Australia is Like This is a 1945 documentary about the experiences of two American soldiers in Australia during World War II until they leave for battle. It takes the form of a letter written by one of the soldiers to his family in America describing Australia.[2]
| Australia is Like This | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Jack S Allan Jesse Lasky Jnr |
| Produced by | Jack S Allan |
| Starring | Grant Taylor |
Production companies | Commonwealth Department of Information US Signal Corps Motion Picture Unit[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 18 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
It was also known as A Letter from Australia.[3]
The film was made for Australia and the United States, but was not released in Australia.[4][5]
Plot
editThe film is told in the form of a letter written by an American soldier and his friend on leave in Sydney. They leave a troopship and see the sights, encounter 'wrong side' traffic, and meet two Australian soldiers on leave who abandon their girlfriends to buy the Americans a beer. The Americans go to a Red Cross canteen and meet a waitress whose brother is in New Guinea. They take her to the zoo and accept a dinner invitation to her house. The troops then head north.
Cast
edit- John McCallum as Australian soldier
- Muriel Steinbeck as mother
- Grant Taylor as Australian soldier
- Patricia Firman as waitress
- John Nugent Hayward
Production
editThe film was one of a series of shorts made by Australia's Department of the Interior, others including Island Target.
Filming began late September 1944, using a predominantly American crew.[6]
Release
editThe film was completed by January 1945.[7]
References
edit- ↑ ""Australia Is Like This"". The Queensland Times. 13 September 1944. p. 2 Edition: Daily. Retrieved 10 March 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "A.B.C. Orchestra in U.S. Film", ABC Weekly, 7 (18), Sydney: Australian Broadcasting Commission, 5 May 1945, nla.obj-1326764375, retrieved 23 December 2023 – via Trove
- ↑ A Letter from Australia at National Film and Sound Archive
- ↑ Pike, Andrew Franklin. "The History of an Australian Film Production Company: Cinesound, 1932-70" (PDF). Australian National University. p. 240.
- ↑ Vagg, Stephen (12 September 2025). "Forgotten Australian Films: 100,000 Cobbers". Filmink. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
- ↑ "American Film". The Cairns Post. Qld. 13 September 1944. p. 4. Retrieved 10 March 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Prime Minister Meets Cabinet". The Sydney Morning Herald. 12 January 1945. p. 5. Retrieved 10 March 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
External links
edit- Australia is Like This at National Film and Sound Archive
- Australia is Like This at Imperial War Museum
- Extract of film at Australian War Memorial
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