''The Digger Earl'' is a 1924 Australian film comedy from director

Beaumont Smith Frank Beaumont "Beau" Smith (15 August 1885 – 2 January 1950), was an Australian film director, producer and exhibitor, best known for making low-budget comedies. Smith made his first film in 1917, '' Our Friends, the Hayseeds''. He went on t ...

. The plot is about a typical Australian (

Arthur Tauchert Arthur Michael Tauchert (pronounced "Torcher") (21 August 1877 – 27 November 1933) was an Australian acrobatic comedian, dancer, singer, film actor, and star of the Australian silent movie, ''The Sentimental Bloke'' (1919). Biography Born in ...

) who takes the place of an earl. Only eight minutes of the film survives today.Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, ''Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production'', Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 120.

Plot

Bill Jones is an Aussie who leaves to serve in World War I in 1917, promising to return to his girlfriend Winnie. In France he rescues two of his friends after a disastrous attack. His mates want brandy and Bill tries to get some from an officer's tent; he is captured and sent to headquarters. After the war Bill is penniless in London. He joins the crew of a boat bound for Australia and meets the likeable Earl of Margate. The publicity-shy Earl is not happy to discover that Sydney newspapers have made his visit to Australia widely known. He persuades Bill to take his place, with the Earl acting as his valet. When the boat arrives in Sydney, Bill struggles to impersonate a member of the British aristocracy and encounters difficulties from Captain Halliday. Bill is eventually reunited with Winnie.

Cast

as Bill Jones *

Gordon Collingridge Gordon Collingridge was an Australian actor during the silent film era. He played many matinee idol type roles, most notably for director Beaumont Smith and opposite Louise Lovely in ''Jewelled Nights'' (1925). Lovely called him "the male screen ...

as the Earl of Margate *

Lotus Thompson Lotus Thompson (26 August 1904 – 19 May 1963California Death Index 1940–1997, Lotus Thompson, Los Angeles, 19 May 1963.) was an Australian actress of silent and sound films. Her film career began in Australia in 1921 and ended in California ...

as Betty Roberts * Heather Jones as Winnie * Don Gilham as the Dunchess of Margate *

Dunstan Webb Dunstan Webb was an Australian actor and director, who was a particular favourite of Australasian Films. Filmography *''In the Last Stride'' (1916) – actor *''The Breaking of the Drought'' (1920) – actor *''The Man from Snowy River (1920 film ...

as Captain Halliday * Robert Purdie as Mr Halliday * Reg Wykeham as Brigadier General * J. P. O'Neill

Production

Several of the cast had appeared in films from Smith before. Heather Jones made her film debut. Shooting began in January 1924 at the

Rushcutters Bay studio Rushcutters Bay Studio was an Australian film studio built by Charles Cozens Spencer in 1912 at Rushcutters Bay, Sydney. For a number of years it was the leading film studio in Sydney, being the base of operations for Australasian Films. In 19 ...

and on location around Sydney, including in the Domain, near Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, on the Osterley, at Surry Hills, and at Victoria Park racecourse. Scenes of trench warfare were shot at the military training camp at Liverpool. Newsreel footage was used for re-creation of wartime Australia. Arthur Tauchert injured his eye during a fight sequence, requiring stitches. He also received good natured ribbing from members of the public while filming in Surry Hills, according to one report:

The monocle worn by Mr. Tauchert might have been treated with a fair amount of respect in some quarters, but not when scenes for the picture were being made round Surry Hills. If the actor managed to keep it in position the crowd commented on his appearance. If it fell out, despite his contortions, somebody was bound to roar 'Get some glue!'.

Release

Screenings of the film were often accompanied with a personal appearance by

and a song composed by Emmanuel Aarons with lyrics by Beaumont Smith, "Australia Means Heaven to Me". The ''Adelaide Herald'' called it an "interesting and humorous story".

References

External links

Digger Earl''
in the

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

''The Digger Earl''
at the

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 ...

Sheet music of "Australia Means Heaven to Me"
at

State Library of Tasmania The State Reference Library is the reference library in the state of Tasmania, Australia. It is part of Libraries Tasmania. Libraries Tasmania includes a state-wide network of library services, community learning, adult literacy and the State� ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Digger Earl, The 1924 films Australian silent films Films directed by Beaumont Smith Australian black-and-white films Australian comedy films 1924 comedy films Lost Australian films 1924 lost films Lost comedy films