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Officer 666 (1916 film)
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Wikipedia article
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'Officer 666' is a 1916 silent film made in Australia, based on a successful Broadway comedy of 1912. The film was directed by Fred Niblo who would go on to direct 'The Mark of Zorro', 'The Three Musketeers', ' Blood and Sand' and over forty more films.
Plot
In New York, millionaire Travers Gladwin (Fred Niblo) learns of a plot to steal his collection of paintings by some art criminals led by Alfred Wilson (Sydney Stirling). Gladwin pretends to leave to go on holiday, but actually remains in the area disguised as a policeman. Wilson and his gang arrive, with Wilson posing as Gladwin, and a young lady as his fiancee. Gladwin tries to stop the robbery but eventually lets Wilson go in order to save the honour of the young lady.
Cast
*Fred Niblo as Travers Gladwin
*Enid Bennett as Helen Burton
*Marion Marcus Clarke as Mrs. Burton
*Sydney Stirling as Alfred Wilson
*Maurice Dudley as Watkins
*Henry Matsumoto as Bateato
*Pirie Bush as Whitney Barnes
*Edwin Lester as Detective Kearney
*George Bryant as Captain Stone
*Matee Brown as Sadie
*Reine Connelly as Celeste
Original play
The film is an adaptation of Augustin MacHugh's 1912 comedy play which was produced on Broadway by George M. Cohan and Sam Harris, then toured the United States during 1912 and 1913.[https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=Prc0AAAAMAAJ&dq=Officer+666&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=XnUigBEs2V&sig=hK2oi5ThmW7vzJdjOIQJd5sjgKY Google books][https://www.nytimes.com/1912/01/30/archives/officer-666-farce-of-many-surprises-new-play-at-the-gaiety-has-lots.html NY Times article] Niblo toured with the play in Australia in 1912-13. The play was based on the 1912 novel by Barton Currie and Augustin MacHugh.
The play was also filmed in 1914 and 1920.
Production
The movie was shot shortly after 'Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford' (1916) and was completed shortly before Niblo returned to America in June 1915.Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, 'Australian Film 19001977: A Guide to Feature Film Production', Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, p61 It was mostly shot at J. C. Williamson's film studio in Melbourne with some location work.Marsden, Ralph. 'The Old Tin Shed in Exhibition Street': The J. C. Williamson Studio, Melbourne's Forgotten Film Factory [online]. Metro Magazine: Media & Education Magazine, No. 157, 2008: 144-153. Availability:
Reception
Although completed by late May 1915 the film was not released until nearly a year later. It was not a success at the box office.
The 'Sunday Times' called it "a happy piece of farce acting, cleverly photo graphed, and excellent in its sustained fun" and "the most successful [picture] that has been issued from the Williamson studios."
The 'Moving Picture World' called it "a very fine comedy, and one of the best produced in this country. Fred Niblo still retains his great personality on the screen."[https://archive.org/stream/movpic28chal#page/n689/mode/2up/search/australia Tom Imrie, "Australian Notes", 'Moving Picture World' 5 April 1916]. Retrieved 23 November 2014
Unlike most Australian silent movies, some of it survives, and the original print is located at the National Screen and Sound Archive in Canberra, Australia.
Notes
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