Australia Calls (1923 film)
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| Australia Calls | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Raymond Longford |
| Written by | Lottie Lyell |
| Starring | Ernest Idiens |
| Cinematography | Arthur Higgins |
Production companies | Commonwealth Immigration Office British Empire Exhibition Commission |
Release dates |
1924 (England) |
Running time | 45 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Languages | Silent film English intertitles |
| Budget | £1,500[2] |
Australia Calls is a 1923 Australian silent film directed by Raymond Longford commissioned by the Australian government to be shown at the British Empire Exhibition in Wembley Park, London, in 1924.[2][3]
It was a semi-documentary about the adventures of Ernest Idiens, a labourer from Longnor Staffordshire who moved to New South Wales with his brother in 1912 with only £30 between them and by 1923 had assets worth £14,000.[4] In 1923 Idiens toured England talking about his success.[5]
The movie is not to be confused with Longford's 1913 picture Australia Calls and is considered a lost film.
The Australian government originally commissioned Longford to make four films depicting Australian society, each running 4,000 feet and costing £1,500. However bad weather caused a delay in shooting and Longford only made two, this and An Australian By Marriage. The other two movies were shot by the official government cinematographer, Bert Ive.[2][6]
Shooting began in March 1923 in the country town of Harden, New South Wales and the film was completed by June, six weeks behind schedule. An Australian by Marriage was completed immediately afterwards but very little is known about it.[2][7]
The other two films were completed by November, when they were all shown to leading members of the government.[8]