Knowledge

The Blonde Captive

Source 📝

27: 461:, became concerned about the film when Withington refused to reply to queries while Porteus gave confusing answers. When the film was released, its representation of Aboriginal life had been grossly distorted and manipulated. This had far-reaching consequences for future legitimate research in Western Australia. Only ever screened in North America, the movie was banned in Australia. 101: 439:
Promoted as an educational film and advertised as "An Absolutely Authentic Amazing Adventure", the media reviews treated the movie as a documentary. The scientific community denounced the additions to the film as fake, leading to significant academic controversy with accusations that the movie was
331:
Hearing rumors of a white woman living with an Aboriginal tribe, the expedition eventually makes its way to a very remote area where they find a white woman who is the sole survivor of a shipwreck. The woman is married to a tribal Aborigine and is mother to his blond-haired child. After inquiring
602:
Tracey, M. A. 1994. 'When the Timber Cut Out' – Archaeological Aspects of Timber Extraction Procedures and Shipbuilding in the Murramarang District, New South Wales', Honours Dissertation (unpub.), Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.
435:
peoples with the "grotesque" cannibalistic Aboriginals who are obviously descended from Neanderthal ancestors, behave like monkeys and who practice "repulsively barbaric" customs. "...here is human life at its lowest form" says Lowell Thomas in his narration.
327:
instincts." Examining the faces of Aborigines, with flashbacks to an anthropology book, the documentary declares that it has found the people on earth most resembling mankind's ancestor, the Neanderthals.
444:. Dr. Withington made a public statement that footage of the white woman living with Aboriginals was authentic and the participation of Lowell Thomas, a famous explorer who had recently narrated 576:
Tracey, M. M., 2007. Wooden Ships, Iron Men and Stalwart Ladies: The TSS Douglas Mawson Saga, (unpub,) the School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.
382:. The study was filmed and the resulting documentary was expected to show the results of an officially sanctioned scientific expedition exploring the Indigenous cultures in Northern Australia. 453:
Stanley Porteus had gained permission for his expedition on the premise that he was making a film about Aboriginal life for educational purposes. After the expedition returned to America,
236:
After its 1947 re-screening the film went missing. A full print of the film was later discovered and made commercially available on DVD in 2010. It is also viewable online on YouTube.
264:. The film opens with the men discussing the exhibition in "the explorers club". The exhibition hopes to travel and then find the people on earth most related to the ancient 268:. Sailing from the west coast of North America, the expedition filmed indigenous peoples and customs of the islands along the way. The documentary stops in Hawaii and shows 409:. Fifteen minutes of footage depicting the subplot of a shipwrecked white American woman married to an Aboriginal were added. Renaming the resulting 431:
The movie was controversial in Australia for its racist and paternalistic approach to indigenous peoples. It compares the attractiveness of various
719: 233:. The film took previously released anthropological footage of native peoples in the Pacific and Australia, and added a sensationalized storyline. 323:
is cut up, and a sea turtle is dissected alive. The expedition returns to the mainland, where they again meet Aborigines "who have not lost their
56: 704: 724: 679: 689: 684: 669: 469:
After its 1947 screening the film went missing. In 2001, a reconstructed version of the film was restored from a partial nitrate
480:
A full print of the film was later discovered and made commercially available on DVD in 2010. The full film is also viewable on
423:
Contrary to the movie's title, the woman was neither captive nor blonde and she only appears in the movie's final five minutes.
694: 709: 664: 699: 518:
