stonehearst asylum , previously known as eliza graves , is an american gothic film directed by brad anderson and written by joseph gangemi , loosely based on the short story " the system of doctor tarr and professor fether " by edgar allan poe .

the film , starring kate beckinsale , jim sturgess , michael caine , ben kingsley , and david thewlis , was released on october 24 , 2014 .

stonehearst asylum

ben kingsley in
stonehearst asylum .
( simon varsano / millennium entertainment )
in some countries , its title has been changed to
stonehearst asylum
.
a gothic gosford park … ben kingsley in stonehearst asylum . photograph : allstar / millennium
ben kingsley and jim sturgess in the film
stonehearst asylum .
( millennium entertainment )
have a look below to see the official score list for the 2014 thriller movie , stonehearst asylum .
stonehearst asylum is a very deft character piece and morality play masquerading as a macabre thriller . – nerdist
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stonehearst asylum in theaters now & on vod ! download the soundtrack ft . music by academy award nonimee john debney
based on a story by the great edgar allan poe ,
stonehearst asylum
is a movie featuring a couple of big surprises .
[ us ] stonehearst asylum ( 2014 ) - thriller set in an asylum loosely based on a short story by edgar allen poe . starring kate beckinsale , ben kingsley , and michael caine .
the loonies really are running the show in “stonehearst asylum , ” a victorian melodrama in which no one seems quite right in the head .
[ us ] stonehearst asylum ( 2014 ) - thriller set in an asylum loosely based on a short story by edgar allen poe . starring kate beckinsale , ben kingsley , and michael caine . : netflixbestof
“stonehearst asylum” is rated pg - 13 ( parents strongly cautioned ) . psychoses in full swing , and sir michael caine in a ball gag .
ben kingsley , left , as the acting superintendent of a mental institution , and jim sturgess as a newly arrived doctor , in “stonehearst asylum . ”
principal photography began in bulgaria on june 21 , 2013 . on july 31 , 2014 , the film ' s title eliza graves was changed to stonehearst asylum .
on the surface , anderson seems to have all the necessary pieces for a surreal psycho pop . but the fear factor eludes him , leaving
stonehearst asylum
more insipid than insane .
in 1899 , young doctor jim sturgess arrives at forbidding stonehearst asylum , intrigued by the case of hysteric eliza graves ( kate beckinsale ) but some of the healing practises are quite unconventional .
jim sturgess plays edward , who shows up at the isolated stonehearst asylum and says his goal is to work with the staff in order to get practical experience for his future medical career .
some people may find
stonehearst asylum
too creepy for their tastes , but the fact that it was able to surprise me in a believable way at the very end was impressive to me .
eliza graves is based on a short story by edgar allan poe . it is the story of stonehurst asylum , a variation on the story of the inmates running the asylum .
stonehearst asylum ,
starring jim sturgess , kate beckinsale and ben kingsley , is a victoria - era psychological thriller with some good twisty turns thanks to the inspiration of an edgar allan poe story .
stonehearst asylum sets itself apart thanks to its source material - - it draws heavily from an edgar allan poe short story - - and its embracing of the hammer horror aesthetic in all its schlocky glory .
spoilers ahead . so in the movie stonehearst asylum , at the very end the twist is revealed to be that the young doctor is , in fact , quite mad himself . he reveals this fact to the love interest and whisks her off to another asylum that they may or may not be running .
lakeshore records will release the soundtrack to stonehearst asylum , a thriller based on a poem by edgar allan poe . academy award - nominated composer john debney lends his signature touches to this mysterious film about a recent medical student grad who takes up a position at a mental institution . stonehearst asylum is directed by brad anderson ( the machinist , the call ) and is in theaters and vod on october 24 . more soundtrack details are forthcoming .
oscar winners ben kingsley and michael caine join kate beckinsale at the mysterious asylum in this thriller .
movies & more reviewer john gillispie shares his thoughts on
stonehearst asylum ,
which is rated pg - 13 . the movie is available on dvd and stars jim sturgess , kate beckinsale , ben kingsley and michael caine .
the cast for
stonehearst asylum
includes david thewlis and michael caine in important roles , but i can ' t describe much more about the movie without giving too many details away for those who haven ' t seen it yet .
i need to stop watching asylum themed horror movies . i can’t help but be a sucker for them , especially when they are set in the early 19 th century . stonehearst asylum boasts a pretty big cast for a movie that had zero marketing . the film stars kate beckinsale as eliza graves who has been committed by her husband for “hysteria” .
technicolor - postworks new york provided post - production services for stonehearst asylum , the new suspense film from director brad anderson and millennium entertainment . the facility provided editorial systems and support to the production and also handled editorial conforming , color grading and deliverables .
the lunatics have seldom taken over the asylum so literally , yet to so little reward , as in “stonehearst asylum . ” not exactly qualifying as horror , costume drama , mystery , parable or satire , this well - mounted gothic meller — as much as it’s anything — arrives top - heavy with prestige british acting talent but never quite finds its footing , or [ … ]
stonehearst asylum stars kate beckinsale ( underworld : awakening , total recall ) , ben kingsley ( shutter island , elegy ) , michael caine ( the dark knight rises , inception ) , jim sturgess ( cloud atlas , 21 ) and brendan gleeson ( gangs of new york , in bruges ) .
on christmas eve 1899 , a dewy - eyed young doctor played by jim sturgess arrives at stonehearst to apprentice under the mysterious dr . lamb ( ben kingsley ) .
director brad anderson (
the machinist ,
transsiberian
) heaps a lot onto the narrative table set by the screenwriter , joseph gangemi . like martin scorsese ' s
shutter island ,
stonehearst asylum
starts with the hysteria knob set at 11 and goes up from there .
stonehearst asylum ( filmed under the title of eliza graves ) was released in 2014 to a mixed reception from both critics and audiences . directed by brad anderson ( session 9 and the machinist ) , the film stars jim sturgess , kate beckinsale , ben kingsley , michael caine , david thewlis , and brendan gleeson .
my biggest criticism of this film is that halfway through the plot they reveal to you the true identities of the asylum patients and the asylum staff , and there is no ambiguity whatsoever from that point on . they could have created a lot of suspense from the fact that there is no way to be certain that the asylum patients in the secret ward are truly sane and telling the truth , and no way to ensure that the asylum staff are really insane . the grey area of psychology allows for a lot of suspense here that was not utilized .
i really like brad anderson’s films ( hell , i even dug the call ) , so stonehearst asylum is a painful disappointment . it could’ve benefited from some tighter editing and a stronger focus on tone . the performances are solid enough to give the movie a one - view pass , but ultimately it’s a forgettable film .
young doctor edward newgate ( jim sturgess ) arrives at stonehearst asylum to get some clinical training but finds the eccentric superintendent dr . lamb ( ben kingsley ) using unusual methods that are not necessarily helpful to his psychiatric patients . lamb also has a guard / henchman named finn who shows signs of hostility to the newcomer .
when young doctor edward newgate ( jim sturgess ) arrives at stonehearst asylum in search of an apprenticeship , he is warmly welcomed by superintendent dr . lamb ( ben kingsley ) and a mesmerizing woman by the name of eliza graves ( kate beckinsale ) . edward is intrigued by lamb ' s modern methods of treating the insane until a series of unusual events leads him to make a horrifying discovery , exposing lamb ' s utopia and pushing edward to the limits of his conscience . inspired by a short story from edgar allan poe , stonehearst asylum is a tale in which nobody is who or what they appear to be . ( c ) millenium entertainment
in the first scene of the gothic bash
stonehearst asylum ,
a doctor played by brendan gleeson gasses on about
the classic symptoms of the chronic hysteric .
he may as well be talking about the madhouse genre itself , in addition to the fraught young woman on display , eliza , played by kate beckinsale .
newgate is surprised by lamb ' s unorthodox methods and uncustomarily humane asylum . lamb explains that he does not believe in drugging or incarcerating his patients , and he encourages their delusions when he feels it will bring them greater happiness , thus creating a kind and dignified environment at the asylum .
