater Union Theatres, that covered all facets of the film process, from production, to distribution and exhibition.
In the Wake of the Bounty (1933) is an Australian film directed by Charles Chauvel about the 1789 Mutiny on the Bounty. It is notable as the screen debut of Errol Flynn, playing Fletcher Christian. The film preceded MGM's more famous Mutiny on the Bounty, starring Charles Laughton and Clark Gable, by two years.
Royal Melbourne Golf Club is a 36-hole golf club in Australia, located in Black Rock, Victoria, a suburb in southeastern Melbourne. Its West and East courses are respectively ranked number 1 and 6 in Australia. The West course is ranked in the top-five courses in the world. Founded 132 years ago in 1891, it is Australia's oldest extant and continually existing golf club. Unlike many metropolitan golf venues, The Royal Melbourne Golf Club has a capacity for 15,000 spectators.
Simon Gareth Burke is an Australian actor, active in films, television and theatre.
[Walter] Cresswell O'Reilly was an Australian public servant who became Chief Commonwealth Film Censor. He "dominated and shaped Australian film censorship" and was able to "define appropriate mass entertainment" for nearly twenty years. He was the founding president of the National Trust of Australia (NSW) and an early urban conservationist.
The Australian Amateur is the national amateur golf championship of Australia. It has been played annually since 1894, except for the war years, and is organised by Golf Australia. Having traditionally been a match play event, from 2021 it has been a 72-hole stroke play event, having last been played as a stroke play event in 1907.
Heritage is a 1935 Australian historical film directed by Charles Chauvel.
Mystery Island is a 1937 Australian film shot almost entirely on location near Lord Howe Island. It is best remembered for the mysterious disappearance of two of its cast after filming completed.
When the Kellys Rode is a 1934 Australian film directed by Harry Southwell about Ned Kelly.
The Adorable Outcast is a 1928 Australian silent film directed by Norman Dawn about an adventurer who romances an island girl. The script was based on Beatrice Grimshaw's novel Conn of the Coral Seas. It was one of the most expensive films made in Australia until that time, and was Dawn's follow up to For the Term of His Natural Life (1927). It did not perform as well at the box office and helped cause Australasian Films to abandon feature film production.
Commonwealth Film Laboratories was an Australian production company that operated from 1925 to the 1950s. They were formerly located in Surry Hills, New South Wales.
The Department is a 1974 play by David Williamson about political intrigue at a university department. It was based on Williamson's time as a lecturer at Swinburne Tech.
Sir Robert Strachan Wallace was an Australian academic, army officer and film censor. Wallace served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney from 1928 to 1947. He was Australia's chief censor from 1922 to 1927 and served as a member of the Australian Broadcasting Commission from 1932 to 1935.
"The Swagman" is a 1965 Australian television play. It aired as part of Wednesday Theatre on 31 March 1965 in Sydney and Melbourne.
The Goulburn to Sydney cycling race was a one-day road bicycle race. The first race was held in 1902 with the last in 2012.
Florence Mildred Muscio was an Australian activist for the rights of women and children, feminist and school principal.
Harry Williamson Berwick was an Australian golfer. He won the Australian Amateur twice, in 1950 and 1956, and won the 1952 New Zealand Amateur. He won two open titles in 1956, the Lakes Open and the New Zealand Open. He was part of the Australian teams that won the 1954 Commonwealth Tournament at St Andrews and the 1966 Eisenhower Trophy in Mexico City. He turned professional at the age of 52.