''Murphy of Anzac'' is a 1916 Australian silent film directed by J. E. Mathews. It tells the story of
John Simpson Kirkpatrick
John Kirkpatrick (enlisted as John Simpson; 6 July 1892 – 19 May 1915) was a stretcher bearer with the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance brigade during the Gallipoli campaign – the Allied attempt to capture Constantinople, ca ...
during the
Gallipoli campaign in World War I. It is considered a
lost film.
[Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, ''Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production'', Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, p 62]
Plot
John Simpson Kirkpatrick
John Kirkpatrick (enlisted as John Simpson; 6 July 1892 – 19 May 1915) was a stretcher bearer with the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance brigade during the Gallipoli campaign – the Allied attempt to capture Constantinople, ca ...
, aka "Murphy", an English emigrant to Queensland, enlists in the army in World War I and is attached to the ambulance corps. On the voyage over he discovers a traitor (
Martyn Keith
Martyn Keith was an Australian actor, writer and director who worked during the silent era.
In 1912 he worked as an acting teacher in Lismore, New South Wales where he also performed in plays for his own company.
Select filmography
*''For the Ter ...
) giving information to the enemy by wireless and overcomes him. The Australian troops land at Gallipoli and Murphy brings the wounded back from the trenches on his donkey. He is killed by a Turkish shell while rescuing his 104th man.
A highlight of the film was the German spy being thrown off a cliff 50 foot into the water.
Production
The film was announced in March 1916.
The cast was largely returned servicemen. The technical adviser was Gallipoli veteran, Corporal Robson, who had known Simpson, and also appeared in the film.
Reception
The film ran for six weeks in Sydney and nine weeks in Melbourne.
Historical Accuracy
The film was criticised at the time by Gallipoli veterans for a number of historical errors including showing:
*Murphy being allotted to the AMC when he was with the Ninth Division;
*Murphy's mother in Australia, when she never left England;
*Murphy killed by a shell when he was shot through the heart by a sniper near Shrapnel Gully;
*Murphy receiving a
white feather, when no such thing happened.
References
External links
* {{IMDb title, 0336883
''Murphy of Anzac''at
National Film and Sound Archive
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national co ...
Australian black-and-white films
1916 films
1916 drama films
Australian silent feature films
Lost Australian drama films
1916 lost films
Silent Australian drama films
1910s English-language films
English-language drama films