Clara Gibbings

Clara Gibbings
Directed by	F.W. Thring Frank Harvey (associate director)
Produced by	F.W. Thring
Written by	Frank Harvey
Based on	play by Aimee & Philip Stuart
Starring	Dorothy Brunton
Cinematography	Arthur Higgins
Studio	Efftee Studios
Release date(s)	13 October 1934
Running time	81 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English

Clara Gibbings is a 1934 Australian film directed by F.W. Thring about the owner of a London pub who discovers she is the daughter of an earl. It was a vehicle for stage star Dorothy Brunton.^[1]

Synopsis

Clara Gibbings (Dorothy Brunton) discovers she is the legitimate but abandoned daughter of the Earl of Drumoor (Harold Meade). She becomes a member of high society but soon becomes disillusioned with their morals. She falls in love with a young aristocrat, Errol Kerr (Campbell Copelin), who proposes, and they go off to live in Australia.

Play

The script was one of a number of play adaptations from F.W. Thring,^[2] being based on an English play which originally been presented by Thring in Melbourne (one of the cast, Beatrice Day, collapsed and died during rehearsal^[3]. It had also been produced on Broadway under the title of Lady Clara starring Florence Nash.^[4]

Reception

The film won third prize (amounting to £750) in a competition held by the Commonwealth government in 1935.^[5] As of 1936 the film had not been seen on Sydney screens.^[6] It was the last movie Thring made at his Melbourne studios.^[7]

Cast

• Dorothy Brunton as Clara Gibbings
• Campbell Copelin as Errol Kerr
• Harvey Adams as Justin Kerr
• Noel Boyd as Yolande Probyn
• Harold Meade as Earl of Drumoor
• Byrl Walkley as Lady Drumoor
• Marshall Crosby as Tudor
• Russell Scott as Gallagher
• Guy Hastings as Ted

References

1. ^ Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998 p166
2. ^ 'ENGLISH PLAYS To be Filmed in Melbourne', The Sydney Morning Herald Friday 12 January 1934 p 6
3. ^ 'MISS BEATRICE DAY. Death of Actress', The Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday 5 September 1933 p 7
4. ^ Broadway listing of Lady Clara at IBDB
5. ^ 'AUSTRALIAN FILMS. NATIONAL COMPETITIONS. "HERITAGE" FIRST CHOICE', Cairns Post Friday 8 March 1935 p 8
6. ^ '"CLARA GIBBINGS" Gazetted as Quota Film', The Sydney Morning Herald', Saturday 6 June 1936 p 12
7. ^ 'AUSTRALIAN FILM. United Kingdom Rights Sold', The Sydney Morning Herald, Friday 20 April 1934 p 13

External links

• Clara Gibbings at the Internet Movie Database
• Review of play of same name (produced in conjunction with F. W. Thring), The Age newspaper via Google, Aug. 28, 1933. C. Copelin played the same role in the play as in the movie, at the Garrick Theatre (Guildford), while Ruby May originated the title character. The co-playwrights are identified as "the authors of The Cat's Cradle", which featured Marie Tempest. Aimée Stuart is identified as killed WW1 airman William Bond's widow, in Bond's article.