Waltzing Matilda (1933 film)
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Waltzing Matilda
| image =
| caption =
| director = Pat Hanna
associate
Raymond Longford"Raymond Longford", Cinema Papers, January 1974 p51
| producer = Pat Hanna
| writer = {{ubl|Pat Hanna|John P. McLeod|George Breston}}
| narrator =
| starring = {{ubl|Pat Hanna|Coral Browne}}
| music =
| cinematography = Arthur Higgins
| editing =
| studio = Pat Hanna Productions
| distributor =Universal Pictures{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33330173 |title="WALTZING MATILDA.". |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=22 September 1933 |accessdate=9 August 2012 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}
| released ={{Film date|1933|12|02|df=yes}}
| runtime = 77 mins
| country = Australia
| language = English
| gross =£8,000"Counting the Cash in Australian Films"', Everyones 12 December 1934 p 19
}}
Waltzing Matilda is a 1933 Australian film directed by and starring Pat Hanna.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17064241 |title=FILM REVIEWS. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=19 February 1934 |accessdate=2 June 2012 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}} It features Coral Browne.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32854449 |title=CAROL COOMBE RETURNS TO LONDON. |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=26 March 1935 |accessdate=9 August 2012 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Plot
Chic Williams and his friend James Brown wrongly believe they have injured a policeman in a drunken fight. Fleeing a private detective who is following them, they head for the bush.
Chic and James find work as drovers at Banjaroo Station, where his old army mate Joe works as an overseer. James falls in love with the station owner's daughter. The detective arrives and tells James he has inherited money. James and his girlfriend announce their engagement and Chic sets off alone as a swagman, accompanied by a chorus of "Waltzing Matilda".{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11717245 |title=AUSTRALIAN COMEDY. |newspaper=The Argus |location=Melbourne |date=4 December 1933 |accessdate=9 August 2012 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Cast
- Pat Hanna as Chic Williams
- Joe Valli as Joe McTavish
- Frield Fisher as Albert
- Coral Browne
- Norman French as James Brown
- Joan Lang{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article82918889 |title=PAT HANNA'S "DISCOVERY". |newspaper=The Daily News |location=Perth |date=28 September 1933 |accessdate=9 August 2012 |page=6 Edition: LATE CITY |via=National Library of Australia}}
- Nellie Mortyne
- Dorothy Parnham as Dorothy Young
- George Moon
- Bill Innes
Production
Pat Hanna held a competition for the name of the film. A prize of £10 was shared amongst the 20 people who suggested "Waltzing Matilda".{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4745073 |title=Title for New Film. |newspaper=The Argus |location=Melbourne |date=28 June 1933 |accessdate=9 August 2012 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}
The character of Chic William was well established on stage and in Pat Hanna's previous movies but changed for this film- he is poor, drinking heavily and drifting from job to job.Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 163.
The movie was shot at Efftee Studios in Melbourne in mid 1933.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article41664792 |title=FILM WORLD. |newspaper=The West Australian |location=Perth |date=4 March 1938 |accessdate=9 August 2012 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}
The film reportedly had twice the budget of Diggers in Blighty.{{Citation
| title=New Hanna Picture Started. Overseas Market Sought.
| journal=Everyones.
| date=3 May 1933
| location=Sydney
| publisher=Everyones Ltd
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-560257569
| id=nla.obj-560257569
| access-date=25 August 2024
| via=Trove
}}
The romantic male lead, Norman French, was a casting director for Efftee and Hanna.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24891582 |title=ENTERTAINMENTS. |newspaper=The Mercury |location=Hobart, Tas. |date=18 July 1933 |accessdate=9 August 2012 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Reception
{{Globalize|section|date=May 2015}}
The film only ran for a short time in the cities but enjoyed more popularity in the country. Reviews were mixed.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17064241 |title=FILM REVIEWS. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=19 February 1934 |accessdate=9 August 2012 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}} It was classified as a "middle grade" success at the box office.
Hanna was frustrated at the financial return he was getting for his efforts and this was his last film.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17074197 |title=AUSTRALIAN FILMS. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=24 February 1934 |accessdate=9 August 2012 |page=16 |via=National Library of Australia}} However, in 1950 he said he was still making money by re-releasing his films.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22816059 |title=He still collects on "Digger" films. |newspaper=The Argus |location=Melbourne |date=14 March 1950 |accessdate=9 August 2012 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0024748|title=Waltzing Matilda}}
- [http://www.ozmovies.com.au/movie/waltzing-matilda Waltzing Matilda] at Oz Movies
{{Raymond Longford}}
Category:Films directed by Raymond Longford
Category:Australian black-and-white films
Category:American comedy films