“stonehearst asylum” is a movie loosely inspired by an edgar allan poe story . john debney wrote the score , and he’s been a true hit and miss composer for me . mostly miss lately , but i was interested in this score . the subject was interesting and a good composer like debney could really make something memorable with it .
anyone hoping for a thriller exploring victorian - era medicine ' s manifest gender oppression , beware : david cronenberg ' s a dangerous method , alice winocour ' s excellent augustine or even the maggie gyllenhaal - hugh dancy rom - com hysteria would be better options . in stonehearst asylum , women are just collateral damage in a war between men .
in 1899 , young doctor jim sturgess arrives at forbidding stonehearst asylum , intrigued by the case of hysteric eliza graves ( kate beckinsale ) . soon , he learns the apparent director ( ben kingsley ) is a lunatic who has overthrown the real master ( michael caine ) and is putting his own wild theories into practice among free - range lunatics .
in 1899 , a young doctor arrives at an asylum for an apprenticeship and becomes suspicious of his mentor ' s methods while falling for a female patient .
stonehearst asylum , the new film starring kate beckinsale ( underworld : awakening , snow angels ) and jim sturgess ( one day , cloud atlas ) is on vod and in theaters now ( check showtimes ) . music composed and conducted by academy award nominee john debney ( houdini , draft day , walk of shame ) , the soundtrack features classical orchestral cues befitting the period drama .
it may not be his worst film overall , but
stonehearst
is anderson ' s flattest film , a disappointingly shallow affair that wastes an opportunity to breathe life into a timeless edgar allen poe short story .
taking a tilt toward moral ambiguity , stonehearst asylum plays up the notion that normalcy and deviance are relative , artificial concepts . but this film is hardly substantial enough to sustain such suggestions ; instead , the sentimental id comes to the fore as the film builds up to a climax that finds the power of love conquering all — including hysteria . who needs shrinks when schmaltz is enough ?
making its european bow at the rome film festival on oct . 22 before opening domestically in the u . s . on oct . 24 , stonehearst asylum might recoup part of its budget through the appeal of kate beckinsale . the underworld star somehow gets a chance to flex her actioner chops in this film , even when she ' s playing a fragile , psychologically unwell victorian - era aristocrat .
a couple of days before 1899 christmas , the oxford new graduate dr . edward newgate arrives at the stonehearst asylum to complete training for his specialty of asylum medicine . he is met by armed men who take him to dr . silas lamb , who welcomes his help and takes him under his wing . edward is shocked to see the methods that dr lamb uses to run this asylum . he becomes infatuated with eliza graves , one of the patients who is a lady of status and does not seem to belong . one night , edward overhears a knocking from the bowels of the facility and is shocked to find that everything is not as it seems in this place and that his uneasy feelings may be justified . what will edward choose ?
thank you sirs , may we have another ? it’s been 26 years since the release of without a clue , the sherlock holmes spoof that first united british screen icons ben kingsley and michael caine . at long last the two reunite in stonehearst asylum , an upcoming dramatic thriller based on edgar allan poe’s short story the system of doctor tarr and professor fether ( the film was originally titled eliza graves ) .
a harvard medical school graduate takes a job at an insane asylum , unaware of the fact that it has been taken over by its occupants . from urltoken on november 7 , 2010
rotten tomatoes , a review aggregator , reports that 52 % of 48 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review ; the average rating was 5 . 5 / 10 . the site ' s consensus reads :
stonehearst asylum offers over - the - top fun for genre aficionados ; for others , however , it ' s likely to prove a dull disappointment .
metacritic rated it 52 / 100 based on fourteen reviews .
loosely based upon the short story “the system of doctor tarr and professor fether” by edgar allan poe , stonehearst asylum tells the tale of dr . edward newgate ( sturgess ) , who has recently arrived at the aforementioned asylum . there he meets dr . silas lamb ( kingsley ) , patient eliza graves ( beckinsale ) , and lamb’s right - hand man mickey finn ( thewlis ) . after witnessing lamb’s treatment of his patients , newgate slowly begins to realize that things aren’t what they seem and , with the help of dr . benjamin salt ( caine ) , he slowly unravels the truth of what is really going on .
an oxford graduate takes up a job in a mental asylum , only to discover that the
revolutionary
new treatments are inhumane and that there is more going on than meets the eye .
this still leaves the actual final minutes open to interpretation . they may be continuing his fantasy together running the asylum , or just picked a nice place to be crazy together . either works .
rotten tomatoes , a review aggregator , reports that 50 % of 28 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review ; the average rating was 5 . 7 / 10 . the site ' s consensus reads :
stonehearst asylum offers over - the - top fun for genre aficionados ; for others , however , it ' s likely to prove a dull disappointment .
metacritic rated it 50 / 100 based on twelve reviews . ( wikipedia )
i’ve still not shaken the “generic thriller horror music” feeling though . luckily , “stonehearst asylum” has 31 cues , so i am patient . and then the main character finally starts meeting people in the asylum . he meets timm and i wake up , very scared . he meets eliza and the strings touch me . i wasn’t expecting to find such a beautiful melody in this score . then he is chased and i run with him . the orchestral madness begins . “the doctor’s story” is a lot of fun , in a creepy asylum sort of way . this score took its time to take off , but it’s flying now , and i’m invested in it . “danse macabre saint saens” delivers exactly what it promises , and i love it . it’s a crazy wonderful fantasy and i can only smile and imagine how the scene looks like .
the reason for lady graves ' warning soon reveals itself . newgate discovers dozens of prisoners being kept in basement cells . the prisoners reveal that they are the true staff of stonehearst , and the doctors and nurses newgate has met upstairs are actually patients .
overall , the film gets pretty uneven in tone and pacing , and its premise ' s farfetched elements are further called to one ' s attention by a couple major subtlety lapses and much conventionalism , yet the intriguing subject matter , and the competence displayed within excellent score work , exquisite cinematography and art direction , generally effective writing and direction , and engrossing performances make
stonehearst asylum
a compelling and ultimately rather thought - provoking psychological dramatic thriller .
newgate is the new doctor at the titular establishment , an asylum for the rich and socially mobile . when the rich and famous don’t want to be embarrassed by their uncle who thinks he’s a horse , they shuffle him off to stonehearst . it is where the privileged few go when their minds break . and it is an unhappy , dark place . as ben kingsley ’s silas lamb says , “ misery has a way of clarifying one’s condition . ”
based on an edgar allan poe story , stonehearst asylum stars kate beckinsale , ben kingsley , jim sturgess and michael caine in a thriller about patients who take over a corrupt mental institution . the film was shot in bulgaria with thomas yatsko as cinematographer . brian gates edited the film at technicolor - postworks’ west village location on greenwich street . the film was conformed by editor george bunce on autodesk smoke . technicolor - postworks generated dcp , film and video deliverables .
not at all the psycho shriek - fest its halloween - proximate release might suggest , ' stoneheart asylum ' is a handsome psychological cat - and - mouse game featuring excellent performances by a powerhouse cast .
at this point , anytime i see a movie about someone visiting a mysterious asylum i can pretty much guess what the twist is going to be . it makes the whole movie a chore to watch .
he meets the man in charge ( played by ben kingsley ) and is surprised by the unusual methods of treatment he has for some of his patients . you do get a feeling that something isn ' t quite right at stonehearst and those suspicions are soon confirmed .
the lack of thematic substance wouldn’t be an issue if “stonehearst asylum” had the personality it should have with someone as talented as anderson at the helm . “stonehearst” should be a hammer film , rich with dark corridors and oppressive shadows . while the production design may be authentic , and one can admire anderson’s desire to stay truthful with his period , it leads to a film that’s surprisingly dull visually . i like that anderson doesn’t resort to jump scares or other modern horror techniques , but he hasn’t replaced those tricks of the trade with the dread required for this story to work . of course , it’s not anderson’s fault that gangemi’s script is shallow and repetitive—there has to be at least 12 scenes of newgate trying and failing to convince graves to leave , for example .
common criticism for the film centered upon what the reviewers felt was the film ' s failure to live up to its full potential , considering its atmosphere and all - a - list cast , except for the main character , jim sturgess , a relative unknown . and the los angeles times wrote ,
on the surface , anderson seems to have all the necessary pieces for a surreal psycho pop . but the fear factor eludes him , leaving
stonehearst asylum
more insipid than insane .
the psychology is there too . the setting is a british insane asylum whose troubled patients on a snowy christmas eve in 1899 occupy a once - mannerly estate that has slipped into very ill - mannered debauchery and decay .
but newgate begins to have his suspicions about stonehearst , starts poking around and–this isn ' t a spoiler , since it takes place a half - hour into a movie that runs nearly two hours–discovers the real staff is locked up in the maze of old - school iron cages in the basement . the inmates are now running the asylum . but rather than ride off and return with the authorities , dr . newgate stays , a prisoner of his love for the skittish mrs . graves and…well , that would be telling .
the rest of the score doesn’t lose this pace . it ends up as a very enjoyable listen . sometimes crazy fantasy , sometimes scary , sometimes adventurous , “stonehearst asylum” delivers in the end . i got a couple of cues that even reminded me of debney’s “end of days score” , while others were simply fun to listen to . “finn catches fire / escape” for example experiments with all sort of scary sounds and it works . the score waltzes its way to the end and i am left with a very good feeling .
perhaps it ' s apt that a decrepit boiler room is one of stonehearst asylum ' s major settings . in his latest outing , brad anderson has basically thrown everything into the film ' s furnace so as to keep its wobbly narrative running — to no avail , sadly : as the leaps between genre tropes and divergent threads exposes ever wider plot holes , this incoherent adaptation of an edgar allan poe ( joe gangemi wrote the screenplay ) short story attempts endless twists and turns , culminating in a supposedly cathartic denouement drenched in sap .
in this war of asylum - set attrition , the good guy is edward newgate ( jim sturgess ) , who arrives on christmas eve , 1899 , at a far - flung mental institution to take up the job as a physicist ; the bad guy , meanwhile , is silas lamb ( ben kingsley ) , the asylum ' s superintendent , whose seemingly benign approach toward his charges — among them eliza — is shattered when newgate discovers the awful truth in that basement boiler room .
