Lost bushranger film shot in Armidale found in Czech archives | Video

Captain Thunderbolt had its Australian premiere at the Capital Theatre, Armidale, on June 23, 1955.

The Australian bushranger film, which "starred" a number of locals, was considered lost by the National Film and Sound Archive and placed on its Most Wanted list in 2010.

Ever since, archivist Michael Organ has tried to locate the film, with little luck.

He was joined in his search by former Armidale resident and 93-year-old film historian, David Donaldson, who saw the film back in the 1950s, and had been a fan ever since.

Captain Thunderbolt was screened in 1975 at the Sydney Film Festival and in 1986 at the National Library of Australia. But then the lead went cold.

There was a screening of an original trailer for the film at the Sydney Film Festival in 2010, sparking the national archives to place Captain Thunderbolt on its Most Wanted list.

Then in December last year and after many years of searching, Mr Organ had an epiphany.

"I decided to use Google to see if I could search for the film and found, to my astonishment, Captain Thunderbolt had been presented in 1972 by the cinema run by the Czech film archive in Prague," Mr Organ said.

"I contacted the Czech consular-general in Sydney and asked for their help in checking with the Czech film archives, and sure enough the film was located there."

Negotiations began between Czech authorities and the national archives to have Captain Thunderbolt returned to Australian shores.

A 35mm copy of the film returned in March. The film, which runs for just over an hour, is awaiting restoration and release to the public.

"This was an incredibly exciting find," Mr Organ said.

"There are many schools that would like to teach their students about Australian film, but so much of our heritage is lost.

"Finding a film such as Captain Thunderbolt gives us access to part of Australian culture that was believed lost."

Mr Donaldson said he first saw the film at the Lyric Theatre in Sydney, near Railway Square.

"I noted the outstanding cinematography of Ross Wood," Mr Donaldson said.

"The music was nondescript and it was a shame this was before the rise of the Australian folk music scene.

"I came to know the director, Cecil Holmes and realise that this was for many of the cast and crew their first effort at a cinematic film production. The script was by a writer who had previously written for radio."

Holmes' Captain Thunderbolt remains one of the few all-Australian films of the 1950s.

Grant Taylor stars as Fred Ward, the bushranger Captain Thunderbolt, who was Australia's longest-roaming bushranger, being active across the New England.

Charles Tingwell played Thunderbolt's friend and fellow escapee Alan Blake.

A number of Armidale-based participants played extras in the film.

These include:

Robert Craigie, retired grazier, whose father once treated Thunderbolt for a wound;

Frank Holloway, lecturer in modern languages at New England University College;

James Belshaw, economics lecturer and vice-warden of New England University College;

Ted Noonan, teacher at Armidale Demonstration School;

Jordon Story, art teacher at Armidale High School;

Norman Gould, languages master at Armidale High School;

Paul Lamb, English lecturer at Armidale Teachers' College;

Allan Barry, physical culture instructor at Armidale High School;

Alan Crane, education lecturer at Armidale Teachers College;

Jack Williams, deputy principal of Armidale High School;

Austin Flynn, teacher West Armidale Public School;

Gilbert Hughson, English and History master at Armidale High School;

Des Vyner, stock and station agent.

Three Armidale women were filmed as a small crowd in the court.

They were:

R.L Blake;

Shirley Barrett, teacher at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, and

Peg Harris, acting adviser of women students at New England University College.

Two other well-known Armidale women appeared next week in a scene in which Thunderbolt holds up a coach.

They are:

Kath Drummond, daughter of Mr D.H. Drummond, M.H.R., and

Esme Crampton, teacher of drama at the New England Girls' School.

The film netted £30,000 in earnings, mostly from overseas cinema release. A daybill poster of the film has also been archived in Canberra, along with a set of eight lobby cards.