''A Rough Passage'' is a 1922 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

Franklyn Barrett Walter Franklyn Barrett (1873 – 16 July 1964), better known as Franklyn Barrett, was an Australian film director and cinematographer. He worked for a number of years for West's Pictures. It was later written of the filmmaker that "Barrett's vi ...

based on the novel by Arthur Wright. It was Barrett's final feature and 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

Laurie Larand (Hayford Hobbs) returns from the war and finds himself jilted and broke. He goes to work for a horse trainer who he discovers to be in league with a book maker to fleece the horse owners. He also comes across a Shakesperean actor, Poverty Point (Arthur Albert), who becomes his friend, and the beautiful Doiya (

Stella Southern Stella Southern was an Australian actress best known for her performances in the silent films ''A Girl of the Bush'' (1921) and ''The Bushwhackers'' (1925). Originally from Sydney, she was working for a milliner when discovered by Beaumont Smith ...

), who he falls in love with. In the finale, Larland exposes the villains and is united with Doris.

Cast

Hayford Hobbs Hayford Hobbs (25 August 1890 – 10 January 1957) was a leading British film actor of the silent era and later became a film director. He was born in London, England, in 1891. He made his first screen appearance in the 1915 film ''The Third Gene ...

as Laurie Larand *

as Doiya Reylen * Elsa Granger as Belle Delair *

Gilbert Emery Gilbert Emery Bensley Pottle (June 11, 1875 – October 28, 1945), known professionally as Gilbert Emery, was an American actor who appeared in over 80 movies from 1921 to his death in 1945. He was also a playwright, author of seven Broadway pla ...

as Jiggy Javitts *Arthur Albert as 'Poverty' Point *Alma Rock Phillips *Robert McKinnon *David Edelsten *Sybil Shirley *Billy Ryan *Peter Felix

Original novel

Arthur Wright's original novel was published in 1921.

Plot

Laurie Larand, a returned soldier, discovers that the barmaid he has entrusted with his money is missing. After a bad day at the races he has no money. He goes to live in the Domain but is helped by a trainer and an actor friend to get back on his feet. He discovers the trainer is in cahoots with bookmakers.

Reception

The novel appears to have been well received. "He shows to advantage as a writer of humor", said one critic. Another stated that, "Not many Australians, perhaps, are writing "literature", but quite a fair number are turning out readable and respectable yarns, and Arthur Wright is one of the number."

Production

''Everyone's'' reported the film was being made in February 1922 saying "The story should make a very general appeal, as it is very bright and redolent of the soil." The film was made with Wright's close involvement.

was an English actor touring Australia when the film was made. Hugh Ward did lighting, as he had on ''

Know Thy Child ''Know Thy Child'' is a 1921 Australian silent film directed by Franklyn Barrett. It is considered a lost film. Plot A travelling salesman, Ray Standford (Roland Conway), seduces country girl Sadie McClure ( Vera James) but forgets about her w ...

''. Aboriginal boxer Peter Felix had a role.

Reception

The movie was distributed by Barrett himself, due in part to his difficulties with the

Australasian Films Australasian Films, full name Union Theatres and Australasian Films, was an Australian film distribution and production company formed in 1913 that was wound up in the 1930s to merge into Greater Union. The Union Theatres and Australasian Films ...

monopoly, and was not widely seen. Arthur Wright later said the film was:

Produced and photographed excellently by Franklyn Barrett, but bringing little grist to the mill of movie ' picture production. It was a flop financially, as were practically all the latter day local silents, which were never given the chance they deserved. Fate and oversea interests were against the Industry, which went into a decline.

In March 1922 ''Everyones'' announced "When the picture is well on the way, he arrettwill commence on another Australian story." However Barrett's company soon wound up and he left filmmaking to go into cinema management.

Critical

''Everyone's'' said " Working along melodramatic lines, the continuity promises well, but breaks away into the meaningless at times... Interesting in the main, but lacks consistency. Even at that it will probably pull good business if properly exploited." The ''Advertiser'' called the movie "a delightful comedy-drama" in which Arthur Albert "is excellently cast". The ''Register'' called it "a stirring racing film" which "cannot fail to please the most exacting. In addition the comedy in the picture is exceedingly clever, and productive of many hearty laughs." The ''Launceston Daily Telegraph'' said that "from the very first moment that the screen reflected the delightful panorama of our bush land I knew that here at last I had found a picture which, would prove worth while the time it had taken to produce." The Sydney ''Daily Telegraph'' said "the story is rather a good one."

References

External links

*
''A Rough Passage''
at

National Archives of Australia The National Archives of Australia (NAA), formerly known as the Commonwealth Archives Office and Australian Archives, is an Australian Government agency that is the National archives, official repository for all federal government documents. It ...

''A Rough Passage''
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 ...

''A Rough Passage'' (novel)
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, ...

''A Rough Passage'' at SilentEra
*Story was serialised in 1939 �
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rough Passage 1922 films Australian silent feature films Australian black-and-white films Lost Australian drama films 1921 Australian novels 1922 drama films 1922 lost films Films directed by Franklyn Barrett Silent Australian drama films 1920s Australian films Australian films based on novels Australian horse racing films 1920s English-language films English-language drama films Lost silent Australian films

Plot

Cast

Original novel

Plot

Reception

Production

Reception

Critical

See also

References

External links