by Stephen Vagg
The role of the NAA in film studies has tended to be overshadowed by the National Film and Sound Archive; while the latter is incredibly important, the NAA has carved out its own distinguished niche for cinephiles, mostly revolving around copyright applications.
In the early part of the 20th century, if someone wanted to copyright a script or film, they had to register it with a government office, and a lot of this work wound up at the NAA, making the NAA a treasure trove of various scripts, plays, contracts, photographs, and films. Even better, some of said paperwork is digitized, so you can access it online.
In solidarity with the funding crisis, I thought I’d do a top ten of film scripts available online at the NAA. I stress this is only a sample – the archive has a lot more if you can visit.
- Mutiny on the Bounty (1916). Not the Hollywood film from 1984, 1962 or 1935 or even the Charles Chauvel take from 1933, this is a 1916 film from Raymond Longford, our greatest silent era film director. The film doesn’t survive but the script does – it’s available here. There are a few Longford scripts for lost movies online at the NAA – there’s also The Church and the Woman (1917) and Fisher’s Ghost (1925), arguably Australia’s first horror movie.
- The Bush King (1920). This is a screenplay for a film adaptation of The Bush King, a popular play about a heroic bushranger (originally produced on stage by Alfred Dampier) that was filmed in 1911, starring Dampier’s daughter Lily and her husband Alfred Rolfe, who also directed (Rolfe was one of the most prolific Australian directors of the silent era). The script in the NAA was registered in 1920 by Rolfe, who may have hoped to shoot a remake. It did not happen, but it is fascinating to read what passed for a script in 1920 – it looks like a shot list.
- Those Who Love (1926) from the legendary McDonagh Sisters. This isn’t a script, but it is a treatment. There’s also a treatment for a project called The Greater Love.
- The Sealed Room (1926). Arthur Shirley was a lively character, an actor, director and producer who was active in the silent era and worked for a time in Hollywood (including starring in the little-known sequel to Birth of a Nation, the First of a Nation). Not many of his films survive but it’s easy to find out stuff about Shirley because he was always in legal and/or financial trouble and spent a lot of time in a courtroom. The Sealed Room was a 1926 opus of his that flopped – the film is lost but the script lives on. The NAA have digitised a few other Shirley projects such as The Throwback, a 1921 film that was abandoned during production.
- His Royal Highness (1932). George Wallace was perhaps Australia’s most popular comedy film star in the 1930s, appearing in five-star vehicles, several of which were based on revues that he wrote. His Royal Highness script is here. You can also find his script for some of his other films such as Harmony Row (1933) and A Ticket in Tatts (1934) as well as a number of his revues such as Marriage Blisters.
- The Burgomeister (1935). Harry Southwell is not the most highly regarded Australian film director, to put it kindly, but if you want to check out his script to the 1935 flop The Burgomeister you can do it here.
- Dad and Dave Come to Town (released 1938). Perhaps Ken G. Hall’s most successful feature film, this was the third in the Dad and Dave A copy of the shooting script is available here. It’s probably the best Australian screenplay of the 1930s, despite some unfortunate big print (a gay character is described as ‘effeminate without being revolting and indicating the villain as Jewish). The NAA has also digitised the scripts for two other Ken Hall features, Dad Rudd MP (1940), the fourth and final Dad Rudd film, and Thoroughbred (1936), a horse racing melodrama.
- Forty Thousand Horsemen (1940). Charles Chauvel’s most successful feature film, and the first movie he made from a decent script. You can read a copy of it here. The NAA also has a record of the treatment for Chauvel’s next (less good) feature, The Rats of Tobruk (1944).
- 100,000 Cobbers (1943). This was a Ken G Hall film but not a feature; rather, a propaganda featurette about some troops and the women who love them. The NAA records are here and include correspondence related to the movie as well as the script.
- A Son is Born (1946). This was a “woman’s picture” from cartoonist Eric Porter that turned into a decent film with a strong cast (Muriel Steinbeck, Peter Finch, Ron Randell, John McCallum). The script is available online here as is the one for Porter’s never-filmed follow up, Storm Hill.
And one I’m throwing in there just because… Struck Oil (1919). This hoary old melodrama is one of the most important plays in Australian theatre history because it was hugely popular at the beginning of the twentieth century… so popular, it was the basis for the theatrical empire of JC Williamsons. The script to the 1919 movie version directed by Franklyn Barrett (which flopped… even then it was old fashioned) is here.
And for the sheer hell of it, here are also some TV play scripts available online at the NAA. I’ve found these very useful for the articles on TV plays I’ve been doing for FilmInk:
The Multi Coloured Umbrella (1958) by George F Kerr based on the play by Barbara Vernon. It was the first drama produced at the ABC’s studios in Gore Hill, Sydney and was controversial at the time due to its sex content and language.
Close to the Roof (1960) by Rex Rienits. This is a criminals-hiding-out-in-the-attic thriller based on an old play by Rienits.
A Little South of Heaven (1961) by George F. Kerr based on a story by Ruth Park and D’Arcy Niland. A “new Australian” romance.
Burst of Summer (1961) by Oriel Grey based on her stage play. A rare television play about Aboriginal people.
Light Me a Lucifer (1962) by John (They’re a Weird Mob) O’Grady. A comedy about Satan visiting Sydney.
The Music Upstairs (1962) by Michael Noonan. A thriller about medical students who have run someone over.
Drive a Hard Bargain (1964) by Oriel Grey. This was shot in Hobart.
The Face at the Clubhouse Door (1965) a comedy by Colin Free
Fireflies (1966) by Barbara Vernon. This was filmed in Perth.
The Air Conditioned Author (1966) another comedy by Colin Free. A comedy.
Casualty (1966) by John Croyston.
Goodbye Gloria Hello (1966) by Peter Kenna, who wrote A Hard God.
Construction (1967) by John Croyston.
The Brass Guitar (1967) by Oriel Grey.
The End Product (1967) by Colin Free. This was filmed but not shown… it was re-filmed and shown in 1974.
Enough to Make a Pair of Sailor’s Trousers (1967) by Barbara Vernon.
Bellbird pilot script (1967) by Barbara Vernon. There’s also episode 2.
The Cheerful Cuckold (1969) by Alan Hopgood.
Dynasty (1969) by Tony Morphett based on his novel, inspired by the Packer family. Later led to a TV series.
Oh and PS you can also access the full stage play Summer of the Seventeenth Doll at the NAA. How cool is that? How cool is the NAA?
