Production
MacDonald had previously made a film called The Unsleeping Eye (1928) in Papua, which was a commercial success. He reused many cast and crew on this film, including his wife, actor Wendy Osborne. [9] [10] [11] MacDonald and Osborne also bought along their three year old daughter Laurel. [12]
Jane Seton was a Scottish socialite. [13]
The script appears to use elements of MacDonald's 1928 novel The Mystery of Diamond Creek. [14]
MacDonald called the film "an attempt to capture the spirit of Australia, The bush prospector is the most romantic figure in Australia, but the world hears little of- him. It is the spirit of his work and service I shall try to portray." [15]
Filming started in London in May 1928. [16] MacDonald and his crew then travelled to Sydney. In June he said "I believe there is a great future for films'of the British-Empire; they can play a big part in knitting the Empire together, and in pushing the British name abroad." [17]
The unit was based at Chillagoe in Queensland. [18] Filming took reportedly three months on location with a crew of fourteen. Six of these were locals, the rest bought by MacDonald. [19]
Local settlers and a reported 35 Aboriginal people helped out. [20]
Scenes were shot at an old mining camp with an aboriginal corroboree staged in the Mungana Caves nearby. According to one report, "Scores of Newman flares were shot up in lighting these wonderful limestone formations, while the cameraman had narrow es- capes from serious injuries when dynamiting huge boulders for effect shots in sections of the story." [21] There were also scenes shot at Walsh River. [22]
Shooting was finished by September 1928. [4] [23] MacDonald was back in London by November. [24]
Post production took place in Glasgow. In January 1929 it was announced the film's title had changed from Tanami to Kingdom of Twilight and that MacDonald and his crew would return to Australia later that year to make a third movie, based in the Solomon Islands. [25]