Grey, Geoffrey (2006). "Looking for Neanderthal Man, Finding a Captive White Woman: The Story of a Documentary Film".
674: 560: 78: 49: 714: 386: 390: 312: 39: 43: 35: 458: 304: 552: 308: 60: 587: 375: 8: 659: 597: 473:. The reconstruction was screened at the XXXI Mostra Internazionale del Cinema Libero in 385:
Produced by Porteus' North Western Australian Expedition Syndicate with a grant from the
604: 535: 505: 253: 226: 622: 592:
Tracey, M. M. and Lambert Tracey, J., 1999. 'The intrigue of the SS Douglas Mawson',
556: 406: 379: 324: 577: 633: 527: 269: 371: 364: 348: 277: 249: 230: 117: 100: 416:
Columbia released it in 1932. Imperial Pictures re-issued the movie in 1935 and
303:, and the harbor and city are shown. The documentary then traveling by train to 289: 628: 446: 441: 417: 653: 493: 470: 454: 402: 341: 245: 127: 582:
Tracey, M, M., 1997, 'The SS Douglas Mawson – A launching and a shipwreck',
315:
and visit the Aboriginal settlement of Boolah Boolah. They then sail to the
374:
conducted psychological and psychophysical studies of Aboriginal groups in
368: 257: 638: 432: 396: 293: 265: 616: 539: 549:
Columbia Pictures Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films, 1928–1982
531: 410: 316: 261: 229:
film directed by Clinton Childs, Ralph P. King, Linus J. Wilson, and
440:
promoted as an educational film to bypass censorship laws regarding
332:
about her welfare, she refuses to return to civilization with them.
280:
women are shown as they go about their daily life. Also visited are
644: 584:
The Bulletin of the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology
481: 474: 281: 393:
style documentary by William Pizor's Imperial Pictures in 1931.
320: 300: 285: 273: 588:
http://www.heritagearchaeology.com.au/douglas-mawson.html
363:
Accompanied by Paul Withington, Clinton Childs and two
598:
http://www.heritagearchaeology.com.au/intrique-dm.html
397:
Anthropological footage re-edited by Columbia Pictures
605:
http://www.heritagearchaeology.com.au/mt-honours.html
632:is available for free viewing and download at the 520:Health and History: Health, Medicine and the Media 578:http://www.heritagearchaeology.com.au/mt-phd.html 651: 48:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks 450:, gave the movie credibility with the public. 596:, Sydney Maritime Museum, Number 57, Sydney. 256:and archaeologist Clinton Childs conduct an 586:, Volume 21, No 1 & 2, pp. 9–18. 311:living in the desert. They then travel to 99: 79:Learn how and when to remove this message 720:English-language action adventure films 573:, Northern Territory Press, Darwin, NT. 389:, the film was released as a 59-minute 652: 319:and film indigenous people fishing. A 546: 401:Following the documentary's debut in 517: 387:Australian National Research Council 20: 705:Anti-indigenous racism in Australia 13: 725:Race-related controversies in film 511: 14: 736: 680:Australian action adventure films 610: 244:The film is narrated by explorer 690:Australian black-and-white films 25: 685:American action adventure films 670:American black-and-white films 492:The musical arrangement is by 426: 1: 695:Rediscovered Australian films 487: 459:chief protector of Aborigines 358: 710:1930s English-language films 665:1930s action adventure films 464: 420:re-issued it again in 1947. 7: 700:Rediscovered American films 571:White Missus of Arnhem Land 499: 299:The documentary arrives in 10: 741: 176:30 December 1931 457:, the Western Australian 354:Clinton Childs as himself 210: 200: 190: 167: 159: 151: 141: 133: 123: 107: 98: 93: 675:1930s rediscovered films 292:living traditionally in 34:This article includes a 594:Australian Sea Heritage 553:McFarland & Company 547:Pitts, Michael (2010). 335: 239: 63:more precise citations. 405:, it was re-edited by 309:Aboriginal Australians 344:as himself (narrator) 715:1930s American films 376:North West Australia 155:Nathan B. Braunstein 147:Thornton P. Dewhurst 414:The Blonde Captive, 391:National Geographic 272:. It then stops in 629:The Blonde Captive 618:The Blonde Captive 555:. pp. 22–23. 