The First "Eureka Stockade"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 529, 12 August 1949, Page 19

The First "Eureka Stockade"

Written for "Fhe Listener’ en

MAISIE CARTE

LLOYD

I WAS particularly interested in the film Eureka Stockade, which I saw in Sydney recently, since I played Jane Barrett’s part in the original silent version made in 1917, in Sydney, under the title The Loyal Rebel. I noticed that many of the scenes, such as the attack on the stockade, were identical in the silent and talkie versions, although the hero, Lalor, didn’t wear a beard in our production. Another thing about the original film was the fact that a number of notices and proclamations actually used at Bakery Hill in 1854 were introduced into the scenes by permission of the trustees of the Mitchell Library. Of course silent films were an entirely different medium from the talkies of today. The actors when playing their parts had to express their emotions by facial expression and _ gesture alone. They were not given parts to learn, but the producers would select the more important lines, from the sub-titles, and the actors would carefully shape their words using exaggerated lip formations rye) that they could be synchronised with the words that were later flashed on to the screen. Looking back on the silent movie, I think it was rather clever of the actors to register so many moods and emotions without the use of their voices, although they were often distracted by the direc-

tors, who used to shout instructions © while a scene was actually being shot. Once I had to kneel beside a grave and recite the incidents of a murder, I was told to express horror and intense grief, and wring my hands. After a short rehearsal the cameras began to turn, but before many seconds had passed the director -began to. sheut: "Come into the scene! Kneel down beside the grave. Hurry up! Now cryuse your handkerchief! Now rise and begin to walk away-no, no; not too far! Walk _ back,

you’re out of the line of the camera. Now stop! Wring your hands againcrumple up with grief-now sob-real tears! Cry real tears-ah, where’s the glycerine-Cut!" When the scene was retaken I’m proud to say I produced real tears, although maybe they were tears of rage. Yet it was good fun acting for the silent pictures, and despite the seriousness of the work members of a silent cast would often play little jokes on one another. Once when I had to bow in grief over the murdered body of my poor father I must have put my hand dangerously near the imitation bloodstain on his chest, for suddenly his dying lips gasped out, "Don’t put your hand in the port wine!" As far as the original Eureka Stockade is concerned, an ‘amusihg notice advertising it appeared in the Press at the time. "Coming Monday week," it read, "The Loyal Rebel, the story of the Eureka Stockade. A blood-red tale of a bride, a story ‘of courage in the miners’ camp and villainy in Sydney’s criminal dens, when Australia was the world’s Eldorado and the world’s cockpit in the roaring days of ’54. One of the brightest yet saddest pictures. Read the story in to-day’s paper, then see the picture. Performances continuous, 11.0 a.m. to 11.0 p.m." There were no gala premieres in those good old davs!