Australian
Screen

an NFSA website

From England to the USA: Menzies Wartime Tour (c.1941)

play Please note: this clip is silent
clip Washington scenes

Original classification rating: not rated. This clip chosen to be PG

Clip description

This clip from a home movie filmed by Australian Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, begins with a view of the White House through the windscreen of the prime minister’s car. It then cuts to a baseball match being played in the field opposite the White House. A wide shot shows the Supreme Courts followed by the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

Curator’s notes

This clip is shot like a typical holiday-maker’s travelogue. It captures Sir Robert Menzies outside the White House in Washington.

Sir Robert edited the home movie on his return and added intertitles to indicate what building or monument we were about to see. One can imagine the prime minister returning to his home at the Lodge and holding a home movie screening night for friends and family.