the lunatics have seldom taken over the asylum so literally , yet to so little reward , as in “stonehearst asylum . ” not exactly qualifying as horror , costume drama , mystery , parable or satire , this well - mounted gothic meller — as much as it’s anything — arrives top - heavy with prestige british acting talent but never quite finds its footing , or a discernible point . arriving the week before halloween in a half - dozen territories including the u . s . , the pic’s familiar faces and promise ( however empty ) of a moderately scary good time should generate more idle curiosity than b . o . , with word of mouth unlikely to help . ancillary prospects are likely to be healthier , but this fairly expensive - looking production will face a long slog recouping its costs .
later , a young man , the newly - minted dr . edward newgate , ( jim sturgess ) , arrives at stonehearst asylum on christmas eve , where he desires to take up residency . a group of armed men led by mickey finn ( david thewlis ) allow him entry . finn escorts him to the office of the superintendent , dr . silas lamb ( ben kingsley ) . although lamb was not expecting him , despite newgate having sent letters preceding his arrival , he welcomes the help of an oxford - educated doctor and grants him the residency .
cut to christmas eve . aspiring alienist edward newgate ( sturgess ) is pounding on the locked gates of stonehearst , hoping to study with the well - known dr . salt ( caine ) . but salt has been replaced by dr . silas lamb ( kingsley ) , who agrees to take on newgate as his assistant .
clever , well - acted , and entertainingly executed , stonehearst asylum is a nice under - the - radar psychological thriller piece . in it , we find a recent medical school grad taking up a position at a mental institution , turn of the century , only to find things are not as they seem . there are twists , turns , and horror , albeit with some raised eyebrows . that stonehearst is even remotely compelling is due mostly to its cast , a talented ensemble team . none more exciting to watch , however , than ben kingsley , whose embodiment of his character steals the attention in every scene . to be sure , the twists do start to get ahead of the film , and the third act almost falls apart . yet , the originality in the beginning , and the slow unveil make it standout , along with the strong performances . interesting . 3 . 5 / 5 stars
one patient in particular grabs newgate’s attention : eliza graves ( kate beckingsale ) , a proper victorian woman whose husband had her taken away to the funny farm to quell her sinful desires . newgate’s first hint that something is amiss at stonehearst comes the first night , when eliza warns him to flee before silas can spot him slipping away . he dismisses her warnings ( she is crazy after all , right ? ) and as newgate digs further into the secrets of the asylum , he uncovers a conspiracy that involves michael caine locked up in the basement – never a good sign .
the last scene shows an open - air , progressive asylum in italy and eliza plays the piano for the inmates . her
husband
now goes by the name of dr . lamb and is apparently on staff there , and they seem quite happy .
download the album : urltoken subscribe : urltoken lakeshore records presents stonehearst asylum ( original motion picture soundtrack ) - official album preview featuring the score by academy award - nominated composer john debney ! partial track listing 01 . eliza’s theme 0 : 00 03 . eliza’s story 0 : 30 04 . wagon ride 1 : 00 06 . edward enters asylum 1 : 30 07 . eliza plays 2 : 00 10 . dangerous liaison 2 : 30 11 . lamb gives a tour 3 : 00 12 . edward meets timm 3 : 30 14 . the chase 4 : 00 18 . danse macabre saint saens 4 : 30 21 . bonfire / edward prepares 5 : 00 28 . i am dr . newgate ! 5 : 30 30 . eliza’s waltz 6 : 00 31 . eliza and edward 6 : 30 like : urltoken follow : urltoken follow : urltoken urltoken
we get bouts of electroshock therapy of a particularly harsh degree and , more frighteningly , both kingsley and david thewlis in cackling , bulging - eyed close - up , portraying asylum staffers you wouldn ' t trust with your brain , your secrets or anything else .
joseph gangemi’s screenplay is based on a humorously macabre 1844 edgar allan poe story that’s been adapted numerous times before , notably by two screen surrealists : juan lopez moctezuma in his 1973 cult film “the mansion of madness , ” and jan svankmajer with 2005’s “lunacy” ( which also took inspiration from the marquis de sade ) . both predecessors were much bolder , if more esoteric , statements than “stonehearst asylum” ends up being . never quite sure whether it’s aiming for suspense , absurdism , romance , or something else , the pic simply tries for everything in half - hearted fashion , with results that are neither sufficiently plausible nor fantastical .
but the scare , that terror of being locked away and at the mercy of the barbaric
remedies
used at the time to treat mental ails , never takes hold . the scene is certainly macabre with stonehearst patients encouraged to indulge their delusions and mingle freely about the place . and nothing , including the hospital staff , is what it seems .
lady graves and the impostor newgate end the film at the santa cristina asylum in tuscany , italy , where they are known as dr . and mrs . lamb , treating mental patients with the original lamb ' s methods . the two dance happily and embrace in a beautiful garden .
the original story on which eliza graves is based - the system of doctor tarr and professor fether - is a dark comedy about a wandering traveller who , out of curiosity , investigates an insane asylum that is reputed to employ a highly liberal method of treatment that allows patients to wander freely about the grounds , and encourages the doctors to freely indulge and even encourage their delusions . upon arriving at the asylum , however , the traveler discovers the patients locked away in cells and is told that an incident occurred a few weeks prior that forced the suspension of the ' soothing system ' .
newgate immediately falls for one of the patients , a beautiful , well - bred woman who plays piano for the inmates . eliza ( kate beckinsale ) is there for
hysterics
, having attacked her abusive and powerful , well - connected husband who had her committed . eliza , recognizing that newgate is a compassionate man , begs him to flee stonehearst but he refuses to leave without her .
stonehearst asylum isn’t devoid of merit though . it’s actually a very good idea for a film . there’s some lovely cinematography , some decent performances , and some nice ideas , but overall , it ends up feeling very ho - hum . and being that it’s based upon a story by edgar allan poe , i couldn’t help but wonder what it could have been if it had been made into a roger corman film with vincent price starring in ben kingsley’s role . the story has the kind of feel of the fall of the house of usher to me , and it could have been a wonderful film indeed . as such , the film is still worth seeing , but will probably leave you feeling disgruntled .
it’s familiar territory for sir ben , who we last saw in diagnosis mode in the 2010 mind bender shutter island . and while the exclusive trailer offers only glimpses of him in the same frame with sir michael ( who plays the asylum’s imprisoned former superintendent ) , you’d be mad to think these titans won’t eventually clash .
lady graves , now a resident at stonehearst , is introduced to newgate , who appears immediately smitten . lamb explains that the lady graves has an abusive and painful past . she developed hysteria from enduring her husband ' s
unnatural appetites
and can no longer bear emotional or physical contact without seizing in hysterical fits . she stabbed her husband in the right eye with a comb and bit off his left ear trying to protect herself , which led to her father committing her into the asylum to escape her marriage to her
monster
of a husband . her husband has since been trying to free her back into his care . dr . lamb is currently prescribing musical therapy for her and refuses to declare her sane , for her own safety .
now then , stonehearst asylum is a film that probably reads better on paper than it does on film , and considering its literary source , it’s not hard to understand why . this is certainly not a straight adaptation of the original poe story , but the main plot and some of the story ideas are very much present . that being said , it’s my belief that the writer of this film was trying a little bit too hard to conceal the mystery before revealing it with the film’s twist ending , which is actually the most disappointing aspect of the film as a whole . never mind that some of the character motivations and the actors’ performances are lackluster , or that the story itself is quite predictable , but that twist ending really damages the entire experience as a whole .
in hope of becoming a resident and in search of experience , edward newgate , a promising young doctor who has recently graduated from oxford , arrives at the stonehearst institution for the mentally ill , in 1899 . however , right from the start , it is quite clear that the superintendent dr silas lamb ' s unorthodox methods of treatment seem to have no positive effect on the patients , furthermore , there is a strange feeling that there is more to the asylum than meets the eye . little by little , as edward becomes infatuated with the mysteriously alluring inmate , eliza graves , reconciling lamb ' s practices with his fresh ideas about therapy , will soon lead to a startling and unexpected discovery . in the end , who can be trusted in a place where nothing is as it seems ?
the opening scene of “stonehearst asylum” sets up a film that , sadly , doesn’t follow . a young woman named eliza graves ( kate beckinsale ) is being paraded in front of a room of mental health experts . the doctor in charge ( brendan gleeson ) claims that she is mentally ill , however anderson films the scene in a way that makes the men in the room menacing , teasing a film that should follow about how much energy was expended in medical circles to marginalize what was perceived as a lesser gender . female sexuality was an illness to be cured . and yet even this opening scene is something of a misdirect . as gleeson’s mad doctor says , quoting directly from the poe story on which this is loosely based , “ believe nothing you hear , and only half that you see . ”
gangemi ' s script has apparently changed a few details and fleshed out the story . the main character is now a harvard medical school graduate , the eponymous eliza graves , who arrives at the asylum and begins falling for one of the doctors there only to discover - like the protagonist of poe ' s story - that all is not as it seems .
