MEMORY OF THE WORLD REGISTER The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) Australia REF N° 2006-23 PART A – ESSENTIAL INFORMATION 1 SUMMARY The Story of the Kelly Gang, directed by Charles Tait in 1906 is claimed as the first full length narrative feature film produced anywhere in the world. A great commercial success in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the story of the famous Australian bushranger Ned Kelly and his band was embraced by the generation who discovered cinema. Ironically the film also contributed to a subsequent censorship of films with a bushranging theme on the grounds that they encouraged support for illegal activities. By the mid-1940s, The Story of the Kelly Gang was considered a lost film, part of the doomed history of so many nitrate productions. From the 1970s to date however, miraculous discoveries of fragments of the film, along with corroborating documentation in the original poster and promotional booklet, have been drawn together by the National Film and Sound Archive to create a unique, digitally restored reconstruction of almost 17 minutes from the original >60 minutes production. Since the NFSA’s original submission of its nomination in 2006, additional footage located at the British National Film and Television Archive has allowed us to reintroduce another complete scene to that reconstruction. Just as Fritz Lang’s Metropolis is testimony to the art of German silent film art, The Story of the Kelly Gang symbolises both the birth of the Australian film industry and the emergence of an Australian identity. Even more significantly it heralds the emergence of the feature film format. The detective work involved in identifying and drawing together the rediscovered footage, and the triumph of reconstructing the narrative sequence of the film using those 17 minutes of remaining footage makes this an exciting, relevant and unique nomination for the international Memory of the World Register. 2 DETAILS OF THE NOMINATOR 2.1 Name (person or organisation) National Film and Sound Archive, Canberra, Australia. 2.2 Relationship to the documentary heritage nominated Owners. 2.3 Contact person(s) Meg Labrum, Chief Curator Belinda Hunt, Curatorial Administrator 2.4 Contact details (include address, phone, fax, email) National Film and Sound Archive McCoy Circuit ACTON ACT 2601 AUSTRALIA Ph. +61 2 6248 2256 Fax. +61 2 6248 2165 Email. [email protected] [email protected] 3 IDENTITY AND DESCRIPTION OF THE DOCUMENTARY HERITAGE 3.1 Name and identification details of the items being nominated The Story of the Kelly Gang 1906, Australia Director: Charles Tait Producers: John and Nevin Tait, Millard Johnson and William Gibson Name and Location details of Owner: National Film and Sound Archive, a Division of the Australian Film Commission McCoy Circuit ACTON ACT 2601 AUSTRALIA 3.2 Description 1. Reconstruction of The Story of the Kelly Gang (NFSA, 2006)), polyester picture dupe negatives and digital files 2. Original nitrate fragments from the original feature production plus polyester picture dupe negative of an additional substantial scene copied from the National Film and Television Archive, BFI London 3. Original promotional documentation for this title: promotional booklet and daybill. Cataloguing Details: 1.The Story of the Kelly Gang (NFSA,2006) reconstruction (Title No. 709579) PBX 15938 Preservation B/W polyester picture dupe negative full frame silent 35mm 1068 feet PCX 4441 Preservation Colour polyester picture dupe negative full frame silent 35mm 1068 feet Preservation digital files. 2. The Story of the Kelly Gang film fragments: (Title Nos: 710303, 710304, 710306, 6050.) PBW5443 Preservation B/W polyester picture dupe negative full frame , silent 35mm 483 feet ( copied from nitrate fragment held by National Film and Television Archive, BFI London) FBW1274 Preservation B/W original nitrate picture negative, full frame, silent 35mm 176 feet FBX1265 Preservation B/W nitrate release print with tint and tone, full frame, silent 35mm 300 feet FBW1107 Preservation B/W nitrate release print, full frame, silent 35mm 4 feet 3. The Story of the Kelly Gang documentation: (Title Nos: 360576, 350429) STORU0001 Original accompanying booklet compiled by F.S.Stetson RPC001129 Original daybill poster for 1906 release The materials listed above provide the complete context for the NFSA’s 2006 digital restoration of the remaining almost 17 minutes of original footage. The surviving original nitrate film fragments are stable with some medium to heavy deterioration damage and the reconstruction is preserved in both photochemical and digital form. Summary of its provenance: The film fragments and documentation were found by various collectors over the period 1970 to 1980, and donated to the National Film and Sound Archive for inclusion in the National Collection. In 2006, an additional substantial fragment was located in the British National Film and Television Archive. This additional material was provided to the NFSA to support the reconstruction of the extended 17 minutes of extant footage. Assessment of Physical