CHAUVEL RETROSPECTIVE!
December 3rd 2009 03:51
Anyone who knows even the slightest little bit about the Australian Film Industry knows that Charles Chauvel is the Patriarch of Australian Cinema.For over 40 years Chauvel continued to make brilliant and amazing films creating a picture of Australia that endures today. The conflict between the country and the city, the ignorance of the plight of our indigenous peoples and the toughness and beauty of the land were continous themes throughout the decades.
If you want to see some of the finest films this country has ever produced, you had better get along to see the Chauvel retrospective on over the final two weekends leading up to Xmas.
Beginning with Chauvel's early silent films THE MOTH OF MOONBI (featuring the great silent film actor Arthur Tauchert) and GREENHIDE and progressing though to two of the finest war films made in this country THE RATS OF TOBRUK and FORTY THOUSAND HORSEMAN (with the Chips Raffety in his first starring role) and finally finishing with Australia's first film in colour the beautiful and controversial films JEDDA, Charles Chauvel tried not only to entertain, but also educate.
Chauvel gave some of Australias more famous actors their first big break includinga oung Errol Flynn who starred in Chauvels first talkie - IN THE WAKE OF THE BOUNTY- also part of the retrospective.
Some of the best films on the big screen shown in all their glory. You may never get a better chance.
THE MOTH OF MOONBI
SATURDAY DEC 12TH 3:00PM
(Dir: Charles Chauvel/1926/AUSTRALIA/35mm)
Charles Chauvel's first feature tells the story of a country girl, Dell Ferris (the Moth of Moonbi), drawn to the bright lights of the big city where her inheritance is soon frittered away with high society revelling. A wiser Dell returns to Moonbi Station where she is beset by the cattle rustler Jack Bronson, but finally finds peace and happiness with the faithful head stockman, Tom.
This first effort of Chauvels showed signs of the action director's career characteristics. He shot on difficult locations with new acting talent and told an Australian story which gave heroic dimensions to ordinary lives.
GREENHIDE
SATURDAY 12TH DECEMBER 3:00PM
(Double feature with The Moth of Moonbi)
(1926/Dir: Charles Chauvel/AUSTRALIA/35mm)
Chauvel's second feature after "The Moth of Moonbi", reverses his main character's situation. Whereas "The Moth", Dell, left the bush to try out the city, the Greenhide heroine, Margery, leaves a life of frivolous luxury in the city, to go bush onto Walloon, her retired father's cattle property run by the severe Greenhide Gavin, "Daddie's caveman" as she calls him. Margery has romantic notions of "being swung to the saddle by big brown arms - to be kissed during a wild stampede of Daddy's cattle" or "to be sheiked by a real live bushranger". She finds her wilful nature matched by Greenhide's iron will and initial distaste at having her around the station.
The film's leading lady was Brisbane actress, Elsie Sylvaney, who became Chauvel's wife and production partner. Combating American programs, the Chauvels travelled rural Queensland with both "Moth of Moonbi" and "Greenhide", promoting local screenings and making personal appearances.
UNCIVILISED
SATURDAY 12TH DECEMBER 6:30PM
(1936/Dir: Charles Chauvel/AUSTRALIA/35mm/78mins)
The adventures of a high-society female journalist investigating an Aboriginal tribe ruled by a white king, Mara. Filmed in Queensland and in the newly opened National Studios at Pagewood, Sydney, this was a conscious, but relatively unsuccessful attempt by Chauvel to break into the American market
IN THE WAKE OF THE BOUNTY
SUNDAY 13TH DECEMBER 3:00PM
(1933/Dir: Charles Chauvel/AUSTRALIA/35mm/68mins)
Retells the story of the mutiny led by Fletcher Christian in 1789 against William Bligh, depicting the fate of the mutineers on Tahiti and Pitcairn. Shot on location and in Sydney. The wreckage in the film portrayed as that of 'The Bounty' is in fact that of 'The Cornwallis', which was wrecked in 1875.
