Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

'SENTIMENTAL BLOKE'
A MiAGNJFIOEXT?'SUCCESS.
"I have seen., 4he characters portrayed
on the screen ai 1 never espeeted to view
them," said Mr. C. J. Dennis, ilhe author
of Australia's most popular book, "TSie
Sentimental Bloke" yesterday, wiien
£.ptf£jag of the photographic production
of .we-wotk, wjiicn. iu>e been suce^sslxuLy
voiu^jihod ?av tne souintrn Crusa -t c&uu^e
i<'uui'<Juui^~iiy ci -o.u=<M.ai^a. * i cuuQD
eay iiow .y^oused 1. am at.ihe faicnioi
reproduction ox the cinarjuaeis," He ton
Uuueo. Tiie privileged few w-uo"wiiUiei&<*i
bue mjipa. s^roen'tig of ""rile heos&imeii
i&l BAoke" a.i cue \v unaeigraph yesterday
mniniiig e5tMisiasuca»»y airt^-ed -with Mr,
Dennis, itfiere was a un-queiie^ about
doe .picture waich aaded to its attractive,
ness, due 4x> the fact that t-ue artists
Acted tine living pan in' tne natural
way. TUie film was free from superfluous
acsng seen in many productions. The
roai Australian, woo is changed from
a street loafer and brawler into a kind,
generous, loving fellow creature, is de:
picked true to life.
The picture, which consists of seven
reels, does not for a moment lose its
grip on tiie audience. The patihos and
fcajnor are so natural thai die former
dnawe tears from the eyes and the latter
laughter from the lips.
The story, as to'd by the screen, shows
"The Bloke," spending his leisure "get.
ting on the sihick" and ' visiting a two
up school with "He cobber, G-inier
Miek" The school is raided, and the
Bloke "gets a stretch for; stoushin'
Johns.'" Six months later he is liber,
ated, and while soliloquising he decided
to "out the push and take a pull," and i
.gets, a job hawking. It is (hen. he meets,;
»? 'Br--Doreen,'1 but when he "backs "is
barrer in" she refuses to speak to hiin.
The next .day they meet .again, "but,
biime, she did turn me down a treait,"
he says. However, the spirit of love
hag entered bis heart, and he threatens
"to lo6e 'is block and Etouah some j
bloomin* oop," if he doesn't get rid of
it. He eventually secures an introduc.
tion and arranges for la future meeting, |
whiaiL is successfully earned out. He
promises Doreen he will \reform, and
makes a brave attempt to do so, but
after a tiS wiiSi her be takes to the
"shicker" again. On visiting "Skinnees"
for a musical "I>eaimo" one evening be1
meets Doreen again, and eventually they
are reunited. In-due course be meets
"Mar," is married to Doreen, and settles
on a fruit farm, which is given to him
by his , Uncle Jim. It is while be is i
there that he - becomes a proud father, i
and with the resolve that he would work
the flesh off hie hands "fer them two
-iDoieen and his son and heir-he is
seen happy and contented, a thoroughly
changed man, -from the time .when he
"spent 'is leisure getjin" on the siiick
and stousfhin-" Johns for fun."
The story is intensely pathetic and
human, although there aie some ex
tremely humorous parts, one, especially
being the occasion when . "MOT" calls
him "Willie." "Oh, 'ell, this is a flam
in" pill," he retorts. Anptlier occurs it
tihe wedding ceremony, "Will you take:
this -woman -to be your lawful wedded
wife?" he is. asked, but Bill, without
blushing replies, ""Ell; will I wot.'"
The scenic views are exquisite, especi
ally the sunrise and sunset, which were
taken in i delaide. The bunch of
beautiful roses was also photographed
| in Adelaide, and the bandstand -nortrayed
is the weilJknown Henley Beach ro
tunda. '
The picture is purely Australian in every
detail. It tells of an Australian, it is
?portrayed In Australia, and all concerned
in its nroductffim are Australians. Tt is
eroected that "The Sentimental Bloke"
will be. shown in the Theatre Royal in
about a fortnieht
T There is an escentiouallv eood cast, and
the ability displayed by the artiste brings
the film into the front rank. The two
.nrinripal character*) are "The Bloke" and
"Doreen," represented bv Arthur Fan chert
and Lottie Tjyell. "Me Cobber. C!in«er
Mvk." is portrayed bv Gilbert Kmery.
"Mar." who would oersisfc in calibre her
son-in-law Willie, was reproduced faith
fully by' Marearet Reid. Others who
helped to make the film such a magnifi
cent success were Harry Youn» "The
Straw 'At Oore": Bill -Coulter. "Uncle:'
1 :_,ti": "Mr. Bonar. the doctor: and Miss
Helen Fiirpie. the nnrse. "The parson
bloke what spouts a piece" was well char
acterised by Chas: Keejan.
Credit is due to the producer (Raymond
Loneford) and the cimunatoeranher I Ar
thur Higgine) for thef clever stag
ing and remarkable -pbotosraobic effects.
The company's headquarters are in South
Australia, and the manager and secretary
respectively are John F. Thiem and A. E.
H. Evans
The author of the book (Mr. Dennisl
and Miss Lrell (Doreen) as well as the
producer and cineifiatograpber were nre
sent at yesterday's screenine.
$