Efftee Studios was an early Australian film and theatre production studio, established by F.W. Thring (the name 'Efftee' deriving from his initials, 'FT' for Francis Thring) in 1930. It existed until Thring's death in 1935. Initially Efftee Films was based in Melbourne and used optical sound equipment imported from the US.
10-502: In 1931, the company produced the first commercially viable Australian made sound feature film, Diggers . Over the next five years, Efftee produced nine features, over 80 shorts and several stage productions, including the Australian musicals Collits' Inn (1933) and The Cedar Tree (1934). Notable collaborators include C. J. Dennis , George Wallace and Frank Harvey . In 1934, Thring suspended Efftee's operations to pressure
20-517: A fellow Digger romances the waitress ( Eugenie Prescott ). NB: The George Moon above is George Moon Snr. Although well known in Australia during the 1920s for his dance partnership with Dan Morris (as Moon and Morris), he is now often confused with his son, British actor George Moon Jnr (father of actress Georgina Moon ). For further details on George Moon Snr and Moon and Morris see Moon and Morris at Australian Variety Theatre Archive The movie
30-515: A reunion 12 years after World War I and reminisce about their exploits together in France . They recall three incidents in particular. Firstly, the time they were in hospital and ingeniously feigned an illness to stay away from active service and the front line. Secondly, when the 'cobbers' attempt to steal rum from the British Army store. And finally, they recall relaxing in a French cafe while
40-682: The government to establish a quota for Australian films, threatening to move production to London. He relocated production to Sydney to take advantage of the New South Wales Cinematograph Films (Australian Quota) Act 1935. Efftee was also the first operator of Melbourne radio station 3XY which began broadcasting on 9 September 1935. Thring traveled to Hollywood in March 1936 to look for scriptwriters and actors and returned in June but died soon after. Founder F.W. Thring
50-517: The same reunion dinner and three flashback episodes, but in a different structure – it started with the attempt to steal rum, then dealt with the waitress romance, and finished with the hospital sketch. The film was shot in the same order but Thring restructured it during editing. These changes annoyed Hanna, who decided to form his own production company to make his follow up films, Diggers in Blighty (1933) and Waltzing Matilda (1933). Diggers
60-513: Was also released in England where it achieved 400 bookings, less successful than Thring's later His Royal Highness . Thring's biographer Peter Fitzpatrick later wrote that: Diggers is driven... by three things that made Hanna's concert parties a hit: the rapport between Chic, long and lean as the proverbial pull-through, and Joe, his little mate, as they battle authority in all its forms; George Moon's genius for physical comedy; and, above all,
70-552: Was part of Efftee Film Productions' initial group of pictures, including A Co-respondent's Course and The Haunted Barn . The cost of making these and establishing the studio came to £80,000. The script was adapted from Hanna's popular stage show. Eric Donaldson was the writer primarily responsible for adapting it to screen. The film was shot in Thring's studio in His Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne. A cast of over 200 people
80-500: Was released in Melbourne on a double bill with the short A Co-respondent's Course . Public response was at first poor but the film performed well in country areas. It was re-released in Melbourne on a double-bill with The Haunted Barn and was a success at the box office. Thring says that the movie earned £2,000 in one Melbourne theatre alone. In 1938 Hanna estimated the film had earned between £20,000 and £30,000., The movie
90-460: Was the father of the Australian and international actor, Frank Thring . Diggers (1931 film) Diggers is a 1931 Australian comedy film produced and directed by F. W. Thring starring popular stage comedian Pat Hanna . It was the first feature film from both men. The movie is based on Hanna's stage show, and is concerned with the adventures of Australian soldiers during World War I . Two Australian 'cobbers', Chic and Joe, attend
100-431: Was used. According to Bert Nicholas, Arthur Higgins' assistant, Hanna and Thring often argued throughout the shoot. Hanna insisted that he was in nearly every shot of the film and insisted on the scenic model shots that Thring thought were unnecessary but which Hanna thought needed to tie everything together. However Thring prevailed in a disagreement about the structure of the movie. The original stage show consisted of
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