AustLit

A film version of Adam Lindsay Gordon's poem 'From the Wreck'.

Convict drama.

'A fine dramatic story was unfolded in the picture entitled "The road to ruin". which is descriptive, it is said, of social life in Melbourne. By lucky speculations Norman Harding, a young share-broker, son of Sir Gerald Harding, a local magnate, amasses wealth: but not content with his good fortune, he hankers for more riches, only to be loaded with financial responsibilities and to become, with his companions, the subject of scandal throughout the city and suburbs. Harding is enamoured of a celebrated dancer: but, faced with heavy social expenses, he is on the brink of ruin, as also are a few of his set. As his sister Elsie is fond of a bank clerk, Harold Henderson, Harding appeals to him, in his position as ledger-keeper at an important bank asking him to hold a cheque for a few days until he can arrange to meet it. At first Henderson refuses, but finally agrees. After an introduction to the "smart set," Henderson is dazzled by the brilliance of a worldly life. Entrapped in the meshes of clever men of the world, he soon becomes involved to the extent of thousands of pounds to the bank without benefiting a penny himself. He appeals to Harding and his friends to find the amount of his defalcations, but they refuse and demand further accommodation. Driven almost to desperation, death seems to be the only alternative, but in the nick of time his mother learns the truth. Sir Gerald Harding makes good the amount to the bank and a scandal is averted. Norman Harding is turned out of his home and Henderson is later married to the woman he loves and leaves Australia to commence a new life abroad.'

Source:

'Ideal Theatre', Morning Bulletin, 22 July 1915, p.5.

An obscure film, The Crisis seems to have followed the wife of a fisherman as she is convinced by a conman to leave her husband.

'Richard Gannon is an artisan, devoted to his wife, and he disbelieves a statement that she is untrue, but, nevertheless she frequently meets Jim Williams clandestinely. On one particular night they make an appointment to meet on the cliff, and Gannon follows for the purpose of unmaking them. He finds them wandering on the cliffs, and realises his wife's perfidy. The lover flees from the scene, and Gannon accidentally pushes his wife over the cliff, and she is killed. He Is arrested, and is sentenced to death. The Home Secretary decides that Gannon must die, but as time goes on he has his own troubles. A Captain Langford, an early lover of the Home Secretary's wife, appears on the scene, and he takes her out for a motor drive. The Home Secretary enters the room when the captain is embracing his wife, and a violent scene ensues, the captain being ordered out of the house. Husband and wife then have an altercation, and the latter is violently assaulted. The doctor is called in, and she Is between life and death for several days. The captain returns to the house, and tells the Home Secretary he is no better than Richard Gannon, the man he refused to reprieve. Later on he signs the reprieve, and his wife lives and everything ends happily.'

Source:

'Herbert's Pictures', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate, 2 December 1913, p.6. (Via Trove Australia)

