The Old Bus

The Old Bus
Directed by W.J. Percival
Produced by W.J. Percival
Starring Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith
Distributed by Universal
Release dates
 10 August 1934[1]
Country Australia
Language English
Box office £1,650[2]

The Old Bus is a 1934 Australian documentary film about aviator Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith.

Plot

The film details Australian contributions to flying, including the feats of Lawrence Hargrave,[3] an early flight of Harry Houdini in 1910, T.E. Hart's flight from Sydney to Penrith, Guillaux's 1914 flight in Sydney, the work of Ross and Keith Smith, and Australian flying inventions. It then covers the history of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and his plane, The Southern Cross, in particular his circumnavigation of the world. It also touches on the development of the Australian postal air route.[4]

Production

The film was produced by Jack Percival, who was passenger on a flight Kingsford-Smith made from Australian to New Zealand in January 1933. They flew on The Southern Cross, nicknamed "The Old Bus".[5]

Plans to make a documentary about Kingsford Smith were announced in August 1933.[6][7] The project soon expanded to be a history of Australian aviation.[8] Kingsford-Smith shot footage of it all around the world.[9] Shooting commenced around November 1933 and was completed by July 1934.[10]

Reception

The film achieved cinema release through Universal. Reviews were generally positive, the critic from the Sydney Morning Herald calling it "a plain, unassuming record of Australian achievements in aviation... a comfortable feature of the film is that it contains no bombast. Indeed, it might be argued that the producers have been too modest, and have not emphasised enough the remarkable exploits of the Southern Cross and its captain, and the importance of its flights in the wider history of aviation."[11]

By December 1934 the film had earned an estimated £1650 at the Australian box office with trade papers estimating this figure may reach £3,5000. Because of the low production cost it is likely the film made a profit.[2]

Percival later said he wished to make a feature film called Outposts set in the Northern Territory, Broome, Java, Sumatra, and New Guinea, starring Captain Patrick Gordon Taylor.[12] This film was not made.

References

  1. ↑ "Advertising.". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 10 August 1934. p. 2. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Counting the Cash in Australian Films"', Everyones 12 December 1934 p 19
  3. ↑ "EARLY AIRSHIPS.". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 13 August 1934. p. 17. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  4. ↑ "Glance At Today's Talkies.". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 18 August 1934. p. 13. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  5. ↑ "IN OTHER CITIES.". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 10 January 1933. p. 11. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  6. ↑ "KINGSFORD SMITH.". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 29 August 1933. p. 5. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  7. ↑ "About Child Actors.". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 14 October 1933. p. 14. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  8. ↑ ""THE OLD BUS.".". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 29 November 1933. p. 10. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  9. ↑ "THE SOUTHERN CROSS.". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 5 June 1934. p. 18. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  10. ↑ "FILM WORLD.". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 4 March 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  11. ↑ "FILM REVIEWS.". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 13 August 1934. p. 5. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  12. ↑ "NEW FILMS.". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 13 April 1935. p. 17. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
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