LOTTIE LYELL

Australia, 1988, 50 minutes, Colour.
Odile le Clezio, Bob Ellis.
Directed by Ben Lewin.

Lottie Lyell is one of the short films in the Bicentenary series on significant Australians. It is a focus on the actress Lottie Lyell and her relationship with director Raymond Longford. The film particularly focuses on their making of the classic The Sentimental Bloke.

Odile Le Clezio is persuasive as Lottie Lyell. There is an interesting supporting cast including a cameo role by Bob Ellis as C.J. Dennis. His wife, Anne Brooksbank, wrote the screenplay. Direction is by Ben Lewin (The Dunera Boys, Rafferty's Rules, A Matter of Attraction.) The film highlights the pioneering work of Lyell and Longford and the Australian film industry.

1. The choice of Lottie Lyell as a Bicentenary Australian? The impact for Australian audiences?

2. A quality telemovie, brevity, focus? Australian-oriented?

3. The early decades of the century in Sydney, the inner city suburbs, flim locations and the musical score?

4. The making of The Romance of Margaret Catchpole and the making of The Sentimental Bloke?

5. The portrait of Lottie: strong, interest in films, the making of Margaret Catchpole and the relationship, Longford's wife, living with him, his showing her the book of The Sentimental Bloke, the search for and the bargaining with C.J. Dennis and the producer? Going to the music hall to find Arthur Taucher? her illness? The collaboration (and her giving directors advice), the portrait of Doreen, the success of the film, her death - and it being too late for her to marry Longford?

6. The portrait of Raymond Longford: strong, his estrangement from his wife and the relationship with Lottie;
Margaret Catchpole and its success? Interest in The Sentimental Bloke, searching for money', the decisions and the bottle bargain? His skill as a director? Advice from Lottie? The visit to his family, hostility of his son, his wife's leading the neighbours to think she had a husband, the refusal of the divorce until too late? Lottie's illness and death? His decline as a director?

7. Longford's wife and her position, Catholic background, the hostility of her son?

8. Question of reputations? Lottie and Raymond going to parties, society attitudes to their relationship?

9. Australian film-making: Margaret Catchpole, The Sentimental Bloke: the market scenes, Romeo and Juliet, the wedding, the ending the making of a classic?

10. Their contribution to Australian cinema?