The Hero of the Dardanelles
Clip 2: ‘He did his duty’
2 min 58 sec
Taken from the feature The Hero of the Dardanelles (1915)
Original title classification not known – this clip chosen to be G
Availability of the complete title
Please note: this clip is silent
Curator’s clip description
Will (Guy Hastings) joins his friends in Martin Place, Sydney, for a drink. They discuss the war while drinking and Will urges them to join up. He places a recruiting poster on the hotel wall, but a stranger rips it down. Will sees the man off the premises.
Curator’s notes
An interesting scene for the way it characterises the anti-war character. He skulks at the bar throughout the scene. He is well dressed, but the way he smokes his cigarette denotes a certain aggression, as if he may be an inner-city tough guy. He is certainly not young and virile, like Will and his mates. The film depicts Will as the son of wealthy parents, rather than a working class hero. Clearly, he is seen as officer material.
Paul Byrnes, curator
