The Guyra Ghost Mystery

In Guyra, New South Wales, the Bowen family are visited by ghosts. Sherlock Doyle, an expert in ghosts, goes to the town to investigate.

• John Cosgrove as Sherlock Doyle
• Nellie Regan
• Minnie Bowen{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104930232 |title=Advertising |newspaper=Nepean Times |volume=38 |issue=2024 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=13 August 1921 |accessdate=27 October 2018 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}
• the Bowen family

The film is based on actual events. In April 1921, the family of William Bowen in Guyra reported knocking on the walls and stones being thrown on their roof.{{Citation |title=The Guyra Ghost – Part One {{!}} Forgotten Australia |url=https://shows.acast.com/forgotten-australia/episodes/theguyraghost-partone |access-date=2022-04-24}} This continued even when police and volunteers guarded the house.{{Citation |title=The Guyra Ghost – Part Two {{!}} Forgotten Australia |url=https://shows.acast.com/forgotten-australia/episodes/theguyraghost-parttwo |access-date=2022-04-24}} A friend of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, then touring Australia, visited to help investigate.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article213196796 |title=GUYRA GHOST. |newspaper=Daily Mail |issue=5867 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=23 April 1921 |accessdate=27 October 2018 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}

One of the children, Minnie Bowen, later confessed to throwing some stones and it is thought that practical jokers were behind it, but the mystery was never completely solved.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15947174 |title=GUYRA MYSTERY. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=15 April 1921 |accessdate=28 July 2012 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18413671 |title=A STAFF CORRESPONDENT RECALLS.... THE UNSOLVED RIDDLE OF GUYRA'S GHOST HERALD MAGAZINE SECTION. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=9 March 1954 |accessdate=28 July 2012 |page=10 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article213201538 |title=GUYRA GHOST. |newspaper=Daily Mail |issue=5873 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=30 April 1921 |accessdate=27 October 2018 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}} Since then, the mystery has continued to persist, including media released around the centenary.{{Cite book |last=Best |first=Daniel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1Gy_zQEACAAJ |title=Mystery, Myth & Misdirection: Hunting the Guyra Ghost |date=2020-08-13 |publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |isbn=978-1-9842-4377-5 |language=en}}

The story became a media sensation in 1921 and several film projects based on it were announced but this was the only one made. It was partly funded by a Guyra exhibitor and shot on location in the town. Cosgrove reportedly arrived in the town in May 1921, accompanied by a cameraman, and approached the Bowens directly asking for their co operation in making the film. They were reluctant at first but eventually agreed.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article126124341 |title=Filming the Guyra Spook. |newspaper=The Richmond River Herald And Northern Districts Advertiser |volume=35 |issue=2356 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=20 May 1921 |accessdate=27 October 2018 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}

The Bowen family themselves appear in the cast. It is unknown, however, if any other actual participants or internal locations were used. The character of Sherlock Doyle was a spoof of Mr Moors, a friend of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Shooting took place in May.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98933545 |title=SYDNEY GOSSIP. |newspaper=Goulburn Evening Penny Post |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=24 May 1921 |accessdate=27 October 2018 |page=1 (EVENING) |via=National Library of Australia}} One report says it was three days.,Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 106-107.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article234279617 |title=FILM MORALS AND MARKETS |newspaper=Smith's Weekly |volume=IV |issue=38 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=11 November 1922 |accessdate=27 October 2018 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}} another two weeks.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98933545 |title=SYDNEY GOSSIP. |newspaper=Goulburn Evening Penny Post |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=24 May 1921 |accessdate=27 October 2018 |page=1 (EVENING) |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article169181869 |title="THE GUYRA GHOST". |newspaper=Truth |issue=1638 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=29 May 1921 |accessdate=27 October 2018 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{Citation

| title=Everyones

| date=1920

| publisher=Everyones Ltd

| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-534516021

| accessdate=27 October 2018

}}

The film, with a runtime of approximately 50 minutes, was advertised as containing "five reels of laughter" indicating it was a comedy. The Bowens did not appear in the advertising posters.

The movie performed poorly at the box office. It was the only director credit for actor John Cosgrove, although he wrote the scripts of several other movies.

"Should interest those who believe in ghosts," said one review.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article234271673 |title=TABLOID REVIEWS |newspaper=Smith's Weekly |volume=III |issue=16 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=11 June 1921 |accessdate=27 October 2018 |page=10 |via=National Library of Australia}}

The film did not appear to be widely seen. One report said it "sat on the shelf" for three years.

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|0336532}}
• [http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;adv=no;group=;groupequals=;holdingType=;page=0;parentid=;query=the%20guyra%20ghost%20mystery;querytype=;rec=1;resCount=10 The Guyra Ghost Mystery] at National Film and Sound Archive

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guyra Ghost Mystery, The}}

Category:1921 films

Category:Lost Australian films

Category:Australian silent films

Category:Australian black-and-white films

Category:1921 lost films