asylum , an institution that specializes in the treatment of mentally disordered members of distinguished families–there ' s even a relative of the queen among its 200 residents . and at first he ' s pleasantly surprised : though isolated , it ' s not a crumbling hellhole and superintendent dr . lamb ( ben kingsley ) makes it clear from the outset that he and the previous superintendent , dr . salt ( michael
christmas day , 1899 . a well - dressed young man is walking along a foggy english back - country road , suitcase in hand . two locals—a girl and her father—stop their cart to ask whether he needs a ride . he politely accepts and introduces himself . his name is newgate , and he’s an alienist—what we’d call a psychiatrist nowadays—on his way to start an internship at stonehearst , a secluded institution that caters to the rich and privileged , black sheep afflicted with everything from schizophrenia and pyromania to “female hysteria” and “incurable homosexuality . ”
newgate sneaks into lamb ' s office and successfully retrieves salt ' s notes , but not the keys . while hiding , he overhears lamb and finn discussing him . finn is deeply suspicious of newgate , but lamb believes newgate shows promise and could be a great asylum doctor one day . both acknowledge the prisoners in the basement , and lamb promises that the loose ends will be tied up by the new year .
later , lady graves ' husband and the earlier oxford professor arrive at the asylum . the asylum has been restored to a gentler order under the kind hand of mrs . pike , who is now in charge and has incorporated many of lamb ' s methods of treatment . the professor demands lady graves ' release , but mrs . pike says that dr . newgate already released her weeks ago . the professor reveals that he is the true dr . newgate and the one they knew is an imposter . the dr . newgate they met was never a medical student , nor a doctor at all , but an escaped mental patient who had also been part of the exhibition . dr . lamb , playing chess with the reduced dr . salt , hears this and shows a spark of his previous self as he gleefully remarks
checkmate .
while the patients are happy and thriving , there are some definite failings to lamb ' s method of running the asylum . they are quickly running out of provisions and having difficulties keeping up with the every - day demands of the large institution , such as heating the building in winter . some of the more violent patients , such as finn , are also difficult to control , and he eventually murders a female patient .
i’m not sure what the director of the machinist is doing directing such a run of the mill asylum movie . the plot is so paper thin and overdone that a small child could see it coming a mile away . but yet here we are with brad anderson at the helm directing this hunk of junk . it’s so formulaic that it seems as though anderson is going out of his way to bore his audience to death .
though she brushes aside newgate ' s attempts at flirtation , she is struck by his empathy and respectful demeanor . an elaborate christmas feast follows , during which the staff and patients mingle and a small fight between newgate and finn occurs , cementing their dislike for one another . after the dinner , lady graves delivers ominous warnings to newgate , and quietly insists that he flee the asylum , but newgate refuses to leave without her .
the story abruptly shifts to an asylum shrouded in fog . edward newgate ( jim sturgess ) is the jonathan harker of this story , the man coming to the dangerously - lit castle in the middle of the night . echoes of “bram stoker’s dracula” and “shutter island” hang heavy in the air , again promising a film with something to say and personality to spare ; setting a table on to which too slight a meal is placed .
premiere . a new apprentice at a lunatic asylum is intrigued by the unusual methods of the doctor in charge . he realises too late that the doctor is actually a patient who has taken over with the intent of establishing his own form of society - a plan that leads to chaos . gothic horror based on edgar allen poe ' s short story eliza graves , starring kate beckinsale , jim sturgess , david thewlis and michael caine .
1 . eliza’s theme 2 . opening 3 . eliza’s story 4 . wagon ride 5 . seeing the asylum 6 . edward enters asylum 7 . eliza plays 8 . eliza warns edward / secret passage 9 . we are not crazy 10 . dangerous liaison 11 . lamb gives a tour 12 . edward meets timm 13 . edward meets eliza 14 . the chase 15 . the doctor’s story 16 . edward’s plea to eliza 17 . shock therapy 18 . danse macabre saint saens 19 . edward searches / finn kills millie 20 . eliza finds dead millie / inmates revelry 21 . bonfire / edward prepares 22 . finn / edward fight 23 . countdown 24 . strapped to gurney / edward confesses 25 . electrocution / lamb’s story revealed 26 . finn catches fire / escape 27 . aftermath / first kiss 28 . i am dr . newgate ! 29 . edward’s story 30 . eliza’s waltz 31 . eliza and edward
for more physical evidence , at the end of the movie we see characters acting in ways that would not really be feasible given the events portrayed . the old nurse is now the head of the asylum , when she was rotting in a cell barely fed for months just a 3 weeks prior . the
mongoloid
is now a well dressed gatekeeper / guard . and the entire establishment appears to have returned to working order in no time at all .
as it turns out ( again , spoilers ) , dr . newgate isn’t actually who he says he is . he’s actually a mental patient himself , posing as a doctor in order to get to eliza after seeing her once and falling in love with her . all of this is revealed by the actual dr . newgate ( brendan gleeson ) after eliza and faux newgate leave the asylum after getting it back under control and out of the hands of dr . lamb . in the film’s final moments , we find them at , yet , another asylum . it appears to be set in italy in a beautiful countryside and they have both taken on new identities : dr . lamb and mrs . lamb . there they allegedly carry on with the real dr . lamb’s treatment by allowing patients to roam free and permitting them to live out their mental states . actually , that last part is nothing more than a mere theory from myself . the ending doesn’t provide you with a concrete answer as to exactly what the hell is going on . but my question is this : these two escape from a mental institution to . . . live in another mental institution ? other than to assume their new identities ( which they didn’t technically have to do ) , there’s not much reason for two star - crossed mental patients to want to flee from an asylum just to enter into another .
beckinsale is a familiar face to horror fans , having played the lead in three underworld films and the escape - the - room thriller vacancy . brad anderson seems like an excellent choice for director , having launched his career with the insidiously creepy session 9 , which was also set in an old insane asylum and also explored the subject of insanity . oren peli , creator of paranormal activity , is onboard as a producer , along with bruce davey and mel gibson .
jim sturgess ( across the universe ) takes the lead as edward newgate , a med school grad who accepts an unenviable new position at the titular mental institution in mid - 19 th century france ( you know , when treatment of the mentally ill wasn’t exactly an evolved practice ) . he finds romance with a patient , eliza ( played by kate beckinsale and likely named after poe’s mother ) , but all sorts of less delightful surprises , too , in the asylum’s dark underbelly .
the blu - ray presentation of stonehearst asylum features a very strong transfer , but has been aggressively graded digitally to appear very drab and dim . as far as image detail is concerned , it’s quite abundant ; both foreground and background elements are very sharp and precise . colors are very muted , but aesthetically so , and as a consequence , skin tones never appear completely natural . black levels are very satisfying and deep , and contrast levels are quite satisfactory . there is a touch of edge enhancement present , but not an overburdening amount of it . as for the soundtrack options , you get an english 5 . 1 dolby truehd track and an english 2 . 0 dolby digital track . the lossless 5 . 1 track is quite immersive . dialogue is always the main focus , clean and clear , while the sound effects and score have some great speaker to speaker activity . ambient noises fill the surround speakers , as does the film’s score , all with the aid of some excellent lfe . it’s a strong visual and aural presentation , overall . there are also subtitles in english sdh and spanish for those who might need them .
newgate ' s attempt to drug the patients and gain control of the asylum is thwarted and lamb prepares newgate for electric shock therapy to turn him into a mental patient to live among them . it is revealed that newgate had come to the asylum specifically to rescue lady graves , whom he had seen at the oxford medical demonstration and become fixated with . before the treatment , lamb grants newgate a final request : to see a picture of lady graves that he keeps in his pocket . the true object in his pocket , a picture of one of the young soldiers lamb shot ( which newgate discovered in the padded cell salt kept lamb in ) , causes lamb to stagger out of the room in a fugue . finn goes to pick up the electric prods to finish the job , but newgate is rescued by lady graves who overcomes her hysterical fits to kill finn via electrocution . a fire starts and spreads as lady graves rescues the staff from their cells and leads the patients out of the building .
as lamb shows newgate around the grounds , it becomes clear that something is very , very wrong . despite all indications that the young man should flee , his new infatuation with eliza forces him to stay . he’s going to save her ; get her free of this torture palace . the male doctor as white knight for the infirm female—again , this seems like material ripe for interesting commentary but writer joe gangemi wastes every opportunity to do so . “stonehearst aslyum” becomes something of a tease : every time you think it’s going to develop into something interesting , it pulls away from you . for a film about insanity and abuse of power , it’s surprisingly tame .
however , this makes perfect sense if you just keep in mind the protagonist merely re - arranged the roles . he thought the
guard
more fitting of a mongoloid due to his large stature and minimal words , he re - cast two older looking gentlemen ( who are literally just playing chess against each other , as opposed to the figurative chess game suggested during the movie ) as the opposing leaders of the asylum , and the horse - guy . . . well he made him remain a horse - guy .