HERITAGE
SUNDAY 13TH DECEMBER 3:00PM
(1935/Dir: Charles Chauvel/AUSTRALIA/35mm/90mins)
Against a background of early colonial politics, Chauvel traced the lives and loves of James Morrison, a hard-living man of action with a reputation for drinking and romancing. On one of his trips to Sydney, he dallies with a fiery Irish girl, Biddy O'Shea, but soon heads off to the frontier where he claims a farmer's daughter as his bride. Some time later he sees an attack by wild Aborigines on a lonely farmhouse and discovers Biddy, now a settler's wife and a mother, dying from wounds. James persuades his wife to raise Biddy's child as their own
THE RATS OF TOBRUK
SATURDAY DECEMBER 19TH 3:00PM
(1944/Dir: Charles Chauvel/AUSTRALIA/35mm)
Bluey, Milo and Peter join the 2nd AIF at the outbreak of World War II and serve in North Africa. They take part in the siege of Tobruk where Peter is killed. The others go on to fight in New Guinea and finally only Bluey returns home to his waiting girlfriend.
FORTY THOUSAND HORSEMEN
SATURDAY 19TH DECEMBER 6:30PM
(1940/Dir: Charles Chauvel/AUSTRALIA/35mm)
Chauvel's inspirational story of the exploits of the Australian Light Horse in Palestine during World War I. He follows the adventures of three larrikin heroes in fighting and romance. With Chips Rafferty in his first starring role, the film was described as a "magnificent tribute to the Australian soldier" (Film Weekly), and has become an enduring favourite with Australian audiences.
SONS OF MATTHEW
SUNDAY 20TH DECEMBER 3:00PM
(1949/Dir: Charles Chauvel/AUSTRALIA/35mm/100min s)
Epic story of Australian pioneer life, tracing the story of three generations of settlers in rugged Queensland. Famous for the difficulties encountered in its making from appalling weather to the ruggedness of its location filming. Costly to make with commercial success only in Australia.
JEDDA
SUNDAY 20TH DECEMBER 6:30PM
(1954/Dir: Charles Chauvel/AUSTRALIA/35mm/85mins)
Jedda is the story of an Aboriginal baby raised on a cattle station by a white woman mourning the loss of her own child. The young girl is brought up in a white society, knowing nothing of her own culture or customs. Her whole life is dramatically changed when a young full blood Aboriginal abducts her.
The first Australian colour fiction feature, Jedda was filmed on location in the Northern Territory with the landscape being one of the most important parts of the film.
To book tickets or check out whats on at the Chauvel headn over via the link below.
CHAUVEL CINEMA
Source: Chauvel Website
Charles Chauvel courtesy Chauvel cinema
Beginning with Chauvel's early silent films THE MOTH OF MOONBI (featuring the great silent film actor Arthur Tauchert) and GREENHIDE and progressing though to two of the finest war films made in this country THE RATS OF TOBRUK and FORTY THOUSAND HORSEMAN (with the Chips Raffety in his first starring role) and finally finishing with Australia's first film in colour the beautiful and controversial films JEDDA, Charles Chauvel tried not only to entertain, but also educate.
Chauvel gave some of Australias more famous actors their first big break includinga oung Errol Flynn who starred in Chauvels first talkie - IN THE WAKE OF THE BOUNTY- also part of the retrospective.
Some of the best films on the big screen shown in all their glory. You may never get a better chance.
THE MOTH OF MOONBI
SATURDAY DEC 12TH 3:00PM
(Dir: Charles Chauvel/1926/AUSTRALIA/35mm)
Charles Chauvel's first feature tells the story of a country girl, Dell Ferris (the Moth of Moonbi), drawn to the bright lights of the big city where her inheritance is soon frittered away with high society revelling. A wiser Dell returns to Moonbi Station where she is beset by the cattle rustler Jack Bronson, but finally finds peace and happiness with the faithful head stockman, Tom.
This first effort of Chauvels showed signs of the action director's career characteristics. He shot on difficult locations with new acting talent and told an Australian story which gave heroic dimensions to ordinary lives.
GREENHIDE
SATURDAY 12TH DECEMBER 3:00PM
(Double feature with The Moth of Moonbi)
(1926/Dir: Charles Chauvel/AUSTRALIA/35mm)
Chauvel's second feature after "The Moth of Moonbi", reverses his main character's situation. Whereas "The Moth", Dell, left the bush to try out the city, the Greenhide heroine, Margery, leaves a life of frivolous luxury in the city, to go bush onto Walloon, her retired father's cattle property run by the severe Greenhide Gavin, "Daddie's caveman" as she calls him. Margery has romantic notions of "being swung to the saddle by big brown arms - to be kissed during a wild stampede of Daddy's cattle" or "to be sheiked by a real live bushranger". She finds her wilful nature matched by Greenhide's iron will and initial distaste at having her around the station.
