The Devil's Playground (1928 film)

The Devil's Playground
Directed by Victor Bindley
Written by John Bedouin (titles)
Based on lyrics of Hell's Highway
by Ashley Durham
Starring John R. Allen
Cinematography
  • Jack Bruce
  • James Grant
  • Jack Fletcher
Edited by J. Stebbing
Production
company
Fineart Films Productions
Release dates
  • 1928 (1928)
Running time
 8,385 feet
Country Australia
Language Silent film
English intertitles

The Devil's Playground is a 1928 Australian feature-length film set in the South Seas. It was produced by a largely amateur group from the north shore of Sydney.[1]

Plot

In the South Seas, a beautiful island is home to cannibalistic natives and corrupt whites. Bull Morgan, who owns a liquor store, lusts over the white girl, Naneena. Naneena falls in love with visiting airman, Dick Barrington, and they decide to marry. Dick leaves, promising to return in his yacht. Soon after, Naneena is discovered unconscious on the beach, suffering amnesia. At the same time, her brother Bobby disappears.

The native chief, Trelua, leaves a rising against the corrupt whites. Bull Morgan forces Naneena to marry him. Her memory comes back and she recalls how she witnessed Morgan murdering her brother.

Dick arrives on his boat but is attacked by natives. A British cruiser hears his distress signal and comes to the rescue. Trelua kills Morgan and the native rebellion is suppressed.

Cast

Production

The film was made by a largely amateur group who formed a company, Fineart Film, in 1927 with a capital of £2,000.[2]

Their first production was the Pacific island adventure, Trobriana, which was never released. Scenes were shot on beaches near Sydney and interiors in the Mosman Town Hall. Natives were played by Sydney life guards in black face.[1]

It was known during filming as Pearl of the Pacific.[3]

Cast member Elza Stenning later became well known as Sydney socialite Elsa Jacoby.

Release

The film sold to Universal Pictures in England. However, the censor prevented its export. According to the Sydney Morning Herald at the time,

"The Commonwealth censorship regulations specify the following heads under which a film may be condemned:

(a) Blasphemy, indecency, or obscenity; (b) likely to be injurious to morality, or to encourage or incite to crime; (c) likely to be offensive to the people of any friendly nation; (d) likely to be offensive to the people of the British Empire; (e) depiction of any matter the exhibition of which is undesirable in the public interest, or likely to prove detrimental or prejudicial to the Commonwealth. According to the Chief Censor, "The Devil's Playground" violates four out of the five stipulations, namely (a), (b), (d), and (e).[4]

More specifically, relating to (e), the Controller General of Custmos O'Reilly thought that showing ill-treatment of natives by Australians or a native revolt in Australian territory (the Trobriand Islands) would be detrimental to Australia's reputation.[5] Not released in Australia, the film "had no more than trade screenings at the time of its production and was not shown publicly until 1966[6]".

References

  1. 1 2 Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, p147
  2. ↑ "COMPANY NEWS.". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 2 December 1927. p. 15. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  3. ↑ "Advertising.". The Sunday Times. Perth: National Library of Australia. 29 July 1928. p. 8 Section: First Section. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  4. ↑ "AUSTRALIAN FILM.". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 8 February 1930. p. 17. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  5. ↑ Jane Landman, The Tread of a White Man's Foot, Canberra: Pandanus Books (The Australian National University), 2006, p. 45.
  6. ↑ Jane Landman, The Tread of a White Man's Foot, Canberra: Pandanus Books (The Australian National University), 2006, p. 41.
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