The Sentimental Bloke
| The Sentimental Bloke | |
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Arthur Tauchert, in The Sentimental Bloke
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| Directed by | Raymond Longford |
| Produced by | Raymond Longford |
| Written by |
Raymond Longford Lottie Lyell |
| Based on | The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke by C. J. Dennis |
| Starring |
Arthur Tauchert Lottie Lyell |
| Cinematography | Arthur Higgins |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | E. J. Carroll |
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Release date
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Running time
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1hr 46min |
| Country | Australia |
| Language |
Silent film English intertitles |
| Budget | ₤2,000 |
The Sentimental Bloke (1919) is an Australian silent film based on the 1915 poem The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke by C. J. Dennis. It is generally considered the greatest Australian silent film, and one of the best Australian movies of all time.
Bill is a Woolloomooloo larrikin, who vows to abandon his life of gambling (playing Two-up) and drinking after a spell in gaol following a raid on a two up game. He falls in love with Doreen (Lyell), who works in a pickle factory, but faces competition from a more sophisticated rival, Stror 'at Coot.
Bill and Doreen argue, but are eventually reunited and get married. Bill gives up drinking and hanging out with his mate, Ginger Mick, and becomes a family man. He gets an offer from his uncle to manage an orchard in the country, and he and Doreen settle down there with their baby.
C. J. Dennis' original book had been a best seller since its publication in 1915. It was read by executive J. D. Williams who gave Raymond Longford a copy and suggested it might make a good movie. Longford gave it to his partner Lottie Lyell and she was supportive.
Finance was provided by an Adelaide company, the Southern Cross Feature Film Company who had funded The Woman Suffers. C. J. Dennis was reluctant to give away the movie rights for fear it would affect book sales, however he eventually agreed after prolonged negotiations and a royalty payment of £1,000, half the film's budget.
Lyell is thought to have co-authored the screenplay which relocated the story from Melbourne to Woolloomooloo in Sydney.
Arthur Tauchert had extensive experience working in suburban vaudeville but had only made two short movies prior to this.
The movie was shot in 1918 on location in Woolloomooloo, with the orchard scenes done at Hornsby Valley in near Sydney, and interiors at open-air sets at Wonderland City, Bondi (which meant Longford could avoid paying excessive rental for using sets at the Rushcutters Bay Studio). Some shots of sunsets and sunrises for the inter titles were done in Adelaide.
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