It followed on the success of Thunderbolt (1910), also made by Gavin and Forsyth.[11][2]
Synopsis
In the early 1870s, a New Zealand army officer, Captain George Scott, is caught cheating at cards and brutally beats a fellow officer. Disgraced and discharged, he joins the clergy and falls in love with the beautiful Ruth Clarke, whose brother has embezzled a large amount of money and is going to be arrested. For her sake he robs the Edgerton Bank, and arranges to leave by boat to England. The police arrive as he gets on the boat the Lady Isabelle and although he attempts to swim away he is wounded and arrested. Constables Ryan and Mae have their first case.
Scott later escapes from gaol by strangling a warden and releasing another prisoner. He becomes a bushranger under the name of "Moonlite", forming a gang which includes Ruth's brother. He saves an aboriginal "gin" called Bunda Bunda from drowning, then goes on to rob the gold escort, distributing some of this money to the poor.
Moonlite and his gang go on to stick up a country pub and the police send Inspector Carroll and his men after him. Moonlite's gang hold up
Wantabadgery Station, and Carroll gives chase but they are fought off and Bunda Bunda saves Moonlite's life.[12]
Ryan and Mac make a capture, and Bunda Bunda shoots the tracker after Moonlite. Eventually Moonlite is captured at McCreedy's farm after a shootout by Inspector Carroll in which Bunda Bunda is killed. He is taken away to gaol for the last time to be executed. All Ruth is left with is his cross.[13][14]
The plot appears to have been heavily influenced by the classic novel Robbery Under Arms.[17]
Gavin later said the film was the first script written by his wife Agnes. Female lead Ruby Butler won a beauty contest.[2]
The film was shot at Victoria Barracks in Sydney and in the bush around
Lithgow, with a budget of over £1,000.[18] over 200 people were reportedly involved in the film.[19]
Gavin was almost attacked by a shark while shooting an escape sequence near
Glebe Island – producer H.A. Forsyth had to throw a dog overboard to distract the shark and save Gavin.[20]
Release
Screenings of the film were usually accompanied by a lecturer.
Many advertisements for the film would mention Forysth but not Gavin.[21]
The first public screening was a sellout.[22] According to Gavin, the film was a massive success at the box office.[23]
^
abcEveryones, Everyones Ltd, 1920, retrieved 30 May 2018
^Mary Bateman, 'W. J. Lincoln', Cinema Papers, June–July 1980 p 173
^""CAPTAIN MOONLITE."". Queensland Times (DAILY ed.). Ipswich, Queensland. 20 March 1911. p. 4. Retrieved 4 October 2013 – via National Library of Australia.