AustLit

American film director.

Brought to Australia in 1928 to direct Frederick Phillips' film adaptation of the Steele Rudd story, The Romance of Runnibede, Dunlap's experience making the film was fraught with problems. According to Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper (1980), the film was dogged by ill-fortune, entrepreneurial inefficiency, heated arguments and on the set procrastination. The problems appear to have begun when Dunlap's arrival in the country was delayed. Shooting proceeded anyway, under the temporary direction of William Reed, husband of Eva Novack the film's lead actress. Hollywood director Wallace Worsley, who at the time was visiting Australia, was soon afterwards hired to serve in an 'advisory' capacity. When Dunlap finally made it to the film location he immediately began reshooting much of the footage already taken by Reed, which further increased antagonism among the key players on the set.