''Peter Vernon's Silence'' is a 1926 Australian

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

directed by

Raymond Longford Raymond Longford (born John Walter Hollis Longford; 23 September 18782 April 1959) was a prolific Australian film director, writer, producer, and actor during the silent era. Longford was a major director of the silent film era of the Australia ...

. It was the last film on which

Lottie Lyell Lottie Lyell (born Charlotte Edith Cox, 23 February 1890 – 21 December 1925) was an Australian actress, screenwriter, film editing, editor and filmmaker. She is regarded as Australia's first film star, and also contributed to the local industr ...

worked prior to her death in December 1925. It is considered a

lost film A lost film is a feature film, feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. ...

Plot

Peter Vernon's mother dies and he is adopted by a squatter, Kingston, whose son, Philip, is Peter's age. The two grow up and fall in love with the same girl, Marie (Loretta May). Marie loves Philip but her father forbids the marriage because of his dark reputation and Philip kills the old man in a fit of rage. Peter tries to take the blame by fleeing from the police and is chased through the Snowy Mountains before being caught. He is sent to gaol, and when he gets out Philip confesses to the murder on his death bed. Peter is reunited with Marie.

Cast

Rawdon Blandford Rawdon Blandford (1891–1961) was a New Zealand born stage and screen actor. Filmography *'' A Maori Maid's Love'' (1916) *''The Breaking of the Drought'' (1920) *''The Bushwhackers'' (1925) *''Painted Daughters'' (1925) *'' Peter Vernon' ...

as Peter Vernon *Walter Hunt as Philip Kingston *Loretta May as Marie *Rene Sandeman *Iris Webster *Beryl Gow *John Faulkner

Production

The movie was the last production from Longford-Lyell Productions which had made ''Dinkum Bloke'', ''Fisher's Ghost'' and ''The Bushwhackers''. The film featured location shooting in and around

Moss Vale Moss Vale is a town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. Moss Vale is the administrative centre of Wingecarribee Shire local government area. It is located south-west of Sydney and north-east of Canberra. The Illawarra Hi ...

Mount Kosciuszko Mount Kosciuszko ( ; ; Ngarigo: ) is the highest mountain of the mainland Australia, at above sea level. It is located on the Main Range of the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park, a part of the Australian Alps National Parks and ...

Kiandra Kiandra is an abandoned gold mining town and the birthplace of Australian skiing. The town is situated in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, in the Snowy Monaro Regional Council inside the Kosciuszko National Park. Its name i ...

Adaminaby Adaminaby is a small town near the Snowy Mountains north-west of Cooma, New South Wales, Cooma, New South Wales, Australia, in the Snowy Monaro Regional Council. The historic town, of 301 people at the , is a trout fishing centre and winter spo ...

Leura Leura (postcode: 2780) is a suburb in the City of Blue Mountains local government area that is located west of the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the series of small towns stretched along the Main W ...

and the Blue Mountains.

Release

In February 1926 it was announced Paramount, which had distribututed Longford's ''Dinkum Bloke'', had acquired rights to the film. The contract was signed 15 February which required Paramount to use its "best efforts to release the film not later than" 1 April. The film was received on 28 February but not released in Victoria until 17 April. It was not released in New South Wales until October.

Reception

Critical

''Everyones'' said the film was "chiefly remarkable for some very excellent photography" but "the story is very weak and unconvincing." The ''Herald'' said the cast "should have been better".

Box office

Despite being distributed by Paramount, Longford said the film only earned £1,114 at the Australian box office of which £724 was returned to the producers.

References

External links

*
''Peter Vernon's Silence''
at

National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting, and providing access to a national c ...

''Peter Vernon's Silence''
at

AustLit AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource (also known as AustLit: Australian Literature Gateway; and AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature) is a national bio-bibliographical database of Australian literature. It is an internet-based, ...

{{Raymond Longford 1926 films Silent Australian drama films Australian silent feature films Australian black-and-white films Films directed by Raymond Longford Lost Australian drama films 1926 drama films 1926 lost films 1920s Australian films 1920s English-language films English-language drama films Lost silent Australian films