The Waybacks** (Arthur W. Sterry, 1918) prod. Humbert Pugliese, Koala Films, from the play by Phillip Lytton, dp Ernest Higgins; Vincent White, Gladys Leigh, Lucy Adair, Louis Machilaton; bush comedy; 7000ft
The Waybacks had become popular in 1902 with the publication of the first of several novels by Henry Fletcher. A play based on the family's doings was written by Phillip Lytton and first produced in October 1915 in Sydney. Although less enduring commercially and less well received by critics than On Our Selection, Lytton's play was nevertheless a strong commercial property in a popular idiom, and this film version was made hard on the heels of Beaumont Smith's success with the Hayseeds series. Pike & Cooper: 79.
The first Hayseeds film appeared in 1917, and there were four of them out by the end of that year (and seven or eight altogether). Then followed this film; and then the first On Our Selection in 1920. (There are two more: 1932 and 1995.)
Pike, Andrew & Ross Cooper 1998, Australian Film 1900-1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, OUP, Melbourne: 79.
Reade, Eric 1975, The Australian Screen: A Pictorial History of Australian Film-making, Lansdowne Press, Melbourne: 81.
Garry Gillard | New: 1 August, 2018 | Now: 26 November, 2019