Silver City (1936)
Synopsis
This is an industrial documentary about mining in the mineral-rich area of Broken Hill, directed by Frank Hurley for Cinesound. It shows the processes involved in mining rock from underground sites; the extraction of zinc, lead and silver deposits from the rock; and the refining of the minerals. There is footage of workers and horses in the mines and men operating machinery at the various plants in the area. The film is narrated and shot by Hurley.
Curator’s notes
An opening explanatory note reads that the intended effect of the film is to 'emphasise vividly the achievement, the amazing resources and national significance which Broken Hill represents in the welfare of the Australian Commonwealth’. Indeed it goes so far as to present itself as a 'romance of mining endeavour’.
The film is shot and narrated with typical Hurley flamboyance and presents the work of Broken Hill’s major mining companies as not only important to nation building, but also instrumental in maintaining the livelihood of over 100,000 Australians. Silver City is one of many sponsored documentaries made during the 1920s and 1930s about Australian industry, production and manufacture (see The Evolution of a Chocolate, 1925, and other films produced for the Made in Australia Council in the mid 1920s).
Hurley was the chief cinematographer for Cinesound Productions and had been working for them since 1932. He virtually had free rein over their newly created industrial division, which produced sponsored films such as this. His creative mark on Silver City is very evident – he shot, scripted, narrated, directed and produced it.
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