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The Great Barrier (film)
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Wikipedia article
'The Great Barrier' is a 1937 British historical drama film directed by Milton Rosmer and Geoffrey Barkas and starring Richard Arlen, Lilli Palmer and Antoinette Cellier. The film depicts the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090113223018/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/35216 BFI Database] It was based on the 1935 novel 'The Great Divide' by Alan Sullivan. It was made at the Lime Grove Studios in Shepherd's Bush.Cook p.192 The film's sets were designed by Walter Murton.
Cast
* Richard Arlen - Hickey
* Lilli Palmer - Lou
* Antoinette Cellier - Mary Moody
* Barry MacKay - Steve
* Roy Emerton - Moody
* J. Farrell MacDonald - Major Rogers
* Ben Welden - Joe
* Jock MacKay - Bates
* Ernest Sefton - Magistrate
* Henry Victor - Bulldog Kelly
* Reginald Barlow - James Hill
* Arthur Loft - William Van Horne
* Frank McGlynn Sr. - Sir John MacDonald
Production
It was one of a series of British Empire-related movies made by Gaumont around this time, others including 'Rhodes of Africa', 'The Flying Doctor' and 'Soldiers Three'.
The film involved 16 weeks location shooting in Canada.
Barbara Greene was borrowed from Fox. Location filming finished in June 1936.
Reception
Writing for 'The Spectator' in 1937, Graham Greene gives the film a generally good review, describing it as "a thoroughly worthy picture", "well acted, well produced [and] a little less than well written". Greene praised the saloon shindy and horseback race scenes, and commended Palmer's acting, however his primary criticism was that "it shrinks into significance, with its conventional love-story and the impression it leaves that the building of a railway depends on the heroic efforts of one or three men and a girl". (reprinted in: )
References
Bibliography
* Cook, Pam. 'Gainsborough Pictures'. Cassell, 1997.
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