the beginning of the score , for about 10 cues , sets the mood and gets us to know the asylum and the characters there . i could very well skip most of those cues , because i understood what’s going on from the second one . the atmosphere is creepy , dark , but the music is pretty generic . the usual stringy gothic music you’d expect to find on a score like this . “eliza’s theme” is the only thing i remember from this part , a beautiful piano theme that john debney really put his heart into .
jim sturgess ( heartless ) plays edward newgate , a recently graduated doctor who takes an assistant position at a secluded nuthouse , nestled in the foggy bosom of the english countryside . the superintendent of the asylum is silas lamb ( ben kingsley at his most stately ) , who lords over the patients with a seemingly gentle touch – allowing them to roam freely about the grounds , even dining with them . the patients themselves are a special lot . most of them come from well - to - do families and have been committed for “maladies” like homosexuality and epilepsy .
that ' s not really a spoiler — the twist happens well before the film ' s midpoint , and the main thread here seems to be newgate ' s efforts to foil lamb ' s plans and survive in the process . therein , however , lies the problem : gangemi ' s screenplay struggles to maintain its momentum past the key revelation , and the mind boggles at newgate ' s bizarre actions ( especially given his awareness that lunatics have taken over the asylum ) and the seemingly powerful lamb ' s failure to catch on that newgate has discovered his secret .
it ' s the acting department that sells this thriller set inside a mental institution as a young doctor slowly uncovers something amiss at the old isolated lunatic asylum for the rich and famous out in the middle of nowhere . ( if you ' re gonna be anywhere with a lunatic , is there any place better than the middle of nowhere ? and you can ' t answer if your married . ) michael caine and ben kingsley ground the piece with their usual aplomb , framing the action in believability and setting up the matinee idols of sturgess and beckinsale for romantic fumblings in a padded cell . . .
the real superintendent , dr . benjamin salt ( michael caine ) , explains that lamb and finn drugged their drinks and led a revolt . dr . salt and mrs . pike ( sinéad cusack ) , the matron , warn newgate that lamb is a dangerous madman – a surgeon who murdered his patients during wartime . isolated and with limited options of regaining control over the asylum even should they be freed , the staff must remain in their cells to await outside assistance . they request that dr . newgate locate the keys in finn ' s possession to release them , or else escape to london and seek help .


while the billy boils is a 1921 australian film from director beaumont smith which adapts several stories from henry lawson .

it is considered a lost film .

while the billy boils

to ask other readers questions about while the billy boils , please sign up .
biography of a book : henry lawson ' s while the billy boils / paul eggert .
the revision and copy - editing of while the billy boils : lawson and arthur w . jose
biography of a book : henry lawson ' s while the billy boils /  paul eggert .
australian literary criticism and scholarly editing from the 1980s : while the billy boils as cross - section .
this book has a partner book , biography of a book : henry lawson ' s while the billy boils .
we’d love your help . let us know what’s wrong with this preview of while the billy boils by henry lawson .
biography of a book : henry lawson ' s while the billy boils / paul eggert . - version details - trove
as the billy boils : david best and amanda o ' regan dole out the tea leaves .
tue 25 oct 1921 - the register ( adelaide , sa : 1901 - 1929 ) page 5 -
while the billy boils .
mon 2 oct 1916 - the sydney morning herald ( nsw : 1842 - 1954 ) page 4 -
while the billy boils .
the register ( adelaide , sa : 1901 - 1929 ) , tue 25 oct 1921 , page 5 -
while the billy boils .
the sydney morning herald ( nsw : 1842 - 1954 ) , mon 2 oct 1916 , page 4 -
while the billy boils .
to undertake a detailed examination of one of lawson’s stories from while the billy boils ( ‘the drover’s wife’ ) undertake a this close reading exercise .
lawson , h . while the billy boils : the original newspaper version . edited by paul eggert , notes by elizabeth webby , sydney university press 2013 .
biography of a book : henry lawson ' s while the billy boils / while the billy boils : the original newspaper versions
by pierce , peter - journal of the association for the study of australian literature : jasal , vol . 13 , issue 3 , september 1 , 2013 | online research library : questia
abstract the oast secured for the beaumont smith production ,
white the billy boils ,
embraces some of the best known of australian performers . after having created
while the billy boils ( first published in 1896 ) is lawson’s best - known collection of prose writing , predominantly consisting of short stories and sketches that were originally published in newspapers and periodicals such as the bulletin .
biography of a book : henry lawson ' s while the billy boils , by paul eggert . new south wales : sydney university press , 2013 , 428 pp . isbn : 9781743320129 ( pbk ) $ aud 35 . 00 urltoken
' biography of a book ' traces the life of an iconic australian literacy work in the lead - up to , and for a century after , its initial publication : henry lawson ' s 1896 collection ' while the billy boils ' .
collected by warren fahey from cyril duncan ( source : 1 - cassette collection of abc radio programs : while the billy boils , a panorama of australian folklore , devised and scripted by warren fahey , australian broadcasting commission , 1981 . [ isbn 0 6442 975817 ]
although this section refers closely to only four of the stories , the wiki activity in the initial response section should have extended students’ knowledge of the stories and encouraged them to read more so they are able to gain an understanding of lawson’s predominant themes and attitudes . while students read other stories and sketches from while the billy boils , they could consider the following questions .
lizzie hadn’t smiled , not once ; she watched him gravely all the while .
[ this is a transcription of the major handwritten addition to the clipping of
hungerford
. for a fuller recording of the stages of correction and revision , and for further explanation , see the scholarly edition ‘while the billy boils : the original newspaper versions’ , ed . paul eggert ( 2012 ) . ]
while the billy boils : the original newspaper versions , ed . paul eggert with explanatory notes by elizabeth webby . new south wales : sydney university press , 2013 , 450 pp . isbn : 9781743320099 ( pbk ) $ aud 25 . 00 urltoken ; = 1 & nid ; = 838
you have chosen to write about henry lawson , with close reference to two of his short texts from while the billy boils . the purpose of your response will be to persuade your audience that lawson was the greatest of the early australian writers and that his work is a rich source of information on colonial australia .
[ this is a page - by - page literal transcription of the holograph manuscript in bertha lawson ' s hand , with some corrections by henry lawson . errors remain uncorrected . for a reading text , see ‘while the billy boils : the original newspaper versions’ , ed . paul eggert ( 2012 ) . ]
she reflected solemnly for a while , and then asked him if it felt sore .
welcome back . just a moment while we sign you in to your goodreads account .
a billy was boiling unheeded on the fire . mason sat at the table with his face buried in his arms .
{ { cite news urltoken | title =
while the billy boils .
| newspaper = [ [ the sydney morning herald ] ] | issue = 24 , 567 | location = new south wales , australia | date = 2 october 1916 | accessdate = 10 july 2018 | page = 4 | via = national library of australia } }
article details ,
biography of a book : henry lawson ' s while the . . .
in while the billy boils , lawson tends to use short , sharp sentences , sparse adjectives and honed - to - the - bone description . his style has often been seen as ‘typically australian’ , with its dry descriptions of the landscape . looking at a few examples will help students to understand how lawson develops a sense of tone and conveys attitudes through his writing .
the edition also facilitates a close study of lawson’s collaboration with the producers of the collection in 1896 , in particular with his copy - editor arthur w . jose and publisher george robertson . facsimile images ( available online ) of the printer’s copy that they prepared for while the billy boils supplement the edition’s listing of the alterations that each of them made , revealing the textual history of each story or sketch .
{ { cite news urltoken | title =
while the billy boils .
| newspaper = [ [ the register ( adelaide ) ] ] | volume = lxxxvi , | issue = 25 , 319 | location = south australia | date = 25 october 1921 | accessdate = 10 july 2018 | page = 5 | via = national library of australia } }
the scholarly edition of while the billy boils ( published by sydney university press in 2013 and edited by paul eggert ) notes that lawson’s stories were often short and self - contained as they needed to be sold to newspapers ( p . xxi ) . although publishing constraints may have determined the length of lawson’s pieces of writing , brevity and precision are the determining features of his style .
australia was still a series of colonies when henry lawson was born . while the billy boils was first published in 1896 , shortly before federation . paul eggert’s biography of a book ( sydney university press , 2013 ) traces the history of its publication and is well worth a read if wishing to develop an understanding of the australian publishing industry in lawson’s time and the iconic nature of the collection .
souvenir program for a theatrical production held during the first world war . this program is for a repeat performance of ' while the billy boils ' by the australian flying corps concert party ( minchinhampton aerodrome ) at the aif and war chest club in london . the concert was held at 7 . 40pm circa june 1918 . the setting for the play is the australian bush at yarra glen in victoria and the program includes explanations of australian terms and expressions .
handwritten notes pencilled on the reverse explain that it is , in fact , a model for the drop scene or back curtain of the “australian night’s entertainment” performed by members of the australian flying corps at the minchinhampton aerodrome in gloucester , england in july 1918 . the production featured a dramatisation of c . j . dennis’ poem “while the billy boils” written and directed by wesley old boy and wyvern f . beaumont “monte” phillips . monte recalled :
one of the children died while she was here alone . she rode nineteen miles for assistance , carrying the dead child .
on the edge of the plain
has been cited as the
perfect
example of an effective sketch story . [ 1 ] critic john barnes believes that the story was ahead of its time , writing that
to a modern reader of chekhov , the art of this little story is quickly recognised , but the originality of what lawson was doing on his own went unremarked when while the billy boils was published in 1896 .
