''Know Thy Child'' is a 1921 Australian

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

directed by Franklyn Barrett. It is considered a

lost film A lost film is a feature Feature may refer to: Computing * Feature (CAD), could be a hole, pocket, or notch * Feature (computer vision), could be an edge, corner or blob * Feature (software design) is an intentional distinguishing char ...

Plot

A travelling salesman, Ray Standford (Roland Conway), seduces country girl Sadie McClure ( Vera James) but forgets about her when she returns to the city and marries Dorothy Graham (Nada Conrade), daughter of his boss. Sadie gives birth to a daughter, Eileen (

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 ...

), who becomes Ray's personal secretary. Dorothy becomes a social worker and she and Ray can not have children. Dorothy pressures the government to declare bigamous all marriages contracted by people who were "morally pledged" to others. Ray becomes attracted to Ellen, but she has a sweetheart, engineer Geoffrey Dexter. One night burglars enter a building containing Ray, Eileen and Geoffrey but they fight them off. Sadie dies and Standford and Dorothy adopt the girl.

Cast

* Roland Conway as Ray Standford *Nada Conrade as Dorothy Graham *

as Eileen Baker * Vera James as Sadie McClure *Gerald Harcourt as Geoffrey Dexter *Lily Rochefort

Production

The film was shot in Sydney at the Rushcutters Bay Studio with exteriors done at

Berowra Waters Berowra Waters is an outer suburb of Northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Berowra is located 40 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Hornsby Shire. Berowra Waters is ...

Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, ''Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production'', Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 108. and at Grenwell Point near Nowra. A contemporary report said it featured "probably the biggest set ever used in an Australian film." Filming was completed by July 1921. This was the film debut of

who later achieved fame in Hollywood. Actress Wendy Osborne later claimed she refused a role in the film on moral grounds.

Release

Barrett distributed the movie himself, but it was not a big success at the box office. The film was seen by Sir Walter Davidson, the Governor of New South Wales, whose endorsement of the film was used prominently in advertising.

References

External links