Godfrey Cass (1867 – 14 May 1951) was an Australian actor in the

silent era 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, wh ...

. Between 1906 and 1935 he acted in nineteen film roles. He played

Ned Kelly Edward Kelly (December 185411 November 1880) was an Australian bushranger, outlaw, gang leader, bank robber and convicted police-murderer. One of the last bushrangers, he is known for wearing armour of the Kelly gang, a suit of bulletproof ...

three times, and also had roles in a number of other

bushranger Bushrangers were armed robbers and outlaws who resided in The bush#Australia, the Australian bush between the 1780s and the early 20th century. The original use of the term dates back to the early years of the British colonisation of Australia ...

movies including '' A Tale of the Australian Bush'' (1911) and ''

Moondyne ''Moondyne'' is an 1879 novel by John Boyle O'Reilly. It is loosely based on the life of the Western Australian Convict era of Western Australia, convict escapee and bushranger Moondyne Joe. It is believed to be the first ever fictional novel s ...

'' (1913).

Biography

The son of the Governor of Melbourne Gaol, John Buckley Castieau (1831–1885), Godfrey Cass was born Godfrey Castieau in 1867, one of seven children. As a child he spent a lot of time around the gaol and met

just before Kelly was hung. He began acting in late 1883 or 1884 for J. C. Williamson Ltd. He married Hilda Fraser, with whom he often appeared on stage, in 1894. His peak years as an actor were from 1903 to 1914, usually playing the villain in melodramas. Cass appeared in his first film in 1911 for the Australian Life Biography Company, and followed it with two more movies for the same company. Two years later he partnered with

W. J. Lincoln William Joseph Lincoln (1870 – 18 August 1917) was an Australia, Australian playwright, theatre manager, film director and screenwriter in the silent film, silent era. He produced, directed and/or wrote 23 films between 1911 and 1916. One ob ...

to make films as

Lincoln-Cass Films Lincoln Cass Films was a short-lived Australian film production company. History The company was formed in July 1913 with authorised capital £4,000 in shares if £1 each. First directors were Henry Dean Stewart, William Foster Dawson, and William ...

. The company survived for only one year, but in that time it made eight films, with Cass playing roles in six of them. He then returned to the stage appearing in ''Sealed Orders'' for J. C. Williamson Ltd. Cass enlisted in the Army for

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

on 27 January 1915, dropping his age by eleven years, and was discharged on 25 August 1917, suffering from shell shock. He returned to theatre, working as an actor and director. He also appeared in several films, including playing as

Harry Southwell Harry Southwell (1882-1960) was an Australian actor, writer and film director best known for making films about Ned Kelly. He was born in Cardiff, Wales and spent a couple of years in America, where he adapted some short stories by O Henry into ...

's ''

The Kelly Gang The Kelly Gang may refer to: * Ned Kelly, Australian bushranger, outlaw, gang leader and convicted police-murderer * The Kelly Gang (film) ''The Kelly Gang'' is an Australian feature-length film about the Australian bush ranger, Ned Kelly. The f ...

''. He died in 1951.

Filmography

#'' A Tale of the Australian Bush'' (1911) – actor #''

One Hundred Years Ago ''One Hundred Years Ago'' is a 1911 Australian silent film directed by Gaston Mervale. It features an early screen performance from Louise Lovely (billed as "Louise Carbasse") and is considered a lost film. Plot The movie was billed as "an Anglo ...

'' (1911) – actor #'' A Ticket in Tatts'' (1911) – actor #'' The Sick Stockrider'' (1913) – actor, producer #''

'' (1913) – actor, producer #'' The Remittance Man'' (1913) – actor, producer #''

Transported ''Transported'' is an Australian convict melodrama film directed by W. J. Lincoln. It is considered a lost film. Plot In England, Jessie Grey is about to marry Leonard Lincoln but the evil Harold Hawk tries to force her to marry him and she ...

'' (1913) – actor, producer #'' The Road to Ruin'' (1913) – actor, producer #''

The Crisis ''The Crisis'' is the official magazine of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). It was founded in 1910 by W. E. B. Du Bois (editor), Oswald Garrison Villard, J. Max Barber, Charles Edward Russell, Kelly M ...

'' (1913) – actor, producer #'' The Reprieve'' (1913) – actor, producer #'' The Wreck'' (1913) – actor, producer #''

'' (1920) – actor #'' The Hordern Mystery'' (1920) – actor #'' The Dingo'' (1923) – actor #''

When the Kellys Were Out ''When the Kellys Were Out'' is a 1923 Australian feature-length film directed by Harry Southwell about Ned Kelly. Only part of the film survives today. Plot Constable Fitzpatrick arrives at the Kelly house, to accuse Dan Kelly of cattle duffi ...

'' (1923) – actor #'' Jewelled Nights'' (1925) – actor #''

Jungle Woman ''Jungle Woman'' is a 1944 American horror film directed by Reginald LeBorg. The film stars Evelyn Ankers, J. Carrol Naish, Samuel S. Hinds, Lois Collier and Acquanetta. ''Jungle Woman'' was the second film in Universal's ''Cheela, the Ape ...

'' (1926) – actor #'' The Mystery of a Hansom Cab'' (1925) – actor #'' The Rushing Tide'' (1927) – actor #'' Tiger Island'' (1930) – actor # ''

Heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset A heritage asset is an item which has value because of its contribution to a nation's society, knowledge and/or culture. Such items are usually physical assets, but some countries also ...

'' (1935) – actor

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cass, Godfrey 1867 births 1951 deaths Australian male silent film actors Male actors from Melbourne 20th-century Australian male actors Australian film studio executives