The Haunted Barn (1931)

Australia, 1931
47m
35mm film, black and white, 1.37:1
mono (RCA Photophone), English

An Australian short comedy horror film directed by Gregan McMahon and E.A. Dietrich-Derrick. It was made to support the Thring-produced feature Diggers (1931), reportedly the “first all-Australian talking picture program ever released ¹Everyones vol.12 no.603 (9 September 1931) p.9. It was briefly banned for children aged between 6 and 16 in Victoria: “The censor had not objected to the story, but thought that the title, combined with the walling of the wind, might frighten children” ²The Canberra Times 24 November 1931 p.1 briefly prompting producer F.W. Thring to threaten to emigrate to the UK ³Everyones vol.12 no.613 (25 November 1931) p.7. The ban was lifted a few days later ⁴The Herald 26 November 1931 p.1 ⁵The Canberra Times 27 November 1931 p.4.

Plot Summary

Businessman John Moon has an interest in ghosts and decides to spend the night in a barn supposedly haunted by the ghost of the bushranger Captain Sturdy.

Credits

Crew
Directed by: Gregan McMahon, E.A. Dietrich-Derrick
Efftee Film Productions present
Produced by: F.W. Thring
Written by: Thomas A. Swain
Directors of Photography: E.A. Dietrich-Derrick, Arthur Higgins

Cast
Donalda Warne (Joan)
John Maitland (Ralph)
Phil Smith (John Moon)
Ed Brett
Thelma Scott
George Edwards
Royce Milton
Ronald Atholwood
John Cameron (Captain Sturdy)
Willie Driscoll
Norman Shepherd
Keith Desmond (swagman)
Josef Bambach

References

Newspapers

• The Cairns Post 6 January 1932 p.9 – note (Vaudeville star in talkies)
• The Canberra Times (24 November 1931 p.1 – note (Talkie banned)
• The Canberra Times 27 November 1931 p.4 – note (Ban lifted from film)
• The Herald 26 November 1931 p.1 – note (Ban on film lifted)
• The Herald 30 November 1931 p3 – review (Much ado about nothing)
• The Mercury 11 September 1931 p.5 – note (Cinema notes)
• The Sun News-Pictorial 30 November 1931 p.10 – note (Haunted Barn released)
• The Sydney Morning Herald 14 December 1931 p.4 – note (New films)
• The West Australian 25 September 1931 p.3 – note (Australian talkies)
• The West Australian 18 December 1931 p.2 – note (Australian films)

Periodicals

• The Cinema Booking Guide Supplement vol.2 no.8 (April 1933) p.21 – credits, review
• Everyones vol.12 no.603 (9 September 1931) p.9 – illustrated article (Efftee completes first unit program releases in four weeks, Casts listed.)
• Everyones vol.12 no.613 (25 November 1931) p.7 – article (Censorship may force Thring to produce in London)
• Everyones vol.12 no.615 (9 December 1931) p.30 – note (Melbourne : Censorship Again in the News Columns by Pierce Hodgens)
• Everyones vol.12 no.616 (16 December 1931) p.42 – illustrated review
• The Picturegoer vol.3 no.106 (3 June 1933) p.24 – review

Books

• Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.185
• Thrills Untapped: Neglected Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films 1928-1936