Charles Tait (15 November 1868 – 27 June 1933), together with two of his brothers, was an Australian concert, film and theatrical entrepreneur, but his most notable achievement was as the director and writer of ''
The Story of the Kelly Gang'', an Australian film, regarded as the world's first feature-length film. The film was first shown on 26 December 1906.
Tait was born in
Castlemaine, Victoria, the son of John Turnbull Tait (1830–1902), a tailor from Scalloway, Shetland Islands, Scotland, and his English wife Sarah, née Leeming. John Tait migrated to Victoria in 1862 and settled at Castlemaine where he married Sarah. They had nine children: including Charles (1868–1933),
John Henry (1871–1955),
James Nevin (1876–1961),
Edward Joseph (1878–1947) and Frank Samuel (1883–1965) (later Sir Frank). In about 1879, the Taits moved to Richmond, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. On 21 June 1899 Charles married Elizabeth Jane Veitch; and they were to have two daughters and two sons.
The Tait brothers' earliest presentations centred on the
Athenaeum Hall in Collins Street, Melbourne, with concerts often including popular short, film screenings. This interest led them to join with Millard Johnson and William Gibson in the production of ''The Story of the Kelly Gang'' which premièred on 26 December 1906 at the Athenaeum. The film is now recognized as the first
feature-length narrative film.
In March 1911, the brothers
John and
Nevin Tait
James Nevin Tait (27 June 1876 – 1961) was an Australian concert promoter and film producer born in Castlemaine, Victoria who often collaborated with his brothers Charles and John.
Nevin Tait was born in Castlemaine, Victoria, the son of Joh ...
, and
Millard Johnson and
William Gibson merged their film interests in
Amalgamated Pictures
Amalgamated Pictures was a film exchange company in Australia.
For a time it was also a short-lived Australian film production company. Although none of its output has survived, it has been written that "judging by subjects chosen, the average l ...
which for a short time continued to produce features and newsreels before combining with its main competitor,
Australasian Films
Australasian Films, full name Union Theatres and Australasian Films, was an Australian film distribution and production company formed in 1913 that was wound up in the 1930s to merge into Greater Union. The Union Theatres and Australasian Films d ...
, in 1912. After 1911, the Taits concentrated on concert presentation and occasional film exhibition.
The Tait brothers were associated with
J. C. Williamson Ltd. Edward Joseph Tait was a stage producer with J. C. Williamson and General Manager of his company from 1913 to 1916, then joined his brothers in J & N Tait.
Charles died in
Melbourne in 1933.
Filmography
*''
Living London'' (1904) – distributor
*''
The Story of the Kelly Gang'' (1906) – finance, possibly director
References
External links
*
Entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography
1868 births
1933 deaths
1900s in Australian cinema
Australian film producers
People from Castlemaine, Victoria
Australian people of Scottish descent
Australian people of English descent
People from Richmond, Victoria
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