Filming the WWII melodrama 'Always Another Dawn' on board a RAN warship

Photographer Samuel J Hood Studio (Australian, 1899 - 1953)

Date1947

Object number00021830

NameNegative

MediumEmulsion on acetate film

ClassificationsPhotographs

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

HistoryFrom Michael Houston's online publication - 'Reminisces of a Lifetime', chapter 3 Diary of Service, Royal Australian Navy. Jervis Bay, NSW. Arrived: 7/7/1947 Exercises. While shooting the film ‘Always another Dawn’ we were required to drop ‘Depth Charges’ in Jervis Bay, (simulated attack on a Submarine) A very spectacular event. Thousands of fish of all descriptions, including sharks, were stunned and lying on the surface. We tied heaving lines to buckets and lowered them to the water, scooping up several hundred fish. Needless to say we were eating fresh fish for days! Sailed: 11/7/1947 Sydney, NSW. Arrived: 11/7/1947Alongside Garden Island, fuelled ship, then moved to our usual berth at ‘Destroyer Row’. The film unit were still aboard filming their movie. We had them aboard for two weeks. Liberty-men were filmed landing at Man O’ War Steps, which we did a number of times, until we got it right! Sailed: 14/7/1947SignificanceThe Samuel J Hood photographic collection records an extensive range of maritime activity on Sydney Harbour, including sail and steam ships, crew portraits, crews at work, ship interiors, stevedores loading and unloading cargo, port scenes, pleasure boats and harbourside social activities from the 1890s through to the 1950s. They are also highly competent artistic studies and views - Hood was regarded as an important figure in early Australian photojournalism. Hood’s maritime photographs are one of the most significant collections of such work in Australia.