Thar She Blows!
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| Thar She Blows! | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Ken G. Hall |
| Produced by | Ken G. Hall |
| Narrated by | Lionel Lunn |
| Cinematography | Walter Sully |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | two reels[2] |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
Thar She Blows! is a 1931 short Australian film, the first production from Cinesound Productions. It is a documentary on the West Australian whaling industry.
The action takes place at Point Close station, 500 miles north of Perth. A steamer sights a whale, plunges a harpoon into it, then draws the carcass to the ship's side, whereupon it is attacked by a school of sharks. The whale is towed ashore, where it is stripped of its blubber and prepared for market.[3]
Production
Ken G. Hall got hold of some spectacular footage shot by Walter Sully on board a Norwegian whaler off the coast of Western Australia, including scenes of a shark attacking a whale carcass. Hall wrote a commentary, had Lionel Lunn record it, and added a soundtrack to the film. Sound recording was primitive in Australia at the time and Hall could not add music or dub in an effects track.[4][5]