Sunday Mail (Brisbane) (24/Jul/1927) - England's Story: Film to Cover 900 Years

Details

• article: England's Story: Film to Cover 900 Years
• newspaper: Sunday Mail (Brisbane) (24/Jul/1927)
• keywords: Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Lloyd, John Buchan

Article

ENGLAND'S STORY

FILM TO COVER 900 YEARS

Mr. John Buchan, the author, has agreed to write an English historical drama for the screen. The title chosen is Conquest, and the theme of the story will be the English ideal of service as exemplified in the motto of the Prince of Wales.

In broad outline Conquest will trace the fortunes of two families through different phases of English history, beginning with the Norman Conquest and ending with the Great War, so that the result should be a picture on the same heroic plane as The Birth of a Nation, but infinitely greater by reason of the infinitely greater events it will illustrate.

So far no director has been named for this picture, but if it is to fall to anyone now working in England the logical selection would be Alfred Hitchcock, and if an English director now abroad is to be reimported then one would first look to Frank Lloyd.

Conquest will be made by British Instructional Films concurrently with their picture, Gallipoli, which is due to begin immediately the Coronel and Falklands film is completed.

These three pictures are notable examples of the splendid manner in which English ideals are being incorporated in English pictures. This, the most outstanding picture of film production in England, is exemplified in a number of other pictures to be made this summer.

It is very important to note that these and similar pictures are being undertaken in the spirit of sincerity so that they will present England worthily to the film-goers of all countries. The most inspiriting phenomenon of the film revival in England is the realisation by English film producers of their opportunity and their duty to put English ideals on the screen of the world.