One Hundred Crowded Years: The Centennial Film

HistoryDocumentary 54 minutes Directed by H.H Bridgman

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About One Hundred Crowded Years: The Centennial Film

A narrated history of New Zealand runs from the settlers of 1840 through first homes in the bush, the gold rushes, the wars with Māori, stagecoaches, and frontier towns, and on to 1940. Panoramas of the country sit between the staged pioneer work and the later towns.

Cast & crew

More about One Hundred Crowded Years: The Centennial Film

Herbert Howard Moulton (Bert) Bridgman directed it. Michael Forlong wrote it. B. V. Beeby narrates. C. D. Barton and R. M. McIntyre photographed it. Cyril James Morton edited it. F. Crowther wrote the music. The Government Film Studios at Miramar made it for the centenary. It was released on 28 November 1940 and runs 54 minutes. Hon. Frank Langstone ordered the film. The model was Frank Hurley's 1938 Australian picture A Nation is Built.

Themes

  • Settlement from 1840
  • Gold rushes
  • Wars with Māori
  • A century of towns
  • New Zealand
  • centennial
  • 1840
  • Miramar
  • Bridgman
  • gold rush

Making

Bridgman was assigned to direct the centennial feature at Miramar. The outbreak of war delayed it past the celebrations.

Audiences

Cinemas ran it without charge to the government and gave the children's sixpences to patriotic funds. School showings in Wellington raised £200. Some screenings drew small crowds.

Look

C. D. Barton and R. M. McIntyre photographed the scenery and the staged settler scenes.

Music

F. Crowther wrote the music. B. V. Beeby narrates.

Preservation

Archives New Zealand holds a print. A viewing copy runs 48 minutes 47 seconds, against a listed running time of 54 minutes.

Notes

  • Not every showing was well attended. One was cancelled because a local body barred Sunday screenings.
  • A timed copy runs 48 minutes 47 seconds.
  • Te Ara's clip shows a settler building a house by axe and saw while his wife works in the bush camp.
  • The archive reference dates a print to the National Film Unit, 1941, after the Miramar studios were reorganized.

Scenes

  • A settler raises a first house in the bush with an axe and a saw.
  • The film cuts from frontier towns to open views of the country.

Influenced by

  • A Nation is Built

Also available

  • Wikimedia Commons (One Hundred Crowded Years (1941).webm)
  • Archives New Zealand