Kelly Story

CENTENARY OF THE FIRST FEATURE FILM.

To commemorate the centenary of the production and premiere of the World’s First Feature Film, a new book, the first to be published entirely on the subject, was launched at “Linday’s Billy Tea Rooms”, Glenrowan, on Friday 27^th October, at 11.00 am.

Present were Jack Cranston, Ian Jones, Gary Dean & Eureka Smith.

186 Pages — Recommended Retail $24.00

THE STORY

of the

KELLY GANG FILM

1906 – 1907

ISBN 0-646-45684-9

Glen Rowen Cobb & Co Pty. Ltd. (03) 57662409, gdean1@iinet.net.au

“The Story of the Kelly Gang” was produced in 1906, by Messrs. John and Nevin Tait, the founders of “The J. and N. Tait Theatrical Company”, for Messrs. Millard Johnston and William A. Gibson, the chemists and partners in theatrical enterprise “Johnston and Gibson”, who also imported films and chemicals needed by local showmen to prepare their films for exhibition to the public of Melbourne.

The first screening of “The Story of the Kelly Gang” film took place in early December, inside a marquee tent erected on the Footscray Oval. Its audience consisted mostly of those involved in its production, their families and friends. A week or so later, the film made its premiere at the Royal Hall at Footscray. For the first public screening of the film it was exhibited at the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne, on the afternoon of the 26^th of December, 1906. The film was an instant success, and in the evening of the same day the show was screened in the Melbourne Town Hall auditorium where they could accommodate many more theatre patrons.

Duly acclaimed by Melbournians as being a box office success, the Tait Company exhibited the film in other capital cities of Australia. In early 1907, the company, realizing the potential of their film, immediately formed a touring party to exhibit the film in the major and minor towns of Australia, and also New Zealand. The first of two touring parties formed was managed by John Jack Cranston, and their tour throughout Australia and New Zealand proved to be very profitable, resulting in a second tour in Australia in 1908.

The first tour with this film “The Story of the Kelly Gang” was also a milestone in the history of cinematography, for it was the first time in the world that a full-length feature film was toured in this way.

Many years later, William Gibson made the claim that the ₤1,000 film returned no less than ₤25,000 to its producers, which he regarded as a record percentage profit for any Australian production.