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Above, L–R: $ANCE INSTRUCTOR -ISS ,OCKHART *UDY -ORRIS ILLUSIONISTS &ITZWILLIAM 0ATRICK #ARGILL AND -ADAME #AVALLI *ELENA ăIGON
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DQG H[DPLQHG WKH GLIĺFXOWLHV H[SHULHQFHG E\ PDQ\ ĺOPPDNHUV promoting 3GD /HBSTQDR 3G@S ,NUDC in 1971. 7KH LGHD IRU WKH ĺOP
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6KH DOVR VDZ FOHDU SDUDOOHOV EHWZHHQ DQG OHVVRQV WR EH GUDZQ for the material (which, as I’ve argued, is perhaps too pedantically
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Industry in Australia and the increasingly urgent calls for govern LW\ WR SURYLGH D WRWDOO\ VDWLVI\LQJ GUDPDWLF H[SHULHQFH 7KH ĺOP
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Although 3GD /@RRHNM@SD (MCTRSQX makes important claims about Australian Film Commission, the Women’s Film Fund, various pri
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as well as highlighting the lessons it might teach us, it equally pro &RUSRUDWLRQ 8OWLPDWHO\ LW EHFDPH WKH ĺUVW IHDWXUH ĺOP WR UHFHLYH
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,VDEHO LQ WKLV HDUOLHU KHURLF HUD RI ĺOP SURGXFWLRQ Penn’s loose and episodic manuscript, which was eventually
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these two documentaries, including in the obsessive and descriptive E\ /RQJpV KXVEDQG FRYHUV D VLJQLĺFDQWO\ ORQJHU SHULRG RI WLPH
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detail granted to its reconstructions of the wonders and dangers of VWUHWFKLQJ IURP WKH HDUO\ V WR WKH ODWH V The book is
limelight as well as its associated projection and staging equipment. a testament to the true tenacity and longevity of the travelling
It is also mindful of the largely forgotten history of early Australian picture show and the role it played in disseminating, develop
FLQHPD 2QH RI WKH ĺOPpV PRVW SRLJQDQW PRPHQWV IHDWXUHV D IDQFLIXO ing and transforming the practice of moviegoing in Australia and
VFUHHQLQJ RI 5D\PRQG /RQJIRUGpV .M .TQ 2DKDBSHNM (1920), watched HOVHZKHUH 3HQQpV ERRN DQG 3RZHUpV ĺOP VLW DORQJVLGH DQ LQWHUPLW
E\ D PXOWLUDFLDO DQG FURVV JHQHUDWLRQDO DXGLHQFH LQFOXGLQJ DQ $VLDQ tent and small series of international movies that attempt to sketch
family, elderly patrons, children and Indigenous characters, and WKLV SUHFDULRXV EXW RIWHQ WUDQVIRUPDWLYH PRGH RI ĺOP H[KLELWLRQ
accompanied by a female pianist. This is far removed from the DV H[HPSOLĺHG E\ VXFK YDULHG ĺOPV DV 2FWDYLR &RUW¾]DUpV VKRUW
ODUJHO\ PRQRFXOWXUDO oSHUIRUPDQFHVp ZH VHH HOVHZKHUH LQ WKH ĺOP /NQ OQHLDQ@ UDY (1967), Farhad Mehranfar’s /@ODQ HQOK@MDR (1997)
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(or elsewhere in Australia or its cinema at this point in time). This DQG ;LDR -LDQJpV $KDBSQHB 2G@CNVR (2004). 0DQ\ RI WKHVH ĺOPV
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the rapt attention of the audience. This sequence presents an hom FLQHPD VFUHHQLQJ RI -DPHV :KDOHpV %Q@MJDMRSDHM $OWKRXJK
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idiosyncrasy of localised responses to an array of genres and
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attempting to forge careers within this peripatetic industry. The EURDGHU FXOWXUDO DQG KLVWRULFDO FRQFHUQV DQG LVVXHV /RQJ ZDV
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