''Another Threshold'' is a 1942 Australian propaganda short film directed by

Ken G. Hall Kenneth George Hall, AO, OBE (22 February 1901 – 8 February 1994), better known as Ken G. Hall, was an Australian film producer and director, considered one of the most important figures in the history of the Australian film industry. ...

and starring Peter Finch. It was produced for the Austerity Loan Campaign and features an appearance by then Prime Minister

John Curtin John Curtin (8 January 1885 – 5 July 1945) was an Australian politician who served as the 14th prime minister of Australia from 1941 until his death in 1945. He led the country for the majority of World War II, including all but the last few ...

Premise

An Australian family have lost a son in action and discuss whether it was worth it. The father (Joe Valli) is a World War One veteran. One family member (Peter Finch) has returned from war service in the Air Force. Another (Grant Taylor) is in the army.

Cast

* Grant Taylor * Peter Finch *

Joe Valli Joseph George McParlane (also spelled McFarlane and McPharlane; 13 August 1885 – 29 May 1967), known as Joe Valli, was a Scottish-Australian actor who worked in vaudeville and films. He had a long-running vaudeville partnership with Pat Hanna as ...

as the father *

Muriel Steinbeck Muriel Myee Steinbeck (21 July 1913 – 20 July 1982) was an Australian actress who worked extensively in radio, theatre, television and film. She is best known for her performance as the wife of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith in '' Smithy'' (1946) ...

* Pat Firman

Reception

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...

'' wrote that:

The film's appeal from this angle is anything but forceful. In an amiable discussion that lacks strength and conviction because of its generalities and cliches, an average Australian family and some of their friends from the fighting forces review the situation in Australia today. They find much to be proud of in the country's war effort, despite certain elements of complacency in the community. In the general summing up, in a much too rambling and superficial argument, "squealers", "slackers", "lounge lizards", hoarders, blackmarket operator, and the rest of their kind are found to be very small fry when weighed in the balance against those who are earnestly doing their share in the struggle for victory... ather too conscious effort.

The ''Mercury'' said "the film is well produced and presented." ''Smith's Weekly'' called it "another excellent documentary for the Dept of Information" in which "refreshing candor marks the dialogue in which lack of effort by all classes of people comes in for censure. Mr. Hall's fearlessness is, In fact, to be as highly commended as his management of the film, which should certainly make the lazy minded think. Of the actors Joe Valli is the easiest and perhaps the most true to life, but Peter Finch turns in an outstanding job." ''The Daily Telegraph'' called it "ingeniously drawn, well-acted (Joe Valli is superb)... although a trifle over-dialogued, the film is the most vivid, most characteristic, of Australia's wartime shorts."

References

Australian World War II propaganda films {{WWII-documentary-film-stub