About this record
This five-page script was written in 1915 by Phil Gell and Loris Brown for a proposed Australian recruitment film titled A Hero of the Dardanelles. Created by Amalgamated Pictures Limited, the film was intended as a sequel to Will They Never Come? which was also made in 1915. The script includes the cast of characters and describes the action and setting for 15 scenes. It tells the story of a young man who leaves his family and sweetheart to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and then serves at Gallipoli.
Educational value
- The government implemented a number of enlistment campaigns throughout the First World War with the aim of encouraging volunteers to join the AIF. Most people supported the war effort, and various individuals, community groups and businesses also came up with proposals intended to encourage men to enlist. The government endorsed a number of these strategies, including this film.
- Throughout the war, film played an important role both in encouraging men to enlist and in keeping members of the public informed about the progress of the war. Theatres in cities and regional areas screened films and newsreels for audiences seeking news about the course of the war and the experiences of Australians serving overseas.
- The producers of this film contacted the Minister of Defence, George Pearce, in June 1915 about their proposed film. Pearce supported the project and asked that the film be submitted to the Department of Defence for approval when complete. He also gave approval for the words ‘produced by permission of the Minister for Defence’ to be used to help promote the film. The government did not contribute to the cost of making the film; however, the producers were granted access to military facilities in New South Wales.
- The script notes that the scenes in Gallipoli must be ‘produced according to Ashmead-Bartlett’s report’. Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett was an experienced British war correspondent who covered the Dardanelles campaign. His report of the Gallipoli landing of 25 April 1915 was the first to reach Australia. Published in various newspapers on 8 May, it praised the bravery and skill of the Anzac troops.
