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Clip description
Cast members from the feature film The Hound of the Deep (1926) are driven around Thursday Island. The Federal Hotel is filmed from its exterior as well as from the veranda. A westward viewpoint from Milman Hill is seen. A gambling scene from The Hound of the Deep (1926) is filmed. A view from onboard a pearling lugger is followed by a man climbing the lugger’s mast to look out for reefs ahead. The final shot is of a pearling fleet docked in the harbour.
Curator’s notes
Filming a feature film in the Torres Strait allowed Hurley to combine his love of exotic locations with the dramatic possibilities of fiction filmmaking. In this clip, the tropical backdrop features as a focus – Hurley immediately went in search of suitable filming locations and buildings – and part of a scene from the film is shown. Pearling was a major part of the narrative in The Hound of the Deep (1926), drawing on the robust pearling industry in the area. Hurley’s strength as a documentary maker can be seen in the film with its extended shots of pearling luggers and the natural landscape of the Torres Strait.
