Open Writing

Before Cate Blanchette, before Mel Gibson, even before Errol Flynn there was Lottie Lyell, Australia's first film star.

Lottie Lyell; what a wonderful name. It just sort of slides off the tongue. Lottie Lyell. When Lottie Edith Cox adopted it as her acting name she must have been aware of the effect it would have. As memorable to her audience as the plays and films she starred in during the first three decades of the twentieth century.

Born in Sydney on 23 February 1890, Lottie grew up in Balmain. Despite having no family connection with the theatre she became a member of the Edwin Geach Company, and gained the female lead role in An Englishman's Home.

Lottie met Raymond Longford while she was with the Edwin Geach Company, and a lifelong relationship began. Together they toured Australia and New Zealand, as leads in a number of productions.

The film industry was in its infancy but already attracting talented actors from stage to screen. The new medium gave them access to a wider audience than they could reach before. Lottie and Longford made the transition in 1911, joining Spencer's Pictures. Lottie quickly proved her ability in front of the camera while Longford became their leading director.

Between 1911 and 1920 Lottie was Australia's most popular female actor, appearing in more than twenty films. They showed her considerable talents and utilised her horseback and swimming skills. The action scenes were all the more sensational because she performed her own stunts; diving into rivers and riding through the Australian bush. Longford directed most of her films over this period.

Lottie's name will always be linked with Longford's because of their working and personal relationships. Even though she was his long-term lover, he would neither publicly acknowledge it nor divorce his wife. It was not until just prior to her death that he is said to have admitted to their continuing personal relationship.

In her fourth film, The Fatal Wedding, she gained her first lead role, and continued as the lead in all her subsequent films. She was a prolific actress; in 1911 alone she featured in five films.

In 1916 Lottie started to work behind the camera, when she wrote the screenplay for Maori Maid's Love. Like her relationship with Longford her-behind-the-camera efforts were not acknowledged. She continued to write screenplays, edit, work as art director, co-director and in production, but was not given credit for any of these roles until her last few films. All this time the accolades were going to Longford while Lottie, although a very talented and capable woman, was being acknowledged for her acting alone.

Lottie's greatest achievement was the adaptation to film of C J Dennis' The Sentimental Bloke (1920). Longford asked her opinion as to whether it would work as a film. She believed it would be successful because of its uncomplicated plot and simple love story. Not only did she give a sensitive, natural performance as Doreen, but also assisted with producing, directing and editing. With this film she finally received her first official credit, as co-director. In 1968 The Sentimental Bloke was selected to represent Australia at the World Film Festival and, nearly fifty years after it was made, was voted number one film exhibited at the festival.

By 1920 Lottie was firmly established as Australia's leading female screen actor, but failing health forced her to curtail her workload. Lottie had contracted a prevalent disease of the period, tuberculosis. She only appeared in another two films. But her career did not end; instead of retiring she continued to work behind the camera on another seven films.

With Longford she formed Longford-Lyell Australian Production. Their first venture, The Dinkum Bloke (1923), cost under £5000 to make, returned £6000 for its backers and made another £2300 when sold to England. Despite this success they failed to get further financial backing and their company went bankrupt.

As independent filmmakers they formed a second company called Longford-Lyell Productions and made three more films. But their partnership came to an end on 21 December 1925, when Lottie died of tuberculosis. She was 35.

Although never given credit for her work behind the camera, Lottie's influence became evident when Longford's career went into decline after her death.

Very few of Lottie's films survive. Fortunately there is still a copy of her greatest, A Sentimental Bloke, at the National Film and Sound Archive. Also held there, although not all of them intact, are at least another four of her films.

© Paula Wilson