A Melbourne Mystery

A Melbourne Mystery
The Age 10 May 1913
Directed byJohn Gavin
Produced byJohn Gavin
StarringJohn Gavin
CinematographyA. Sculthorpe
Release date
  • 12 May 1913 (1913-05-12)
[1]
Running time
4,000 feet[2]
CountryAustralia
LanguageSilent film

A Melbourne Mystery is a 1913 Australian silent film starring John Gavin.[3] Another title is The Unseen Hand.[4]

It is considered a lost film.

According to the Newcastle Morning Herald "it is full of thrilling adventure and exciting experience:at sea and in foreign parts, with all the elements of romance and mystery woven into the plot."[4]

Cast

Production

The film was shot in Melbourne.[6] A. Sculthorpe, who worked on the movie, remembers the film as being "a little starved because of the promoters lack of finance" but said it "compared favourably with the Importations of the time." He also recalled shooting a sequence involving a brawl in Swanston Street which resulted in police trying to arrest the actors.[7]

Reception

According to Sculthorpe "it was a good picture but the exhibitors gave us little encouragement."[7]

Gavin said "it opened at Hoyt’s, Bourke Street, and ran for a week to big business, after which we played the suburban shows."[5]

References

  1. ^ "Advertising". The Herald. No. 11, 704. Victoria, Australia. 10 May 1913. p. 4. Retrieved 1 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "Advertising". The Sunday Times. Sydney. 26 August 1917. p. 21. Retrieved 3 October 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 37.
  4. ^ a b "PARADISE PICTURES". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. No. 12, 173. New South Wales, Australia. 6 November 1913. p. 6. Retrieved 1 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ a b "When the Australian-Produced Picture Made Big Money.", Everyones., Sydney: Everyones Ltd, 9 May 1923, nla.obj-562121240, retrieved 1 July 2024 – via Trove
  6. ^ "Advertising". The Age. No. 18, 147. Victoria, Australia. 17 May 1913. p. 20. Retrieved 1 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ a b ""Thal Reminds Me..."". The Argus. Melbourne. 24 May 1939. p. 8. Retrieved 3 October 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
Stub icon

This article related to an Australian silent film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.