I felt sorry for this featurette because it's quality was criticised when it came out - an example of cultural cringe, I thought. Typical - and mean. And there were definitely elements of that, I'm sure - but watching it, it's actually not that great. Ken G. Hall has made it with customary proficiency but he (or someone) made a key error in the central concept - to wit, have actors talk to the camera in monologues pretending to be real people.
I think once that decision was taken this was doomed - I can't imagine how that ever would have worked. I kept wishing that Hall had instead dramatised a few of the episodes. As it is, all the people talking to the camera feels a little silly, not helped by the florid self conscious dialogue of Tom Gurr's script. Occasionally it veers into outright camp as in the Muriel Steinbeck section about Gwennie, the former beauty parlor worker turned munitions factory worker, pouring TNT into containers.
It is an all star cast (for Australian cinema of the time, that is) including Cinesound character actor legend Alec Kellaway, Muriel Steinbeck, Peter Finch (as an RAAF pilot), future director Ralph Smart (as an RAF pilot), Chips Rafferty, Joe Valli, Bert Bailey in his last movie, Grant Taylor and Ron Randell. All struggle with varying degrees to talk to the camera - despite the talent involved I do feel it would have been more effective with real people, or else for the segments to be dramatised.
Because so many of the segments would lend themselves to dramatisation - Bert Bailey on a farm having to deal with the female land army; Muriel Steinbeck as a munitions factory worker and her naval boyfriend; Grant Taylor and Ron Randell as an Aussie and Yank soldier cut off in the jungle against the Japanese; Peter Finch and Ralph Smart as duelling pilots, with Chips Rafferty and Joe Valli as their duelling mechanics. All would have made great movies.
Other stuff is a bit duller - Alec Kellaway talking about the joys of working in a factory, Bill Perryman's road builder, John Nugent-Hayward's factory manager (although it was politically fascinating to hear him talk about the high rates of income tax Australians had to pay.)
Characters in the movie are very upfront about Australia's problems and defeats - we hear about Greece, Crete, Malaya, Singapore, the ships Sydney, Perth and Canberra. I also liked how Grant Taylor paid tribute to the Kiwi and Indian soldiers as well as the Poms and Yanks. (There's a vague left wing bent here with the film's praise of high taxes, industry workers, women and Indians).
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