The film's leading lady was Brisbane actress, Elsie Sylvaney, who became Chauvel's wife and production partner. Combating American programs, the Chauvels travelled rural Queensland with both "Moth of Moonbi" and "Greenhide", promoting local screenings and making personal appearances.
UNCIVILISED
SATURDAY 12TH DECEMBER 6:30PM
(1936/Dir: Charles Chauvel/AUSTRALIA/35mm/78mins)
The adventures of a high-society female journalist investigating an Aboriginal tribe ruled by a white king, Mara. Filmed in Queensland and in the newly opened National Studios at Pagewood, Sydney, this was a conscious, but relatively unsuccessful attempt by Chauvel to break into the American market
IN THE WAKE OF THE BOUNTY
SUNDAY 13TH DECEMBER 3:00PM
(1933/Dir: Charles Chauvel/AUSTRALIA/35mm/68mins)
Retells the story of the mutiny led by Fletcher Christian in 1789 against William Bligh, depicting the fate of the mutineers on Tahiti and Pitcairn. Shot on location and in Sydney. The wreckage in the film portrayed as that of 'The Bounty' is in fact that of 'The Cornwallis', which was wrecked in 1875.
HERITAGE
SUNDAY 13TH DECEMBER 3:00PM
(1935/Dir: Charles Chauvel/AUSTRALIA/35mm/90mins)
Against a background of early colonial politics, Chauvel traced the lives and loves of James Morrison, a hard-living man of action with a reputation for drinking and romancing. On one of his trips to Sydney, he dallies with a fiery Irish girl, Biddy O'Shea, but soon heads off to the frontier where he claims a farmer's daughter as his bride. Some time later he sees an attack by wild Aborigines on a lonely farmhouse and discovers Biddy, now a settler's wife and a mother, dying from wounds. James persuades his wife to raise Biddy's child as their own
THE RATS OF TOBRUK
SATURDAY DECEMBER 19TH 3:00PM
(1944/Dir: Charles Chauvel/AUSTRALIA/35mm)
Bluey, Milo and Peter join the 2nd AIF at the outbreak of World War II and serve in North Africa. They take part in the siege of Tobruk where Peter is killed. The others go on to fight in New Guinea and finally only Bluey returns home to his waiting girlfriend.
FORTY THOUSAND HORSEMEN
SATURDAY 19TH DECEMBER 6:30PM
(1940/Dir: Charles Chauvel/AUSTRALIA/35mm)
Chauvel's inspirational story of the exploits of the Australian Light Horse in Palestine during World War I. He follows the adventures of three larrikin heroes in fighting and romance. With Chips Rafferty in his first starring role, the film was described as a "magnificent tribute to the Australian soldier" (Film Weekly), and has become an enduring favourite with Australian audiences.
SONS OF MATTHEW
SUNDAY 20TH DECEMBER 3:00PM
(1949/Dir: Charles Chauvel/AUSTRALIA/35mm/100min s)
Epic story of Australian pioneer life, tracing the story of three generations of settlers in rugged Queensland. Famous for the difficulties encountered in its making from appalling weather to the ruggedness of its location filming. Costly to make with commercial success only in Australia.
JEDDA
SUNDAY 20TH DECEMBER 6:30PM
(1954/Dir: Charles Chauvel/AUSTRALIA/35mm/85mins)
Jedda is the story of an Aboriginal baby raised on a cattle station by a white woman mourning the loss of her own child. The young girl is brought up in a white society, knowing nothing of her own culture or customs. Her whole life is dramatically changed when a young full blood Aboriginal abducts her.
The first Australian colour fiction feature, Jedda was filmed on location in the Northern Territory with the landscape being one of the most important parts of the film.
To book tickets or check out whats on at the Chauvel headn over via the link below.
CHAUVEL CINEMA
Source: Chauvel Website
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