506:Pre-Code Hollywood 307:where they filmed 254:Harvard University 222:The Blonde Captive 94:The Blonde Captive 36:list of references 569:Smith, A., 1990. 407:Columbia Pictures 380:Central Australia 218: 217: 163:Imperial Pictures 89: 88: 81: 732: 634:Internet Archive 566: 543: 532:10.2307/40111543 365:cinematographers 276:, where topless 270:Native Hawaiians 183: 181: 103: 91: 90: 84: 77: 73: 70: 64: 59:this article by 50:inline citations 29: 28: 21: 740: 739: 735: 734: 733: 731: 730: 729: 650: 649: 613: 563: 514: 512:Further reading 502: 490: 467: 429: 399: 372:Stanley Porteus 361: 349:Paul Withington 338: 258:anthropological 250:Paul Withington 242: 231:Paul Withington 205: 193: 186: 179: 177: 170: 146: 145:George L. Crapp 118:Paul Withington 116: 115:Linus J. Wilson 114: 112: 85: 74: 68: 65: 54: 40:related reading 30: 26: 17: 12: 11: 5: 738: 728: 727: 722: 717: 712: 707: 702: 697: 692: 687: 682: 677: 672: 667: 662: 648: 647: 636: 625: 612: 611:External links 609: 608: 607: 600: 590: 580: 574: 567: 561: 544: 513: 510: 509: 508: 501: 498: 489: 486: 466: 463: 447:Africa Speaks! 428: 425: 418:Astor Pictures 398: 395: 360: 357: 356: 355: 352: 345: 337: 334: 260:expedition to 241: 238: 216: 215: 212: 208: 207: 202: 198: 197: 194: 191: 188: 187: 185: 184: 173: 171: 168: 165: 164: 161: 160:Distributed by 157: 156: 153: 149: 148: 143: 142:Cinematography 139: 138: 135: 131: 130: 125: 121: 120: 111:Clinton Childs 109: 105: 104: 96: 95: 87: 86: 44:external links 33: 31: 24: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 737: 726: 723: 721: 718: 716: 713: 711: 708: 706: 703: 701: 698: 696: 693: 691: 688: 686: 683: 681: 678: 676: 673: 671: 668: 666: 663: 661: 658: 657: 655: 646: 642: 641: 637: 635: 631: 630: 626: 624: 620: 619: 615: 614: 606: 601: 599: 595: 591: 589: 585: 581: 579: 575: 572: 568: 564: 562:9780786444472 558: 554: 550: 545: 541: 537: 533: 529: 525: 521: 516: 515: 507: 504: 503: 497: 495: 494:Carl Edouarde 485: 483: 478: 476: 472: 471:Internegative 462: 460: 456: 455:A. O. Neville 451: 449: 448: 443: 437: 434: 424: 421: 419: 415: 412: 408: 404: 403:New York City 394: 392: 388: 383: 381: 377: 373: 370: 366: 353: 350: 346: 343: 342:Lowell Thomas 340: 339: 333: 329: 326: 322: 318: 314: 310: 306: 302: 297: 295: 291: 287: 283: 279: 275: 271: 267: 263: 259: 255: 251: 247: 246:Lowell Thomas 237: 234: 232: 228: 224: 223: 213: 209: 204:United States 203: 199: 195: 189: 175: 174: 172: 166: 162: 158: 154: 150: 144: 140: 137:Lowell Thomas 136: 132: 129: 128:Lowell Thomas 126: 122: 119: 113:Ralph P. King 110: 106: 102: 97: 92: 83: 80: 72: 69:November 2023 62: 58: 52: 51: 45: 41: 37: 32: 23: 22: 19: 639: 627: 617: 593: 583: 570: 548: 526:(2): 69–90. 523: 519: 491: 479: 468: 452: 445: 438: 430: 422: 413: 400: 384: 369:psychologist 362: 330: 298: 266:Neanderthals 243: 235: 221: 220: 219: 192:Running time 169:Release date 75: 66: 55:Please help 47: 18: 427:Controversy 294:New Zealand 134:Narrated by 108:Directed by 61:introducing 660:1931 films 654:Categories 488:Soundtrack 433:Polynesian 367:, in 1928 359:Production 351:as himself 225:is a 1931 196:73 minutes 180:1931-12-30 124:Written by 477:in 2002. 465:Film lost 411:docudrama 317:Timor Sea 262:Australia 206:Australia 201:Countries 152:Edited by 16:1931 film 645:AllMovie 640:Synopsis 540:40111543 500:See also 325:cannibal 278:Balinese 227:pre-Code 211:Language 482:YouTube 475:Bologna 282:Fijians 214:English 178: ( 57:improve 559:  538:  442:nudity 321:dugong 313:Broome 305:Ooldea 301:Sydney 288:, and 248:. Dr. 536:JSTOR 290:Māori 42:, or 623:IMDb 557:ISBN 378:and 347:Dr. 336:Cast 286:Fiji 274:Bali 240:Plot 643:at 621:at 528:doi 284:in 252:of 656:: 551:. 534:. 522:. 496:. 484:. 296:. 46:, 38:, 565:. 542:. 530:: 524:8 182:) 82:) 76:( 71:) 67:( 53:.

Index

list of references
related reading
external links
inline citations
improve
introducing
Learn how and when to remove this message

Paul Withington
Lowell Thomas
pre-Code
Paul Withington
Lowell Thomas
Paul Withington
Harvard University
anthropological
Australia
Neanderthals
Native Hawaiians
Bali
Balinese
Fijians
Fiji
Māori
New Zealand
Sydney
Ooldea
Aboriginal Australians
Broome
Timor Sea

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.