'The story is interesting. Ned Dyer, on the death of his wife, has sent his daughter Maisie to a ladies' school in Melbourne. When this occurs Maisie is 8 years of age, and for 10 years she does not see her parent again, although he amply provides for her, and she receives a first-class education. Ned Dyer is a mystery to all in the localiiy in which he lives—his little homestead is ten miles from the town of Tinamba. He grows nothing, and the source of his livelihood is unknown. At intervals he visits the township and spends money freely at Nixon's, the local pub, and bloodhouse of the little township. Ned is a wily customer, and fully aware of the curiosity of his many pals and hangers-on. If the truth were known he has discovered an unusually rich alluvial patch, and the gold he secures he secretly hoards, using only what is necessary for his own purposes, and the education of his daughter in Melbourne. Maisie, after ten years, yearns to meet once more her almost unknown father, and eventually in Melbourne just prior to her departure she has met a young bank clerk—Roger Colville—recently out from England, and he has interested her. Nothing has actually come of their meeting, for Colville is in financial difficulties, and has embezzled the bank's funds, and is fearful of exposure. After Maisie's departure the authorities discover his deficiency, and Colville clears out. Later at Tinamba—a remittance man—(his people in England have settled with the bank—he meets Maisie's father, and saves him from being fleeced by some locals, who are determined to take him down. That night he accompanies the old man home, and to his amazement he discovers Maisie once more. The girl sees in the man but a shadow of his old self, and desires to reform him. Colville discovers the hiding place of the gold, also the alluvial patch he is working. On Christmas Eve Ned Dyer, notwithstanding the remonstrances of his daughter, leaves for the township, and gets badly the worse for liquor. In a mad moment he reveals the fact that he has 10,000 oz. of gold hidden in the house. Black Dick and some companions, casual station hands, have long since determined to rob the old chap, and this provides them with a clue. Colville, hard up and tempted, gets ahead of them, and Maisie, who has retired for the night, re-enters the living room, only to discover the man she loves is a thief. Colville pleads for his own redemption, and Maisie believes she can save him. The Black Dick clique, not knowing of Colville's presence, arrive on the scene, and Maisie, by a ruse, gets away and rides Colville's horse to the township for assistance. Colville refuses to reveal to the gang the hiding place of the gold, and they ill-use him. They are successful, however, in their search, and when they are about to depart with their booty the townspeople arrive and they are captured. Ned Dyer gives Maisie to the man she loves, and the gold is her dowry.'

Source:

'The Remittance Man', The Mail [Adelaide], 4 October 1913, p.6S.

'It contains the life history of Joe Gilchrist, a convict, transported by the English Government to Western Australia, for some trivial offence. Gilchrist, known as Convict No. 406, has earned the enmity of a fellow prisoner, named Isaac Bowman, who determines to ruin him, and concocts a robbery from a settler's home, endeavoring to cast suspicion on Joe Gilchrist; his plot, however, fails, and he is lashed at the triangle, while Gilchrist counts the strokes. Later, Bowman is released as a free settler, and takes up a selection away back on the outskirts of the Vasse Valley. All free settlers had a right to select a convict servant, and Bowman selects Joe Gilchrist. For a term Gilchrist lives his life regardless of the brute man who was his master, but one day he struck his enemy down. This offence, by an assigned servant, meant the chain gang at Freemantle for life—one of the most hideous and dreaded of punishments—so Joe took to the bush. Befriended by the natives of the Vasse Valley, for years he lived in their stronghold, and was named by them '"Moondyne," the great white chief. The natives, when visiting the more populated districts, were frequently seen wearing crude golden ornaments. Governor Hampton issued a proclamation offering £5000 reward for the discovery of the mine from which the natives of the Vasse obtained their gold. The effect of this was fruitless; but the whites were ever on the alert to trace the source of this mysterious wealth. Moondyne, as one of the Vasse tribe, has learnt the secret. One day, on the summit of the ranges, a native sees a police party, and knows their territory is endangered; he informs the chief—Te-Mana-Roa. Moondyne with a party proceeds to investigate. The party are ambushed and Moondyne is recaptured, and to his horror once more discovers his life's enemy, Bowman, who, retired from the land, has now become a sergeant of police. He is manacled to Bowman's horse, and the cavalcade proceeds to return to civilisation. On the road, Moondyne arouses the cupidity of Bowman, and informs him he is in possession of the secret of the mountain of gold—the price is his freedom. Bowman accepts, and effects the escape of Moondyne, and accompanies him to the Vasse Valley. The chief, on the return of Moondyne, agrees to respect his promise and disclose the secret of the golden mountain to Bowman, but refuses to permit his departure. Later, however, Bowman, in the absence of Moondyne, half kills the chief, seizes as much gold as he can carry and rides off. Moondyne is banished by the tribe, and rides for his revenge on the tracks of his enemy. Bowman loses the track, and perishes on the verge of the plains, but not before Moondyne has found him, and instead of killing, endeavors to succour Bowman with his last drop of water. Next morning, a native discovers two forms lying still upon the plains. Moondyne lived to return to the Vasse Valley and the love of his friendly natives.'

Source:

'Moondyne', Daylesford Advocate, Yandoit, Glenlyon and Eganstown Chronicle, 24 February 1914, p.3.