The Burgomeister

The Burgomeister is a 1935 Australian film directed by Harry Southwell based on the 1867 play Le juif polonais (aka The Bells) by Erckmann-Chatrian, adapted into English in 1871 by Leopold Lewis, previously filmed a number of times. The Burgomeister (1935) is considered a 'substantially lost' film, with only one sequence surviving.[2][3]

The Burgomeister
Directed byHarry Southwell
Produced byHarry Southwell
Written byDenzil Batchelor
Based onthe play The Bells adapted by Leopold Lewis
from the play Le Juif Polonais by Erckmann-Chatrian
StarringJanet Ramsey Johnson
Music byIsador Goodman
CinematographyGeorge Heath
Edited byWilliam Shepherd
Production
company
Film Players Corporation
Distributed byScott Films
Release date
29 September 1935
Running time
56 mins
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
Budget£10,000[1]

Southwell had performed the play in Europe, and had previously filmed it in Belgium (1925) as Le juif polonais (The Bells).[4] This silent film version was shown in Australia in 1928.[5][6]

Cast
  • Harry Southwell as Mathias
  • Janet Ramsey Johnson as Annette
  • Muriel Meredith as Catherine[7]
  • Lily Molloy as Sozel
  • Stan Tolhurst as the Polish Jew
  • Gabriel Toyne as Fritz
  • Ross Vernon as Christian
  • Harold Meade as Father Walter
  • Bertie Wright as Heinrich
  • Leslie Victor as Hans
  • Judy Eccles as Baby Annette
  • Paul Furness as hypnotist
  • James Toohey as witness
  • Jane Munro as Marie
  • Alf Scarlett
  • Reginald Riddell

Production

Southwell wanted to make the 1935 remake for less than £4,000.[8] He formed a production company in April 1935 called Film Players Corporation. Among its directors were Sir John Butters, a director of Associated Newspapers, and W.J. Bradley, K.C. and society figure George Rayner.[1][9]

Production began in June 1935 at Cinesound's Bondi studios.[10][11] It ended in July with a cost of £10,000.[12]

The original music score was by Isador Goodman, and costumes by Barbara Robison.[13] Rupert Kathner worked as art director.

The final scenes of the film were shot in the snow on Mount Kosciuszko. Cameraman George Heath worked under difficult conditions including freezing cold and a blizzard.[14]

Release

During pre-production, RKO signed to distribute the movie in Australia and Britain.[15] The film was refused registration under the quality clause of the New South Wales Film Quota Act.[16]

It was previewed on 29 September 1935[17] but was not screened commercially. This caused the investors to lose their money, an event which was blamed on scaring Australian investors away from putting their money into local films.[18]

A re-edited version of the film called Hypnotised screened in some country areas. In 1937 the move was released in the UK as Flames of Conscience.[1]

References
  1. Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 171.
  2. "Australia's Lost Films". National Film and Sound Archive.
  3. Huber, Andreas (6 February 2013). "The Burgomeister". lost-films.eu. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  4. "The Bells". australiancinema.info. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  5. ""THE BELLS" FILM". The Daily News. Perth: National Library of Australia. 20 June 1928. p. 8 Edition: HOME (FINAL) EDITION. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  6. ""THE BELLS."". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 27 June 1928. p. 16. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  7. "FIRST Australian FEATURE". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 13 July 1935. p. 24. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  8. "LOCAL FILM PRODUCTION". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 28 November 1932. p. 9. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  9. ""THE BURGOMASTER."". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 4 May 1935. p. 12. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  10. "IN THE STUDIO". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 29 June 1935. p. 15. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  11. "TALKIE PRODUCTION". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 10 July 1935. p. 12. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  12. "STUDIO PARTY". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 29 July 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  13. "'The Burgomeister.'". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 June 1935. p. 5. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  14. "The Burgomeister: Scenes at Kosciusko". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 August 1935. p. 6. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  15. ""THE BURGOMASTER."". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 11 May 1935. p. 10. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  16. "FILM QUOTA". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 30 December 1936. p. 7. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  17. ""THE BURGOMEISTER."". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 30 September 1935. p. 8. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  18. "QUOTA FILMS. CONFERENCE URGED". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 1 April 1937. p. 10. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
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