The films of Johnson & Gibson 1906 -1912, 1918

1. Introduction

Between 1906 and 1912 & during 1918, the St Kilda (Melbourne) based firm of Millard Johnson and William A. Gibson, and later Gibson alone, made a number of feature films, including the world's first five-reeler - The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906). It ran for 100 minutes and premiered on Boxing Day, 26 November 1906. This was the only film by them, and their subsequent collaborators, mentioned in Andrew Pike's and Ross Cooper's Australian Film 1900-1977, though Eric Reade's Early Australian Silent Film does mention four in total. An updated version of The Story of the Kelly Gang was released in June 1910, with new and additional footage. Johnson and Gibson went on to make other films during the Australian film boom of 1911-12, in collaboration with J. & N. Tait and under the banner The Amalgamated Picture Company, or simply Amalgamated Pictures. They were also released under the heading Tait Pictures. The present blog seeks to list their brief, but significant, output, none of which has apparently survived in any significant manner.

A listing of their output is provided below. The parties not only made films, but also presented them in places such as Melbourne, Geelong, Williamstown, and Bendigo, often alongside overseas film. J. & N. Tait morphed into the firm of J.C. Williamsons, still involving the Taits. The role played by Johnson and Gibson as actual makers of the films during the latter period 1911-12 is unclear, as a new studio was apparently built by the Taits, and others were brought in such as the writer and director W.J. Lincoln (1870-1917) who was, during his brief life, involved in the making of 23 different film, though not all of them with Amalgamated Pictures. The Taits withdrew from film producing in 1912, and Millard Johnson left Australia for a period, heading to the UK and America as both a seller of Australian film and a buyer for the local market. The complexity of the Australian film scene during the 1910s is well known. Reference is therefore made to the various Wikipedia links for the films mentioned below, revealing some of that complexity and the role of the major players.

Amalgamated Pictures was merged with West's Pictures in 1912 Johnson and Gibson left them in 1913 to work with the firm of Union Theatres and Australasian Films. They were a major player in the industry through to the 1930s, ultimately becoming Greater Union (Event Cinemas as of 2024). Both Johnson and Gibson remained in the industry through the 1920s (Gibson died in 1929) and 1930s, whilst the Taits were said to have left it in 1912 to concentrate on theatre production and music publication under the auspices of J.C. Williamsons & Sons, and Allans Music, though there is a suggestion that Williamsons did undertake film production during the latter half of the 1910s and they were associated with Amalgamated Pictures at least through to 1916, with a report on the fourth AGM of the company appearing in the Melbourne Argus on 10 April of that year.

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2. Chronology and List of films

The following chronology includes a listing of films made by parties such as Johnson and Gibson and J. & N. Tait during 1906-10, and between 1911-12 and in 1918 under various banners such as Amalgamated Pictures and Tait Pictures.

1906

* 11 May 1906, Moving Melbourne. Produced for J. & N. Tait by Johnson and Gibson. Screened: Melbourne Town Hall, 11 May 1906. Reference: Reade 1976.

* June 1906, [Adelaide street scenes]. Produced for J. & N. Tait by Johnson and Gibson. Melbourne for the filming of the "Championship Boxing Contest - Squires versus Kling" held at the Ascot Race Course on Melbourne Cup Day. The following still from the surviving footage notes "Copy-Right J. Wren Esq / Cinematographed By Johnson & Gibson, Temperance Hall, Melbourne."

Source: National Film & Sound Archive of Australia.

A still from the film shows Johnson and Gibson seated by the ringside, wearing a top hat and bowler hat. Gibson is looking towards the camera, as one of their staff operate the device.

Source: National Film & Sound Archive of Australia.

* Wednesday, 26 December 1906 - premiere of The Story of the Kelly Gang at the Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne; Town Hall, Sydney; and Town Hall, Hobart. Produced for J. & N. Tait and/by Johnson and Gibson. References: Reade 1976, Pike & Cooper.

The Story of the Kelly Gang [restored], 1906, YouTube, duration: 15.30 [31.52] minutes. National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, 2006.

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1907

* Robbery Under Arms, 5,000ft+, over two hours. Produced for J. & N. Tait and/by Johnson and Gibson. There is a great deal of confusion over this film, as the MacMahon Brothers of Sydney had released a similarly titled film in February 1907 and this was a film that was actually released in Melbourne by J. & N. Tait.