[ 1 ]
each man feels for the mouth of his sugar - bag with one hand while he keeps the bearings of his pot with the other .
“oh , of course i remember you ! what was i thinking about ? i’ve had such a lot of worry lately that i don’t know whether i’m on my head or my heels . besides , you’ve grown since then , and changed a lot . you’re billy — billy ——”
rats entered into the spirit of the thing ; he stripped to the waist , and while he was getting ready the travellers pretended to bet on the result .
“we had a camp fire on the stage with a billy , pannikin , saddle , bridle , whips , australian riding togs—and other indicia of the atmosphere of australia . billy boyd , brother of pen boyd , the australian artist , manipulated the paints and brushes—this model is his own remembrance of the healesville valley . the wings are gums .
[ this is a transcription of the major handwritten additions to the clipping of
an old mate of your father ' s
. the hand is henry lawson’s ; the corrections in black ink are those of his editor in 1895 , arthur jose . lawson’s text is given . for a fuller recording of the stages of correction and revision , and for further explanation , see the scholarly edition ‘while the billy boils : the original newspaper versions’ , ed . paul eggert ( 2012 ) . ]
brighten ' s sister - in - law
is one of a series of joe wilson stories that appeared in joe wilson and his mates ( 1901 ) , which along with lawson ' s earlier collection while the billy boils ( 1896 ) , contains the author ' s best work . like chekhov , lawson never published a novel . again like chekhov , he was more interested in portraying character and interpersonal dynamics , than in developing plot .
“you see , it must have been another bullock - driver that died . there was an old shanty - keeper up coonamble way , so billy said , that used to always mistake him for another bullocky and mistake the other bullocky for him — couldn’t tell the one from the other no way — and he used to have bills against billy that the other bullock - driver’d run up , and bills against the other that billy’d run up , and generally got things mixed up in various ways , till billy wished that one of ’em was dead . and the funniest part of the business was that billy wasn’t no more like the other man than chalk is like cheese . you’ll often drop across some colour - blind old codger that can’t tell the difference between two people that ain’t got a bit of likeness between ’em .
lawson ' s writing is beautiful , subtle , and incredibly evocative of time and place . while the billy boils is full of wonderful stories and sketches , but for me it doesn’t quite work as a collection . there is a sketch describing a train trip across the australian outback , the monotony of the long miles and faceless towns only somewhat relieved chance meetings with colorful strangers . the book reads something like that ; each sketch beautiful and true , every character interesting , yet read all toget
“on the edge of a plain” was originally published in the bulletin in may , 1893 and then reappeared three years later in lawson’s collection titled while the billy boils . at just over 500 words , “on the edge of a plain” truly meets the definition of what a sketch story should be and many critics contend that it is not just the apotheosis of lawson’s collection of such stories , but stands as one of the best ever written—if , indeed , not the very model of what of a sketch story could and should achieve .
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billy tea , damper , quoits , skipping and checkers , st patrick’s had all the ingredients for a day of old - school shenanigans on wednesday , august 16 .
nothing was said for a while , until malachi , after fidgeting a good deal on his stool , asked the bricklayer when he was leaving the station .
“seed old corney in town saturday , ‘n he said thur was enough to make it worth while bailin’ out . bin bailin’ all the mornin’ . ”
after a long while we closed our book , and looking through the window , saw a hawker’s turn - out which was too sorrowful for description .
the defunct was a young union labourer , about twenty - five , who had been drowned the previous day while trying to swim some horses across a billabong of the darling .
is that what makes lawson some kind of great writer , some kind of great australian writer ? and are these two things the same thing ? back in 1972 , brian matthews wrote the receding wave in which he argued that the best of lawson’s short fiction was great by any standards . it’s interesting to ponder this question as we read and re - read lawson’s most famous book , while the billy boils . it is made up of these stories and sketches of lawson which j . f . archibald published in the bulletin and was subsequently published in book form by angus and robertson .
by way of variety , the artist might make a water - colour sketch of a fettler’s tent on the line , with a billy hanging over the fire in front , and three fettlers standing round filling their pipes .
an early australian prime minister , william morris ‘billy’ hughes , once referred to lawson as the ‘minstrel of the people’ . how does the piece you have read relate to the concerns or interests of ordinary australians in the time when lawson was writing ?
he scratched the back of his head , and thought a while , and hesitated like a stranger who is going to do you a favour at some personal inconvenience .
he rested brummy on the ground while he had another pull at the bottle , and , before going on , packed the bag of bones on his shoulder under the body , and he soon stopped again .
another from ron edwards , this collected from stan dean of cairns , a song he wrote in the 1920s as part of a skit he wrote while picking hops in victoria .
a boy is seen to run wildly along the siding and hurl a missile at a feeding cow ; the cow runs forward a short distance through the trees , and then stops to graze again while the boy stirs up another milker .
they talked awhile ; then sunlight proposed to second the swag , while his mate supported the old man , and after some persuasion , milky agreed , for the sake of the lark , to act as time - keeper and referee .
“no — you’re smart — for fear i’d clear . at last i swore on the bible that i’d never leave home while the old folks were alive ; and then mother seemed easier in her mind . ”
while he celebrated the australian virtues of toughness and mateship , he also emphasized the country ' s harshness and its ability to damage the human spirit . today ' s critics understand that he was writing about the
dark side
of the australian experience .
there was a rabbit trapper’s camp amongst those trees ; he had made a fire to boil his billy with gum - leaves and twigs , and it was the scent of that fire which interested the exile’s nose , and brought a wave of memories with it .
“mother , i won’t never go drovin’ ; blarst me if i do ! ” and she hugs him to her worn - out breast and kisses him ; and they sit thus together while the sickly daylight breaks over the bush .
the class should divide into two , with half arguing lawson’s images of the bush are too negative and full of ‘doom and gloom’ , while the other half counters this , saying he offers realist portraits of a country struggling towards self - realisation .
i thought that australia day was a good time to start an australian version * . while some of the songs will be previously - recorded songs , most will be recorded for this blog . i plan to use a variety of arrangement styles and recording approaches . while i will attempt to record versions of these songs which are pleasant to listen to , this is more of an archiving project than a recording venture .
in a slashing attack on australian publishers and booksellers , mrs lawson said that while her husband’s complete works could not be bought in sydney ‘for love nor money , ’ russia was translating and publishing them .
then he calmed down , carried his swag to the side of the track , sat down on it and talked rationally about bush matters for a while ; but presently he grew silent and began to feel his muscles and smile idiotically .
tom’s dog did his best ; but he fell sick while chawing up the fourth capitalistic canine , and subsequently died . the dummies had robbed that cur with poison before starting it across — that was the only way they could get at tom’s dog .
next day a funeral gathered at a corner pub and asked each other in to have a drink while waiting for the hearse . they passed away some of the time dancing jigs to a piano in the bar parlour . they passed away the rest of the time skylarking and fighting .
the drover’s wife makes the children stand together near the dog - house while she watches for the snake . she gets two small dishes of milk and sets them down near the wall to tempt it to come out ; but an hour goes by and it does not show itself .
billy is a canadian who immigrated to australia and had a successful , but short career through the 1940s . all of his 18 songs that have been previously released in 1940 and 1947 with basically guitar , but also 3 with band accompaniment consisting of great fiddle and accordion work in romantic canadian style . billy , who passed away in 1977 , was not only a great singer . his yodeling was fantastic , too . this cd is of great historical meaning and will please both fans of old canadian and australian country music .
“the thunderin’ jumpt - up bones is all skew - whift , ” he said . “‘ole on , brummy , an’ i’ll fix ’em”— and he leaned the dead man against a tree while he settled the bones on his shoulder , and took another pull at the bottle .
dave shut up for a good while , but presently i says to dave “i see that them hoops is comin’ in again , dave . the paper says that this here lady duff had one on when she landed . ”
then he placed the other strip on top , with the hollow side downwards — thus sandwiching the defunct between the two pieces — removed the saddle - strap , which he wore for a belt , and buckled it round one end , while he tried to think of something with which to tie up the other .
