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J. E. Ward J. E. Ward i(7582970 works by) (birth name: John Edward Ward) (a.k.a. Jack Ward)
Born: Established: 30 Aug 1866 Birmingham, West Midlands,
c
England,
c
c
United Kingdom (UK),
c
Western Europe, Europe,
; Died: Ceased: 2 Jan 1955 Balmain, Glebe - Leichhardt - Balmain area, Sydney Inner West, Sydney, New South Wales,
Gender: Male
Arrived in Australia: 1884
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1 form y separately published work icon Those Terrible Twins ( dir. J. E. Ward ) Australia : J.E. Ward Productions , 1925 7719350 1925 single work film/TV

A film based on the Ginger Meggs characters.

According to the NFSA, the surviving fragment 'includes a billy-cart race, an ice-cream fight in the street, setting fire to newspapers, a romantic interlude and a fairy in the park.'

Contemporary critics criticised the 'American' flavour of the film:

'it is plainly modeled on the pictures that come pouring into our midst from America. The little sketches beneath the text of the captions exactly resemble those that adorn the Christie comedies. There are pie-slinging episodes, bathing beauties, crooks who raid jewellers shops, and scenes in which under-garments play a prominent part. The dissolving view, where a man knocked unconscious, sees a vision of dancing fairies–in this case one dancing fairy–has had quite a vogue in America since Charlie Chaplin used it as one of the features of "Sunnyside." It may be an accident that one of Mr. Ward's crooks bears the same name ("Spike" Malone), as a shady character in Richard Dix's picture "Manhattan," released here a few weeks ago. These efforts to achieve variety by patching together the most diversely coloured materials, from gaudy farce to sombre melodrama, have succeeded only in leaving the story rambling and incoherent. It is, in fact, but a series of incidents. There has been no attempt in the settings, to take advantage of the city's natural beauties.'

Source: 'The Terrible Twins', The Sydney Morning Herald, 13 May 1925, p.10.

1 1 form y separately published work icon Australia's Own J. E. Ward , ( dir. J. E. Ward ) Australia : 1918 7582993 1918 single work film/TV

'The marvellous plantations, the natives, the magnificent bird life, are all shown in a remarkably clear picture, the interest in the hour's travel being sustained by a romance set in the Island. Miss Nellie Romer makes a happy little heroine in the wild surroundings, and Mr. Garry Gordon plays the young Australian officer, who goes from Australia, at his dying uncle's request, to develop the great oil wells the old man has discovered. Mr. J.E. Ward plays the part of the villainous German, who ill-treats natives, and attempts the life of the young officer in an attempt to jump his claim, but finally meets his own death at the hands of a native, whom he has ill-used.'

Source:

'Australia's Own: Film of New Guinea', Evening News, 18 December 1918, p.8. (Via Trove Australia)

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