History of Australian Cinema: Now You’re Talking 1930-1940

1979, 47 Minutes

The story of the Australian film industry in the thirties, from the pioneering days of “talkies” through to the decline of the industry with the coming of World War Two.

Despite the Depression, the decade opened on an optimistic note for the industry. The early 1930s produced the first experiments with sound until sound-on-film established its supremacy.

Newsreels came into prominence, with keen rivalry between American-owned Fox Movietone and local competitor, Cinesound Review. Cinesound went on to produce a string of feature films - motion pictures that established Ken G Hall as the most prolific director of the 30s.

Although it was a decade of struggle for independent filmmakers, this was also the era that saw the emergence of screen-acting talents like Errol Flynn and Peter Finch, when Dad and Dave were brought to the screen and Charles Chauvel made Forty Thousand Horsemen.

A Film Australia Production. © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.