“you can drive me somewhere where i can leave my swag and dog while i get some decent clothes to see a tailor in , ” he said to the cabman . “my old dog ain’t used to cabs , you see . ”
“you’d better invite some woman you know to come on a visit , and pass her off as your sister , ” said brown to his wife , while steelman was gone for the beer . “i’ve made a mess of it . ”
bob smoked in silence for a while , and seemed to look at some dark clouds that were drifting along like a funeral out in the west . presently he said half aloud something that sounded like “all , all — why — past . ”
we were delayed for an hour or so inside sydney heads , taking passengers from the oroya , which had just arrived from england and anchored off watson’s bay . an adelaide boat went alongside the ocean liner , while we dropped anchor at a respectable distance . this puzzled some of us until one of the passengers stopped an ancient mariner and inquired . the sailor jerked his thumb upwards , and left . the passengers stared aloft till some of them got the lockjaw in the back of their necks , and then another sailor suggested that we had yards to our masts , while the adelaide boat had not .
on 23 july 1892 , paterson published his reply to lawson , entitled ‘in defence of the bush’ . while lawson had accused writers such as paterson of being ‘city bushmen’ , paterson had countered by claiming that lawson’s view was full of ‘doom and gloom’ .
on reaching the hut the old man dumped the corpse against the wall , wrong end up , and stood scratching his head while he endeavoured to collect his muddled thoughts ; but he had not placed brummy at the correct angle , and , consequently , that individual fell forward and struck him a violent blow on the shoulder with the iron toes of his blucher boots .
three times a day the black billies and cloudy nose - bags are placed on the table . the men eat in a casual kind of way , as though it were only a custom of theirs , a matter of form — a habit which could be left off if it were worth while .
at last , persuading himself that the noise was caused by possums or the wind , the old man went inside , boiled his billy , and , after composing his nerves somewhat with a light supper and a meditative smoke , retired for the night . he was aroused several times before midnight by the same mysterious sound overhead , but , though he rose and examined the roof on each occasion by the light of the rising moon , he discovered nothing .
a little farther on we saw the first sundowner . he carried a royal alfred , and had a billy in one hand and a stick in the other . he was dressed in a tail - coat turned yellow , a print shirt , and a pair of moleskin trousers , with big square calico patches on the knees ; and his old straw hat was covered with calico . suddenly he slipped his swag , dropped his billy , and ran forward , boldly flourishing the stick . i thought that he was mad , and was about to attack the train , but he wasn’t ; he was only killing a snake . i didn’t have time to see whether he cooked the snake or not — perhaps he only thought of adam .
“well , the widow struggled along and managed without her husband just the same as she had always struggled along and managed with him — a little better , perhaps . an old digger used to drop in of evenings and sit by the widow’s fire , and yarn , and sympathize , and smoke , and think ; and just as he began to yarn a lot less , and smoke and think a lot more , billy nowlett himself turned up with a load of rations for a sheep station . he’d been down by the other road , and the letter he’d wrote to his missus had gone astray . billy wasn’t surprised to hear that he was dead — he’d been killed before — but he was surprised about the five quid .
the men pretended to get more and more excited , and betted freely ; and rats did his best . at last they got tired of the fun , sunlight let the swag lie after milky called time , and the jackaroo awarded the fight to rats . they pretended to hand over the stakes , and then went back for their swags , while the old man put on his shirt .
the two travellers had yarned late in their camp , and the moon was getting low down through the mulga . mitchell’s mate had just finished a rather racy yarn , but it seemed to fall flat on mitchell — he was in a sentimental mood . he smoked a while , and thought , and then said :
it made him wild to be called a mug , and we swore and growled at each other for a while ; but we daren’t speak loud enough to have a fight , so at last i agreed to toss up for it , and i lost .
i came into this book not really expecting to like it , but was definitely pleasantly surprised . the stories , while simple , have amazing depth and emotion . the overall feeling was very australian , the hardships and lack of hope offset by the humour and strength of friendship . the stories could make me laugh and weep , sometimes together . beautiful work .
“me luck’s in for the day and no mistake ! ” said the shepherd , scratching the back of his head , while he took stock of the remains . he picked up a stick and tapped the body on the shoulder ; the flesh sounded like leather . he turned it over on its side ; it fell flat on its back like a board , and the shrivelled eyes seemed to peer up at him from under the blackened wrists .
“ah , well ! . . . well , one evening i was playing marbles out in front of our house when a chap we knew gave me his pipe to mind while he went into a church - meeting . the little church was opposite — a ‘chapel’ they called it . ”
brook agreed , and then they turned their faces towards the homestead . half - way down the sidling was a clump of saplings , with a big log lying amongst them . here brook paused . “we’ll sit down for a while and have a rest , ” said he . “sit down , lizzie . ”
presently — suddenly , it seemed to our drowsy senses — two of the shearers and the bagman commenced arguing with drunken gravity and precision about politics , even while a third bushman was approaching the climax of an out - back yarn of many adjectives , of which he himself was the hero . the scraps of conversation that we caught were somewhat as follow . we leave out most of the adjectives .
the country was pretty open round there — the nearest timber was better than a mile away , and i wanted to give bill a good start across the flat before the go - as - you - can commenced ; so i talked for a while , and while we were talking i thought i might as well go the whole hog — i might as well die for a pound as a penny , if i had to die ; and if i hadn’t i’d have the pound to the good , anyway , so to speak . anyhow , the risk would be about the same , or less , for i might have the spirit to run harder the more i had to run for — the more spirits i had to run for , in fact , as it turned out — so i says :
he rested again ; then he continued : “that — that there dog was pupped on the track , ” he said , with a sad sort of a smile . “i carried him for months in a billy , and afterwards on my swag when he knocked up . . . . and the old slut — his mother — she’d foller along quite contented — and sniff the billy now and again — just to see if he was all right . . . . she follered me for god knows how many years . she follered me till she was blind — and for a year after . she follered me till she could crawl along through the dust no longer , and — and then i killed her , because i couldn’t leave her behind alive ! ”
while we were waiting for the oroya some of the ship’s officers came and had a consultation over this log and called up part of the crew , who got some more ropes and a chain on to it . it struck us at the time that that log would make a sensation if it fetched loose in rough weather . but there wasn’t any rough weather .
they spared him half a pound ; but he said he didn’t want it all , and cut off about an ounce , which he laid on the end of his swag . then he took the lid off his billy and produced a fishing - line . he baited the hook , threw the line across the track , and waited for a bite . soon he got deeply interested in the line , jerked it once or twice , and drew it in rapidly . the bait had been rubbed off in the grass . the old man regarded the hook disgustedly .
“eggert carefully unpacks the multiple complexities of negotiating authorial reputation in a uk - dominated marketplace , offering insight into how angus and robertson sought to claim a place for australian - based publishing through robust management of lawson’s fresh and engaging work , while at the same time contextualizing these negotiations within larger social and cultural movements and evaluations . [
golden gully had its little community of fossickers who lived in a clearing called spencer’s flat on one side and pounding flat on the other , but they lent no life to the scene ; they only haunted it . a stranger might have thought the field entirely deserted until he came on a coat and a billy at the foot of saplings amongst the holes , and heard , in the shallow ground underneath , the thud of a pick , which told of some fossicker below rooting out what little wash remained .
consider dorothea mackellar’s ‘my country’ ( printed on pamphlets which were distributed to the anzac soldiers to remind them fondly of home ) , a poem written while in england . compare this to the grudgingly patriotic voice in ‘his country – after all’ . how does lawson’s harshly masculine and realist vision of australia contrast to mackellar’s lyrical and emotive imagery ?
he caught several cod and a bream while they were there , and invited them to camp and have tea with him . but they wished to reach a certain shed next day , so — after the ancient had borrowed about a pound of meat for bait — they went on , and left him fishing contentedly .
we got the billy boiled first , and some leaves laid down for our beds and the swags rolled out . we thanked the lord that we had some cooked meat and a few johnny - cakes left , for we didn’t feel equal to cooking . we put the billy of tea and our tucker - bags between the heads of our beds , and the pipes and tobacco in the crown of an old hat , where we could reach them without having to get up . then we lay down on our stomachs and had a feed . we didn’t eat much — we were too tired for that — but we drank a lot of tea . we gave our calves time to tone down a bit ; then we lit up and began to answer each other . it got to be pretty comfortable , so long as we kept those unfortunate legs of ours straight and didn’t move round much .
while out boating one sunday afternoon on a billabong across the river , we saw a young man on horseback driving some horses along the bank . he said it was a fine day , and asked if the water was deep there . the joker of our party said it was deep enough to drown him , and he laughed and rode farther up . we didn’t take - much notice of him .
continue the debate between paterson and lawson over the romantic versus the realist view of the bush .
they lowered him to the bottom , and tom shouldered his pick in silence and walked off to the tent . he found the tin plate , pint - pot , and things set ready for him on the rough slab table under the bush shed . the tea was made , the cabbage and potatoes strained and placed in a billy near the fire . he found the fried bacon and steak between two plates in the camp - oven . he sat down to the table but he could not eat . he felt mean . the inexperience and hasty temper of his brother had caused the quarrel between them that morning ; but then jack admitted that , and apologized when he first tried to make it up .
