FOREIGN FILM IN AUSTRALIA – 1910s to 1930s.

Article that appeared in The Register 17th December 1925. Retrieved from https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60634402

I recently attended a talk by American academic Professor Julie Allen. Allen – who is an academic from Brigham Young University in the USA – has written several books, but the book in the discussion last Wednesday was “Screening Europe in Australasia: Transnational Silent Film before and after the rise of Hollywood”. It was a very enlightening talk. I knew about the growth of Foreign Language Films in Australia after WWII but knew only a little about these films in Australia in the early 20th Century. Allen’s book concentrates on the period 1910s through to the early 1930s.

Read more here https://sapicturetheatres.wixsite.com/sapicturetheatres/post/foreign-film-in-australia-1910s-to-1930s

Fire at Best’s Canvas Pictures

The Register , dated Saturday 26th March 1910, has a report of a fire at Best’s Canvas Pictures which had taken place on the previous Thursday the 24th March 1910. It appears that there was not extensive damage done and no reports of any injuries. Damage to the canvas awning would mean that the patrons would be watching the pictures in the open air for a few days. It then goes on to mention that new films were due from Melbourne that very morning, films that hadn’t been seen in South Australian before. Sadly it does not elaborate on which particular films were to arrive.

More information on the fire at Best’s Pictures. In The Register dated Friday, 25th March, 1910, it is reported that the film caught fire – nitrate film was very flammable – the fire spread to the canvas roof, which once the patrons had been evacuated was brought to the ground to be extinguished by the Adelaide Fire Service.

I do love the way that it is reported as ‘an exciting incident’. I think the word exciting in papers of the times covered many a sin. I read of another exciting incident in North Adelaide in the same newspaper, that was actually an abduction of a small girl.

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References:

1910 ‘BEST’S PICTURE.’, The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 – 1929), 26 March, p. 3. , viewed 03 Jan 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57378380

1910 ‘FILM ON FIRE.’, The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 – 1929), 25 March, p. 7. , viewed 03 Jan 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57370549

Best’s Canvas Theatre

Here are a few articles(or advertisements?) for Best’s Canvas Theatre.  It would seem that Best’s was able to draw crowds even when it rained, and that the crowds were able to remain dry in the wet weather.  The first article is from The Register, and is dated 30th May, 1910 and discusses how although there was a heavy downpour on the Saturday night, the crowds still came.  It also tells us that Best’s had now been open of 33 weeks, it gives us the names of the manager, Mr G C Audley and the secretary Mr W C R Ward.  (courtesy of Trove)

This next article tells us a little more about how Best’s Theatres patrons are protected from the rains, it also tells us the size of the theatre, over 2000 patrons,   Best’s Theatres are called Trocadero Canvas Theatre in this article also, this appeared in The Advertiser the 16th May 1910.  (courtesy of Trove)

In December of the same year the Trocadero Theatre seems still to be bringing in the crowds.  With a change in programe which includes “When Old New York was Young” and “Too soon and Too Late.  Sadly I’ve not been able to find any copies available of any of these films. The article appeared in The Advertiser on the 19th December 1910. (courtesy of Trove)

Best’s Pictures

Best’s Pictures opened in October 1909, above is an article which appeared in The Register newspaper on the 25th October 1909.  It states that on the opening night the crowd was met with very good weather in which to spend the evening out watching films.  The photo shows Best’s Pictures – which were situated on the corner of Gouger Street and Victoria Square.

As I find more information I will update.

References:

Photograph courtesy of the State Library of South Australia -B-2187

Newspaper Article: from Trove  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title89