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Tall Timbers (1937)

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clip Death at your elbow

This clip chosen to be PG

Clip description

A union agitator urges Burbridge’s timber workers to strike for better pay, or join the opposition firm, run by Charles Blake. Jim Thornton (Frank Leighton) knocks him down and wins the respect of the men, by appealing to their professionalism and manhood.

Curator’s notes

by Paul Byrnes

Thornton’s action, and his speech, make specific the film’s theme – the virtues of masculine toil, within a highly moral framework. It’s just as clear that the filmmakers regard the union agitator as one of the bad guys – and quite possibly in the pay of the man who’s orchestrating all the trouble, Charles Blake. This suggestion was highly political in the 1930s, when the battle between capital and labour was still very heated in Australia. The script extends its sense of morality to gender politics as well, because Blake is courting both of the young women – Burbridge’s daughter and Darley’s sister Claire. The news that Claire tries to tell Blake in clip one is that she is pregnant. Although the film goes to great pains never to mention the actual word, it was the second Cinesound film in which an unwanted pregnancy was a significant point – the first was The Silence of Dean Maitland.

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.

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