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1910

* 13 June 1910, The Story of the Kelly Gang. The Herald, Melbourne: ...The star picture was the new version of the adventures of the Kelly Gang. Produced for and by Johnson and Gibson. This is a re-release of the 1906 movie, with new footage.

The Story of the Kelly Gang, [1910], YouTube, 12 May 2013, duration: 21.51 minutes.

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1911

* 21 January 1911, It's Never Too Late to Mend, 4,000ft. Amalgamated Pictures. Written and directed by W.J. Lincoln.

* 1 March 1911, Ballarat Star. The launch of the company was officially announced 1 March 1911:

ANIMATED PICTURES. AMALGAMATION OF FIRMS. A BIG PROJECT.

Melbourne, Tuesday. An interesting amalgamation of picture theatre enterprises, now being carried on in Melbourne, has just been enacted. A new company has been formed, and there has been a strong, application for shares. The purpose is to acquire the biograph businesses, leases and options of Messrs J. and N. Tait, and Messrs Johnson and Gibson. There is to be an immediate issue of 40,000 shares at £1 each. The existing leases comprise: Glaciarium, Melbourne; Picture Land, St. Kilda; Empire, and Lyceum, South Melbourne; Westopia, Footscray; Her Majesty’s, Ballarat; half interest, Paradise, St. Kilda; and tenancy Bendigo; also part interest in Freehold Theatre, Fitzroy street, St. Kilda.

Not only are the existing shows to be developed, but an important new enterprise is planned in the erection of a large picture theatre, adaptable to ordinary theatrical purposes on land on the east side of Messrs Ball and Welch’s warehouse, in Flinders street. Messrs Tait have secured a building lease of the block on favorable terms, and plans have been drawn for a capacious theatre on modern lines. Its proximity to the Central station and tramway routes is recanted as a point of special value for this class of enterprise. The land has a frontage of 67 feet, by a depth of 194 feet, and there is a right-of-way along the side of the block and access to Flinders lane at the rear.

* 4 March 1911, The Argus, Melbourne. A report also at what appears to have been the Tait family's main theatre, the Glaciarium:

Glaciarium

Direction ...... J. & N. Tait

The prominent biograph business of Messrs. Johnson and Gibson and J. and N. Tait late this day (Saturday, 4th March, 1911) become a consolidated company for the purpose of promoting the finest and best class of Picture Entertainment yet seen in the Australian colonies.

The purpose of promoting the finest and best class of picture Entertainment yet seen in the Australian colonies. With the capital at command, no endeavour will be spared to present to their patrons a standard of show that will eclipse all similar enterprises within the province of our own hemisphere. One of the main endeavours of the amalgamation will be to procure only the very best picture subjects procurable on the world's market. A feature will likewise be made of special and original produced Australian dramas, similar to those that have already proved so hugely successful. The management, in making a public statement of their intentions, anticipate a large share of public support.

The Amalgamated Picture Company Ltd. The greatest picture enterprise in the southern hemisphere.

* 4 March 1911, The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, 4,000ft. Written and directed by W.J. Lincoln. Screened: 4 March - 15 May. Reference: Reade 1976.

* 24 March 1911, The Luck of Roaring Camp, 4,000ft. Written and directed by W.J. Lincoln.

* 15 April 1911, Called Back. Written and directed by W.J. Lincoln. Screened: Glaciarium, Melbourne, 15 April; St Kilda Theatre 1 May; Town Hall 15 July; Wondergraph Adelaide 31 July 1912. Reference: Reade 1976.

* 13 May 1911, The Lost Chord, 5,000ft. Written and directed by W.J. Lincoln.

* [September 1911] After Sundown. Written and directed by W.J. Lincoln. Apparently never released.

* 7 October 1911, The Bells, 4,000ft. Written and directed by W.J. Lincoln.

* 21 October 1911, The Double Event, 3,000ft+. Written and directed by W.J. Lincoln.

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1912

* 16 March 1912, Breaking the News, 4,000ft. Written and directed by W.J. Lincoln.

* 6 April 1912, Rip Van Winkle (1912). Written and directed by W.J. Lincoln.

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1918

* 23 May 1918, His Only Chance. Produced by William Gibson for Amalgamated Pictures in association with J.C. Williamson Ltd. (J. & N. Tait) film studios.

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1923

* Millard Johnson, Early Days in Australia, Film Daily Yearbook 1922-23, New York, 1923.

