Uncivilised (film)

Plot summary

Successful author Beatrice Lynn is commissioned by her publisher to go to the Outback and locate the legendary white man, Mala, who heads an aboriginal tribe. Travelling by camel, she is abducted by an Afghan, Akbar Jhan and his group of aboriginals who provide pituri, a narcotic to aboriginals. Previously not allowed into Mala's tribal land to sell his wares, Akbar Jhan has schemed to use Beatrice, a white woman to arouse Mala's interest.

Meanwhile, the Australian Mounted Police has its hands full with a missing Inspector, an international drug ring, and a tribe of hostile aboriginals led by the savage Moopil who have killed two prospectors as well as searching for the missing Beatrice.

Mara buys Beatrice from the Afghans and the two fall in love.

Cast

Production

After making Heritage, Expeditionary Films were in an expansive mood and increased their capital from ₤15,000 to ₤50,000. They announced they had signed a contract with E. V. Timms to provide a story, and also planned to make a movie about contemporary city life. The second project was never made.

In July 1935 Chauvel announced the film would be called Uncivilised and concern a white man who grows up among the natives in Northern Queensland. By October he had cast Margot Rhys, who had been in Heritage, and Dennis Hoey, who was imported from England.

Chauvel commenced location filming on Palm Island that month. Location shooting went for six weeks, with the use of aboriginal actors was strictly controlled by the Aboriginal Control Board.

Interior scenes were shot at the newly constructed National Studios at Pagewood – it was the first production shot there. Aboriginal actors were brought down from Queensland to act in the studio scenes.

During filming, an animal trainer was attacked by a python, but he recovered and went back to worth. After ten weeks in the studio, Chauvel then shot additional scenes at Burragong Valley and the Royal National Park.

Release

Chauvel showed preview scenes to the press in May.

Uncivilised had to have two scenes excised by the censor for export. One scene was Margot Rhys swimming in the nude, another was a strangulation of an aborigine. No cuts were required in Victoria.

Reviews were mixed.

US Release

The film was released in the US and performed well at the box office. However Expeditionary Films had sold the rights and benefited little from this. The company soon wound up and made no more movies.

The film was re-released in Los Angeles in March 1942 as Pituri and played on a double bill with Black Dragons. The Los Angeles Times called it "a fast moving story whose elements maybe a little shopworn but which appeared new against the unusual background... picture proves that when the Australians get into their real stride as picture makers they will be second to none: for acting, production and photography are second to none." This version screened in New York the following year.

The film is now in the public domain.

Soundtrack

Dennis Hoey's Mala character sings several songs in the manner of Paul Robeson.

Novel

A novelisation of the script was published in 1936. Authorship was attributed solely to Charles Chauvel but it is believed the book was written by Timms.