A DAUGHTER OF INVERCARGILL

One of the surviving Girl of Our Town two-reel community comedies produced by Rudall Hayward between 1928 and 1929. Filmed with a stock script (only the names and places changed), only a few of the 23 he produced survive.

“Queen of Southern Provincial Centres, famed for its commercial stability and far-sighted town planning - Invercargill”
Street scene; monument; building with clock tower
“T’was Saturday afternooon in the great throbbing metropolis”
Street scene
121ft “Getting more like New York every day!”
Street scene with trams
“A really progressive little town - always forwards in going backwards”
Street scenes with trams, cars, trucks, horses and carts etc. running backwards
161 ft “It was only when a pretty new school teacher arrived that the local lads thought their education had been neglected”
Street scene
“To create a good impression, she put up at the smartest hotel in town”
Teacher in car; exterior Grand Hotel
“Freddy Fishface, newspaper reporter, was first to fall. But he knew all about women. He’d read ‘Married Love’
Man walks towards camera through hotel lobby; teacher in car
“She was an eye-school graduate who knew her business”
Teacher in car; Freddy lighting cigarette
274 ft Part 2
Teacher in car; Freddy standing; street scene with horse and rider
“Bill Cowcocky, a romantic he-shiek from the great outdoors. He kept a milk and honey farm - one goat and a bee!”
Crowd; teacher in car; man in front of crowd smoking cigarette; she alights; holds suitcase standing in front of car
391 ft Teacher flanked by both men
“As days pass, the contest for our heroine’s favour grew warmer. Freddy takes her to the races”
Group alighting from car; couple walking toward camera, small kiosk in background; group of people with horse; rear view of couple
469 ft Two men fighting; couple; two men and a horse; crowd scenes; horse and rider in birdcage; crowd and grandstand; man and woman standing against fence; crowd; man and woman; racecourse; three women
585 ft Part 3
Horses racing
“As well as being a newspaper reporter, Freddy was a volunteer fireman, if the fire was still buring when he has finished his report”
Exterior Fire Station and three fire engines; fireman standing outside
“If you don’t stop dodging fires, I’ll fire you!”
Two firemen with fire engine
660 ft “That night Freddy showed our heroine the local beauty spots - by moonlight”
Rural road; car parked outside gates; couple walking in botanical gardens; leaning against railing; couple on bridge; walking past sundial
772 ft “Freddy was a fast worker in the dark but the sidey time had cramped his style” [*see below]
Couple sitting on bench; bell
“You are a fireman Freddy. You must go when duty calls”
Freddy runs off to attend fire
899 ft Fire station interior; coats, helmets etc; firemen and engine; exterior station; engine travelling to fire
1040 ft ladder raised alongside building
1068 ft “Outside the school where our heroine teaches”
Two men. “GRRRR” bell ringing; boy in doorway; school boy walks towards camera; school playing field; school children
“The municipal elections were drawing near - in fact people had begun to save the contents of their dustbins”
1181 ft Part 5
Freddy, Bill and teacher outside school building
“I’m going to run for school committee. If I’m elected, I’ll double your salary”
“I’m going to run for school committee. If I win , it will mean much to us both”
Freddy holds box with woman’s face printed on it; he samples contents
“Naughty, wicked thoughts ahd come into Freddy’s mind - so the plot thickens”
Exterior of The Southland Times; Freddy enters building; policeman looking through window; Freddy looking at type in compositing room
View of house ’Rockhaven’ through gateway; policeman follows man; newspaper extract
”car thieving mystery cleared up - local resident charged leading double life”; teacher reads the paper and looks distraught
“Election Day. Bill’s supporters came in from the country to see that the opposition party used fresh eggs”
Group of men, horses and motorcycle; large crowd gathered to hear election results
1502 ft “For school committee William Cowcocky majority one hundred and six”
The teacher: “you thief - I never want to see you again”
Couple walking past motor wrecking business; car drives from garage onto street; policeman watches
“Freddy Fishface has stolen a acr and kidnapped your girl!”
Men run towards horses and chase car; Freddy and Bill fighting; teacher has fainted in car
“I saw him through the window faking up that newspaper item”
BIll and teacher in car; they kiss
“Aw cripes, let’s get a spot”
Couple kissing.
1809 ft End

The Daughter of Invercargill played to sell out crowds at the Majestic Theatre. It was a rare occasion for Southlanders to see themselves on screen. The community comedy formula was a great success for Hayward, who made over 23 between 1928 and 1930.

Note - ‘sidey time’ refers to daylight saving.