State and Condition See 6.1 Visual documentation: A DVD of the film fragments and a second DVD of the 2006 reconstruction have been provided plus scanned images of the 1906 promotional booklet, and a scanned image of the original daybill. A copy of the commemorative program and essay which was distributed at the premiere of the reconstruction in November 2006. Bibliographic References: Pike, Andrew and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900 – 1977. A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 1998 Sabine, James (ed.) for the Australian Film Institute, A Century of Australian Cinema, Port Melbourne, William Heinemann Australia, 1995 Shirley, Graham and Brian Adams, Australian Cinema The First Eighty Years, Currency Press, Australia, 1989. Shirley, Graham and Sally Jackson, The Story of the Kelly Gang, published in the NFSA’s program for the premiere screening of The Story of the Kelly Gang reconstruction, November 2006. Referees: Mr Ray Edmondson, Film historian and archivist 100 Learmonth Drive Kambah ACT 2902 Mr Andrew Pike, Film historian, producer and author PO Box 1005 Civic Square ACT 2608 4 JUSTIFICATION FOR INCLUSION/ ASSESSMENT AGAINST CRITERIA 4.1 Authenticity Using existing clearly identified documentation for the original production (the production booklet and the daybill poster), the fragments of footage have been authenticated as parts of the original production. The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) is a seminal work in the history of feature film making, as it is believed to be the first feature length fiction film ever made. As such its significance in cinema history is profound and unique. The first narrative feature film in the world was a popular success in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom and was actively promoted as the longest film ever made to that date. It heralded the twentieth century’s fascination with cinema as a narrative vehicle and presented the first true feature story in more than 60 minutes of screen time. 4.3 Criteria of (a) time (b) place (c) people (d) subject and theme (e) form and style Time Produced in 1906, this document was arguably the first full-length (more than 60 minutes) feature produced anywhere in the world. The reconstruction draws together the remaining fragments to present them in correct sequence and highest possible cinematic quality. Place No People The creation of the first feature influenced cinema production worldwide and the network of individuals who were to become the creative film-makers of the twentieth century. Subject and Theme The creation of the first full-length narrative production illustrated the potential for detailed storytelling in cinema form. The bushranging theme had enormous impact in Australia and led to more than twenty such films being produced in the silent era with further versions appearing to the present. It also created censorship problems as the heroic images of the bushrangers led to concerns for law and order and resulted in the banning of both this film and many later films of the same genre. Internationally, the Western theme and the emergence of many gang-based genres at that time reflect a similar thematic approach. Form and Style This is arguably the first full-length feature film ever produced. As such its unique value rests in its narrative representation in cinematic form at the beginning of the cinema age. 4.4 Issues of rarity, integrity, threat and management Rarity The NFSA’s reconstruction of the remnants of this film is unique and delivers digitally restored image and context which is otherwise impossible to achieve. The nitrate film fragments (including the fragment held by the NFTVA, London) are the only existing original record of this production. The accompanying documentation is also believed to be unique to the National Film and Sound Archive’s national collection. Integrity This documentary heritage is incomplete. The fragments of footage represent approximately 25% of what is believed to have been a more than 60 minute production. The promotional booklet provides text and frame images which illustrate the complete story of the film and the poster provides pictorial confirmation of the authenticity of the film fragments. Threat The reconstruction is fully preserved and secure. The survival of the original nitrate film is secure as far as preservation of volatile nitrate material can be deemed secure. The original footage is nitrate- based and requires careful preservation including duplication and vigilant storage conditions for the original material, all of which has been carried out as per 6.1. Safety copies have been produced to ensure the survival of the film content should the nitrate eventually deterioriate irretrievably. The supporting paper items are not at risk as they are conserved and handled according to best practice paper conservation standards. 5 LEGAL INFORMATION 5.1. Owner of the documentary heritage (name and contact details) National Film and Sound Archive, a Division of the Australian Film Commission McCoy Circuit ACTON ACT 2601 AUSTRALIA Ph.