Early Days in Australia

A few particulars regarding the early introduction of long feature pictures in Australia by Millard Johnson, American representative of Australasian Films, Ltd. In 1900 the present King and Queen of England came to Australia and about 10,000 feet of negative was taken for the Australian Government by Mr. J. Perry, depicting the ceremonies, processions, etc., when Australia became a nation. I bought about 4,000 feet and made a feature of over 3,500 feet long and toured Victoria and Tasmania with this, supplemented by other short subjects, but lost money. This is the first record of a long feature. In 1903 [1904] Charles Urban made a four-reel feature called Living London without any titles. Mr. W. A. Gibson and myself, in conjunction with the Taits, exploited this through Australia and India [during 1906] and did enormous business. So much so that in 1904 [1906] Taits asked us to make another and we produced in 1905 [1906] The Kelly Gang, a 5 reel feature life story, the first ever made and even now no picture has reached the great financial success of this in Australia. Every six months we made another of these, including Robbery Under Arms, Mystery of the Handsome Cab, Called Back. The Bells and others. Each of these were over six reels long and represented a whole night's entertainment. These cost about [US]$2,500 [Aus£540] to make and we shot 7,000 feet of negative and showed 6,500 feet of positive. I am therefore justly entitled to be ranked amongst the very earliest in the world who introduced and saw the great possibility of the long six reel feature. For "The Bells" Mr. Gibson and myself engaged Arthur Steyn, Melbourne's leading actor, and hired all the stage scenery from Williamsons for our production. Mr. Spencer produced about 1908 "Sweet Nell of Old Drury," paying Miss Nellie Stewart about $5,000 to act her leading stage role, which was considered an enormous salary in those days. When I arrived in America in 1913, long pictures were absolutely unknown, no orchestras of 24 and 30, but these were very common in Australian picture shows, and pictures of 30 to 35 feet diameter were the usual size there. I personally contracted with Adolph Zukor for his first year productions at their earliest commencement, but my firm had previously bought in London Bernhardt's "Queen Elizabeth" before it was shown in America. The Nordisk Biograph with Asta Neilson made the best 5 reel features in the earliest times prior to 1912.

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1934

* 23 May 1934, The Herald, Melbourne.

Talkies will be made here

Cinesound's New Director

Mr Millard Johnson has been appointed the Melbourne director of Cinesound Productions Ltd., and will immediately take steps to develop the St Kilda studios of the company and begin production. A complete studio equipment, built on the Cinesound principle, has been manufactured and is being forwarded to Melbourne to enable the local studio to undertake any form of motion picture production necessary. Several additional cameras are being installed. The founder of the firm of Johnson and and Gibson many years ago, Mr Millard Johnson closely followed the pioneering footsteps of the late Mr E. J. Thwaites, who produced the first Australian motion picture, and two years later sold his complete outfit to Mr Johnson.

EXPERIENCE ABROAD

With his partner, the late Mr W. A. Gibson, Mr Johnson went abroad to investigate European production technique and studio equipment, visiting Pathe-Gaumont, Urbans and several other foremost producing organisations of the time. Returning to Australia, the partners entered active film production, and in 1906 they made the world's first feature length film, "The Kelly Gang." Then came several outback Australian romances, including "Robbery Under Arms," "The Squatter's Daughter." and a series of dramas, notably "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," "Called Back," and "The Bells." Another enterprise of Messrs Johnson and Gibson was the erection of the St. Kilda Theatre in Fitzroy Street, which is now a large sound studio. As representative of an Australian exhibiting company, Mr Johnson lived in America for 20 years, and visited periodically every important studio in New York and Hollywood.

WILL HELP PRODUCERS

Cinesound Productions Ltd. intend to assist and encourage any of the smaller independent film producing companies whose activities are restricted by lack of adequate production facilities. At least one of its studios in Sydney or Melbourne will always be available to independent producers.

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* Guy Natusch, 17 September 1939, The Sunday Sun and Guardian, Melbourne.

Pioneered Our Movies

ORCHESTRAS have guest conductors and pulpits sometimes house guest preachers, so there's no reason why I should not have a "guest" for this page. The opportunity arises this week and I seize it gladly, seeing that the guest, in this instance, is Mr. Millard Johnson, who may fairly claim to be one of the two fathers of the motion feature picture in Australia.