“yes — you’re very smart , ” snapped mitchell ; “never mind —— . this reminds me that i got a chap at a pub to pawn my last suit , while i stopped inside and waited for an old mate to send me a pound ; but i kept the shooter , and if he hadn’t sent it i’d have been the late john mitchell long ago . ”
mason was kneeling in front of the “face” digging away by the light of a tallow candle stuck in the side . the floor of the drive was very wet , and his trousers were heavy and cold with clay and water ; but the old digger was used to this sort of thing . his pick was not bringing out much to - day , however , for he seemed abstracted and would occasionally pause in his work , while his thoughts wandered far away from the narrow streak of wash - dirt in the “face . ”
there is some growling about the water here , and one of the men makes a billy of tea . the water is better cooked . pint - pots and sugar - bags are groped out and brought to the kitchen hut , and each man fills his pannikin ; the irishman keeps a thumb on the edge of his , so as to know when the pot is full , for it is very dark , and there is no more firewood . you soon know this way , especially if you are in the habit of pressing lighted tobacco down into your pipe with the top of your thumb . the old slush - lamps are all burnt out .
( 1896 ) , it traces the entire history of its production and critical reception in australia through the changing social and intellectual formations of the twentieth century . it is an engrossing detective story , a rich repository of evidence , and a masterpiece of a particular kind of literary scholarship . it will have a substantial impact on australian literary studies while also making this australian case an illuminating one for international work in the field of textual studies . ”
“what’s the matter with the little room at the back ? ” he asked .
and the sun sank again on the grand australian bush — the nurse and tutor of eccentric minds , the home of the weird .
the fellows in the fore - cabin that evening were growling about the bad quality of the grub supplied .
the oracle came up with smith that night at the nearest shanty , and found that he had forgotten again , and in several instances , and was forgetting some more under the influence of rum and of the flattering interest taken in his case by a drunken bachelor of arts who happened to be at the pub . tom came in quietly from the rear , and crooked his finger at the shanty - keeper . they went apart from the rest , and talked together a while very earnestly . then they secretly examined smith’s swag , the core of which was composed of tom’s and his mate’s valuables .
we looked out again while the train was going slowly , and saw a teamster’s camp : three or four wagons covered with tarpaulins which hung down in the mud all round and suggested death . a long , narrow man , in a long , narrow , shoddy overcoat and a damp felt hat , was walking quickly along the road past the camp . a sort of cattle - dog glided silently and swiftly out from under a wagon , “heeled” the man , and slithered back without explaining . here the scene vanished .
it was the first monday after the holidays . the children had taken their seats in the old bark school , and the master called out the roll as usual :
“all the same it wasn’t him ; for the real brummy turned up later on ; but he couldn’t make the people believe he wasn’t dead . they was mostly english country people from kent and yorkshire and those places ; and the most self - opinionated and obstinate people that ever lived when they got a thing into their heads ; and they got it into their heads that brummy usen was shot while trying to bail up old mr s—— and was dead and buried .
mason reached the surface and came and knelt by the other side of the boy .
the stranger pushed open the creaking door , and stood bareheaded just inside the doorway .
the dog went off , and his master returned to the interior of the hut .
“then , again , there was the case of brummy usen — hughison i think they spelled it — the bushranger ; he was shot by old mr s— — of e— — while trying to stick the old gentleman up . there’s something about it in a book called ‘robbery under arms’ , though the names is all altered — and some other time i’ll tell you all about the digging of the body up for the inquest and burying it again . this brummy used to work for a publican in a sawmill that the publican had ; and this publican and his daughter identified the body by a woman holding up a branch tattooed on the right arm . i’ll tell you all about that another time . this girl remembered how she used to watch this tattooed woman going up and down on brummy’s arm when he was working in the saw - pit — going up and down and up and down , like this , while brummy was working his end of the saw . so the bushranger was inquested and justifiable - homicided as brummy usen , and buried again in his dust and blood stains and monkey - jacket .
with the scientific expression , took a note - book from his pocket , opened it on the table and said ` come in ' : one of the chaps appeared with a billy of hot coffee two pint pot ' s and some cake . he said he thought you chaps might like a drop of coffee before you turned in and the boys had forgot to ask you to wait for it down in the camp . he also wanted to know wether mr stoneleigh and his man would be alright and quite comfortable for the night and wether they had blankets enough - - - there was some wood at the back of the whare and they could light a fire if they liked .
there was no shaking off steelman . he had a way about him which would often make it appear as if you had invited him to stay , and pressed him against his roving inclination , and were glad to have him round for company , while he remained only out of pure goodwill to you . he didn’t like to offend an old friend by refusing his invitation .
you have been here , say , three months , and are only about two weeks behind . the landlady still says , “good morning , mr careless , ” or “good evening , mr careless , ” but there is an unpleasant accent on the “mr , ” and a still more unpleasantly pronounced stress on the “morning” or “evening . ” while your money lasted you paid up well and regularly — sometimes in advance — and dined out most of the time ; but that doesn’t count now .
they let him think . the coach descended the natural terraces above the river bank , and pulled up at the pub .
the coach had climbed the terraces on the south side of the river , and was bowling along on a level stretch of road across the elevated flat .
sometimes the boy sticks his head into the cow’s side , hangs on by a teat , and dozes , while the bucket , mechanically gripped between his knees , sinks lower and lower till it rests on the ground . likely as not he’ll doze on until his mother’s shrill voice startles him with an inquiry as to whether he intends to get that milking done to - day ; other times he is roused by the plunging of the cow , or knocked over by a calf which has broken through a defective panel in the pen . in the latter case the youth gets tackle on to the calf , detaches its head from the teat with the heel of his boot , and makes it fast somewhere . sometimes the cow breaks or loosens the leg - rope and gets her leg into the bucket and then the youth clings desperately to the pail and hopes she’ll get her hoof out again without spilling the milk . sometimes she does , more often she doesn’t — it depends on the strength of the boy and the pail and on the strategy of the former . anyway , the boy will lam the cow down with a jagged yard shovel , let her out , and bail up another .
the selector’s wife removes the newspapers , and reveals a thick , yellow layer of rich cream , plentifully peppered with dust that has drifted in somehow . she runs a forefinger round the edges of the cream to detach it from the tin , wipes her finger in her mouth , and skims . if the milk and cream are very thick she rolls the cream over like a pancake with her fingers , and lifts it out in sections . the thick milk is poured into a slop - bucket , for the pigs and calves , the dishes are “cleaned”— by the aid of a dipper full of warm water and a rag — and the wife proceeds to set the morning’s milk . tom holds up the doubtful - looking rag that serves as a strainer while his mother pours in the milk . sometimes the boy’s hands get tired and he lets some of the milk run over , and gets into trouble ; but it doesn’t matter much , for the straining - cloth has several sizable holes in the middle .
they stayed on for several days . after breakfast and when the men were going to work steelman and smith would go out along the line with the black bag and poke round amongst the “layers and stratas” in sight of the works for a while , as an evidence of good faith ; then they’d drift off casually into the bush , camp in a retired and sheltered spot , and light a fire when the weather was cold , and steelman would lie on the grass and read and smoke and lay plans for the future and improve smith’s mind until they reckoned it was about dinner - time . and in the evening they would come home with the black bag full of stones and bits of rock , and steelman would lecture on those minerals after tea .
presently the form of the child appeared , motionless and covered with clay and water . mason was climbing up by the steps in the side of the shaft .
they can be given a transcript of the story and follow how the punctuation guides the reading .
“yes , ” the phrenologist continued , while malachi sat horror - stricken ; “i’ve got jimmy nowlett’s skull here , ” and he lifted the bag and lovingly felt the pumpkin — it must have weighed forty pounds . “i spoilt one of his best bumps with the tomahawk . i had to hit him twice , but it’s no use crying over spilt milk . ” here he drew a heavy shingling - hammer out of the bag and wiped off with his sleeve something that looked like blood . malachi had been edging round for the door , and now he made a rush for it . but the skull - fancier was there before him .
steelman turned into the top bunk on one side and smith took the lower on the other . steelman had the candle by his bunk , as usual ; he lit his pipe for a final puff before going to sleep , and held the light up for a moment so as to give smith the full benefit of a solemn , uncompromising wink . the wink was silently applauded and dutifully returned by smith . then steelman blew out the light , lay back , and puffed at his pipe for a while . presently he chuckled , and the chuckle was echoed by smith ; by and by steelman chuckled once more , and then smith chuckled again . there was silence in the darkness , and after a bit smith chuckled twice . then steelman said :
“yes ! travel ! take the track ! go on the wallaby ! the cockies over there used to hang the meat up on the branches of the trees , and just shake it whenever they wanted to feed the fowls . and the water was so bad that half a pound of tea in the billy wouldn’t make no impression on the colour — nor the taste . the further west we went the worse our meat got , till at last we had to carry a dog - chain to chain it up at night . then it got worse and broke the chain , and then we had to train the blessed dogs to shepherd it and bring it back . but we fell in with another chap with a bad old dog — a downright knowing , thieving , old hard - case of a dog ; and this dog led our dogs astray —— demoralized them — corrupted their morals — and so one morning they came home with the blooming meat inside them , instead of outside — and we had to go hungry for breakfast . ”