Cupid Camouflaged

Rosita Manners (Rosamund Lumsdaine) falls in love with Tony (Captain Saltmarshe) and become engaged on a picnic at Port Hacking. Rosita's mother (Mrs T. H. Kelly) wants her daughter to marry Valentine Loring (J.B.N. Osborne), who she believes is of noble blood. Tony and Rosita elope, so Rosita's mother tries to marry Valentine herself – until she discovers he is not from nobility, just a dress designer.

• Mrs. T. H. Kelly as Mrs Manners
• Miss Rosamund Lumsdaine as Rosita Manners
• Miss Madge Hardy as Althea Gardner
• Mr. James Osborne as Valentine Loring[https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article159027362 Mrs T.H. Kelly and Mr. J.B.N. Osborne, The Sydney Mail, (Wednesday 29 May 1918), p.15.][https://www.flickr.com/photos/canadabayconnections/9602479041 Osborne and Kelly at the centre of still from movie at]Osborne at left of a still from movie at [https://www.flickr.com/photos/48533884@N04/9605710552].
• Captain Saltmarsh, A.D.C. as Tony Martin
• Mr. J. L. Maude as Charles Leslie
• Col. and Mrs. Macarthur Onslow
• Captain and Mrs. Glossop
• Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Allen
• Miss Edith Walker{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15787060 |title=SOCIAL. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=13 April 1918 |accessdate=28 March 2012 |page=7 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
• Miss Barbara Bowker
• Miss Betty Levy
• Miss Nina Massie
• Miss Joyce Allen
• Mr. K. Austin
• Mr. George Merivale
• Mr. Ferguson

Scenes were shot at Rona, Bellevue Hill, and Mr. A. W. Allen's well-known Port Hacking house, Moonbara,{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15763306 |title=FARMER-HORDERN WAR BONDS. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=17 April 1918 |accessdate=28 March 2012 |page=12 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} The cast included many members of Sydney society and production of the film was extensively covered in society columns.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15767456 |title=FROM NEAR AND FAR. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=1 May 1918 |accessdate=28 March 2012 |page=7 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

An early screening of the film earned £1,100 for the Red Cross.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15875233 |title="CUPID CAMOUFLAGED.". |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=22 November 1919 |accessdate=28 March 2012 |page=15 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

According to one review:

Cupid Camouflaged has certainly succeeded in swelling the Red Cross funds ; but it is a poor advertisement for the acting talent of the nobility of Sydney. Cupid used to be a lively little cherub ; this camouflaged Cupid has taken a sleeping draught, and can't stay awake. The slight plot is effectively smothered under about a thousand feet of uninteresting fox-trotting and ungraceful acrobatic dancing, under another thousand of garden party, and an endless amount of tea-drinking.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136732208 |title=At the Movies. |newspaper=The Mirror |location=Sydney |date=7 June 1918 |accessdate=10 November 2014 |page=11 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

A writer from the Sydney Morning Herald said that "This little photoplay... was beautifully photographed, so brightly, and with naturally, acted that it afforded vivacious entertainment to everyone in the theatre."{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15772350 |title=CUPID CAMOUFLAGED. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=1 June 1918 |accessdate=19 November 2014 |page=14 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

Another review in The Sunday Times said:

In producing this film, Mr, Alfred Rolfe had much to cope with, but he has made the best of a difficult job, and turned out a creditable piece of celluloid amusement. Though Cupid Camouflaged is distinctly amateurish, and there is an inclination to gaze into the camera's eyes, still, even professionals are not always free from those weaknesses. Captain Saltmarsh does his best with the role of the hero, and, when he lets himself go makes quite a likeable character. In Miss Rosamunde Lumsdaine's acting there is much to be thankful for. She has not cultivated Mary Pickford's curls, and she behaves like an ordinary girl. Mrs, T. H. Kelly makes a dashing, well gowned figure of the designing matron, and some of the best work of the picture is done by Mr. James Osborne... The photography is good.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article123133475 |title=CUPID CAMOUFLAGED. |newspaper=The Sunday Times |location=Sydney |date=2 June 1918 |accessdate=19 November 2014 |page=9 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

Another film to aid the Red Cross, His Only Chance (1918), was made in Melbourne.

Reviewing both films, Moving Picture World said that, "from a critical point of view, both subjects are woefully lacking in the essentials of an ordinarily good picture, and the fact they are advertised as "amateur" films does not balance these defects. Plot, acting, photography and direction are mediocre in both pictures."[https://lantern.mediahist.org/catalog/movwor37chal_1198 "Australian Notes", Moving Picture World 6 Jul 1918 – 31 Aug 1918 p. 1128]

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|0354485}}
• [http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;adv=no;group=;groupequals=;holdingType=;page=0;parentid=;query=Id%3A343401;querytype=;rec=0;resCount=10 Cupid Camouflaged] at National Film and Sound Archive
• [https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/7605294 Cupid Camouflaged] at AustLit

{{Alfred Rolfe}}

Category:Australian black-and-white films

Category:Lost Australian drama films

Category:1918 films

Category:1918 drama films

Category:Australian silent feature films

Category:Films directed by Alfred Rolfe

Category:1918 lost films

Category:Films from Australasian Films

Category:Silent Australian drama films

Category:1910s English-language films

Category:English-language drama films