The Avenger (1937 film)

The Avenger is a 1937 Australian film directed by A. R. Harwood.

The Avenger
Film poster
Directed byA. R. Harwood
Written byBert Hollis
Produced byA. R. Harwood
StarringDouglas Stuart
John Fernside
CinematographyArthur Higgins
Tasman Higgins
Music byFrank Chapple
Production
company
New Era Film Productions
Distributed byAtlas Films (Australia)
Columbia Pictures (United States
United Kingdom)
Release date
  • 1937 (1937)
Running time
55 minutes
CountryAustralia

Plot

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A reformed thief marries a wealthy socialite but is haunted by a former accomplice who tries to frame him for murder.

Cast

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  • Douglas Stuart as Terry Druton
  • John Fernside as Max Hart
  • Karen Greyson as Della, the Maid[1]
  • Marcia Melville as Gwen
  • Marshall Crosby as Detective Sergeant O'Neill
  • George Lloyd as Happy Evans
  • Raymond Longford as Warren
  • Pat Twohill as Solicitor

Production

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The movie was produced by New Era Film Productions, a new production company that had been established in Melbourne by Morrell Wright and Cyril J. Turner. A. R. Harwood was director of production.[2]

Filming started in October 1937 and took place at Pagewood Studios in Sydney,[3][4] while some exterior filming took place at Parramatta.[5]

Release

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The movie was ready for trade preview by 17 December 1937 and was distributed in Australia by Atlas Films.[6] It only achieved limited release.[7]

However the film was sold to Columbia for release in the UK, the last Australian film to be admitted under the old British quota law which allowed Australian movies to qualify as local ones. Harwood said this sale recouped 45% of the film's production cost.[8] This was a good enough result for New Era to make another feature, Show Business (1938).[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "Radiant as Our Dawn!". The Sunday Times. Perth. 14 November 1937. p. 39 Section: First Section. Retrieved 5 April 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "Personal". The Argus. Melbourne. 30 October 1937. p. 4. Retrieved 6 April 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "New Australian Film". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 October 1937. p. 7. Retrieved 4 April 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Personal". The Argus. Melbourne. 30 October 1937. p. 4. Retrieved 5 April 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ ""The Avenger"". The Labor Daily (Sydney). No. 4333. New South Wales, Australia. 25 October 1937. p. 10. Retrieved 22 May 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "BRIEF ITEMS IN THE NEWS". The Argus. Melbourne. 31 March 1938. p. 12. Retrieved 6 April 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998 p179
  8. ^ "AUSTRALIAN FILM". The Sydney Morning Herald. 30 March 1938. p. 18. Retrieved 5 April 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
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