Arrivée du Gouverneur

419 

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Arrivée du Gouverneur

LUM 1897-02

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1 Lumière 419 (AS 68)  
2 Marius Sestier Henry Walter Barnett
3 03/11/1896 17m
4 Australia, Melbourne, Hippodrome de Flemington  

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19/11/1896 Australia, Melbourne, Victoria  Princesse Theatre   
24/11/1896 Australia, Sydney, NSW Criterion Theatre   
09/12/1896 Australia, Sydney, NSW 478 George Street   
23/12/1896  Australia, Adelaide Theatre Royal   
30/01/1897 Australia, Port Adelaide  Town Hall   
31/01/1897  Australia, Perth Ye Olde Englishe Fayre  
01/02/1897  Australia, Gawler Gawler Institute Hall   
05/02/1897  Australia, Kadina Town Hall   
06/02/1897  Australia, Moonta Institute Hall   
11/02/1897  Australia, Kadina Town Hall   
11/02/1897  Australia, Port Pirie Institute Hall  
15/02/1897  Australia, Petersburg Town Hall   
16/02/1897  Australia, Broken Hill Town Hall   
26/02/1897  Australia, Burra Burra Institute   
27/02/1897  Australia, Glenelg Town Hall   
02/03/1897  Australia, West Australia, Coolgardie Theatre Royal   
03/03/1897  Australia, Mount Barker Mount Barker Institute   
03/03/1897  Australia, Strathalbyn Strathalbyn Institute   
05/03/1897  Australia, Adelaide Victoria Hall  
09/03/1897  Australia, Kalgoorlie Miner’s Institute   
19/03/1897  Australia, Perth Ye Olde Englishe Fayre   
06/04/1897  Australia, Nhill Mechanics’ Institute   
08/04/1897  Australia, Dimboola Masonic Hall   
10/04/1897  Australia, Horsham Mechanics’ Hall   
15/04/1897  Australia, Ararat Protestant Hall   
17/04/1897  Australia, Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute   
03/05/1897  Australia, Ararat Protestant Hall  

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Commentary

Sally JACKSON

National Film & Sound Archive

Under the Judges Box at Flemington Racecourse the crowds gather to greet the vice regal party. As people push to find the best position, craning their necks to see what’s happening, crowd control police admonish them with a “Get back”. We can sense the crowd’s expectation and anticipation as carriages arrive in the background and the vice regal party descend and gather. The spectators settle and are almost motionless gawping at the constant flow of high society, the lords and ladies, as they make their way onto the Lawn towards their private enclosure almost in total ignorance of the spectators.  As the last of the vice regal party pass by the crowd quickly and chaotically disperses.

The third film in the Melbourne Cup Carnival series Arrivée Du Gouverneur released in Australiaas The Arrival of H.E. Lord Brassey and Suite, was filmed just before 1pm as the horses for the Hurdle Race, the first race of the day, were being led to the starting gate. As no racing could start until the vice regal party arrived, and they had been expected much earlier for the Vice Regal lunch but had failed to appear, the crowd were in a hurry to get to their places for the race. Comments were later made that this year’s Vice Regal party was much bigger and more exclusive than previous years and this film shows their aloofness towards the public. However, it’s possible that the presence of the Cinematographe Lumiere, as it’s likely that no advance notice would have been, may have caused some surprise and discomfort.

0419b

The BulletinAt Poverty Point December 26 1896  pg 8

As the crowd of spectators breaks up a man emerges from behind the policeman. Wearing a bowler hat he nonchalantly walks out into the centre of the frame. He looks up and notices the camera, momentarily flummoxed he turns away, looking twice, does a little circle and walks back out into the centre looking directly at the camera before walking hurriedly off.  Based on contemporary photographs this is quite possibly J.C. Williamson, Sestier’s patron in Sydney and Melbourne, and one of Australia’s top theatrical impresarios

The filming of this scene, as in all the fixed scheduled events, provided the structure for the day’s filming (see notes on The Melbourne Cup Carnival Series). Theses events could only be filmed once as there was no chance for rehearsal or for re-takes. Setting up the cinematographe for this event was an efficient use of time as it provided the camera position to take the fifth film, The Finish of the Hurdle Race, Cup Day, without the need to move very far or at all.

Bibliography

Cup Day: A Great Performance: Easy Victory for the Favourite: Won from end to end: Introductory Sketch: My Day at Flemington. The Age (Melb) 4 November 1896 pgs. 5-6

Cup Day. Flemington Arrangements. Programme of Events. Argus 3 November 1896, pg 5

Long, Chris. Australia’s First Films: Facts and Fables. Part Three: Local Production Begins. Cinema Papers No 93, May 1993, pg. 34-41, 60-61

Seguin, Jean-Claude and Michelle Aubert, eds. La Production Cinématographique des Frères Lumière, BIFI, 1995

Spotted at the Melbourne Cup. This blog and website identifies the vice regal party as they parade past the camera. http://nfsa.gov.au/collection/film/marius-sestier-collection/spotted-1896-melbourne-cup-carnival/http://nfsa.gov.au/blog/2013/11/01/melbourne-cup-fashion-1896-style/

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