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Adapted from a patriotic poem by an English railway porter, Henry Chappell (sometimes known as the Porter Poet), was a propaganda film presenting German brutalities in Belgium.
According to Pike and Cooper, actor Johnson Weir, who adapted the play for the screen, would recite the poem during screenings.
See also:
Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, p.52.
Exhibitions
Notes
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Henry Chappell's poem is available in full at All Poetry: http://allpoetry.com/The-Day. (Sighted: 8/7/2014)
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'Veteran actor James Martin says it is possible for performers to be too realistic. He had this conviction forced upon him while appearing before the camera in the Fraser film drama 'The Day,' in Sydney. He was cast as a Belgian civilian who had to be attacked by two exponents of Prussian culture. The representatives of the Kaiser did their work very effectively — so effectively, in fact, that the bayonet thrust which Mr. Martin received was so severe that after obtaining first aid at the Naval Depot at Rushcutters Bay, he had to be taken to St. Vincent's Hospital.'
Source:
'World of Recreation' The Worker [Brisbane], 26 November 1914, p.12.