When I referred recently to the fact that Australia produced the first long feature picture the world had seen, I had no information as to the personalities connected with it. Now, however, I know that it was produced by Mr. Millard Johnson and his brother-in-law, the late William A. Gibson. The film, as I mentioned before, was "The Kelly Gang," a five-reel drama, a length which amazed the world in the year of grace, 1906.

But before going into details concerning the doings of those early days I should like to introduce this page's guest a little more fully. Mr. Johnson lives to-day in Dandenong road, Prahan, Melbourne, and is 80 years of age — his handwriting belies his age but apparently the spirit of youth has refused to give way to the pressure of the years. After his own initial efforts he was for 20 years representative of Union Theatres and Australasian Films in New York, his term ending in 1931. But now let him tell something of his story in his own words.

"My own interest in the moving picture business," he says, "began late in 1894 when, as an analyst to a New York firm, I was strolling through Park Row one lunch hour and saw a lot of people in Perry's drug store so went in and was probably the first Australian to see a moving picture.

'There was a large cedar box, about the size of a glory box, with a slot in which you deposited a nickel, and a peephole through which you saw a real moving picture. The first picture I saw was 'The Kiss,' with Fanny Rice. It lasted about 25 seconds and was followed by some acrobatic turns — both under one minute, but all for a nickel, or 2½d. This was Edison's Kinescope and ran about double our present rate."

The seed was sown, and when Mr. Johnson returned to Melbourne he entered the business himself — "by showing with Stevenson, on the roof of my chemist's shop at SI. Kilda Junction, three reels of pictures which drew a crowd of over 1000 people. I ordered from London two Warwick Urban machines, and then began in earnest my career in the moving picture business." It was in 1903 that Mr. Johnson formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Mr. William A. Gibson, which led, three years later, to the making of the first feature-length film in the world. But at the outset the partnership concerned itself with the operation of a biograph company — it had 35 shows in town halls and open-air spaces in the city and suburbs and on the beaches. Picture theatres were then unknown.

In 1905 the partners bought, in conjunction with the Tait brothers, a long film called "Living London." They exhibited it to amazed audiences at the Glaciarium. The success of this film gave Mr. Johnson and his partner the idea of going one better. Drama on the films obviously had a field, so they decided to step right into it.

"We set to work at Ivanhoe in 1906 and there made 'The Kelly Gang,' the first five-reel drama in the world. This was so successful," says Mr. Johnson, "that we decided to go right ahead with our new enterprise.

"We had made eight more dramas, some of which you will recognise as having been re-done in later years. There were 'Robbery Under Arms,' 'The Squatter's Daughter,' 'Called Back,' 'The Mystery of a Hansom Cab,' and a stage play, 'The Bells,' with Arthur Steyne in the lead. J. C. Williamson lent us the star and the costumes."

Mr. Johnson places the late E. J. Thwaites as the actual Australian pioneer of the movies. From printed descriptions, says Mr. Johnson, Mr. Thwaites made in 1895 a facsimile of the combined camera, printer and projector invented in the same year by the Frenchman, Louis Lumiere. With this, Thwaites produced a number of good short pictures. What surprised me most, however, in the information provided by Mr. Johnson, is the early date at which horse races were filmed in Australia. He says that in 1896 Thwaites and Harvie, with Thwaites's camera, filmed the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup, and even more amazing this seems to me — showed them the same nights on the screen at the Opera House.

Those were the days! The pioneers were up against obstacle after obstacle but they cleared all hurdles. But some of the players in those first pictures were not so successful where obstacles were concerned. Mr. Johnson mentions that "The Kelly Gang," and "The Squatter's Daughter" were both filmed in open paddocks at Ivanhoe and necessarily there were many scenes with players on horseback.

"A deal of time was wasted because the actors would fall off their horses as soon as they began to trot," says Mr. Johnson. "They had never been on a horse before — except, perhaps, with the aid of of a bookmaker."

Well, there is Mr. Johnson's story in brief. It's good to welcome a pioneer in the industry and hear at first hand something of those early ventures.

[Photograph captions: (1) Old-time Vice and Virtue, what ho! And, at top right, (2) the villain still pursued her — right on to the railway line.]

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3. References

Johnson, Millard, Early Days in Australia, Film Daily Yearbook 1922-23, New York, 1923.

Reade, Eric, Early Australian Silent Film: A Pictorial History, 1896-1929, Lansdowne Press, Melbourne, 1970.

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Last updated: 1 September 2024

Michael Organ, Australia (Home)

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The films of Johnson & Gibson 1906 -1912, 1918

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