
From its opening of three sisters spinning the threads of life's fate, "The Cheaters" develops a plot of vengeance, mystery and romance with well drawn characters. -- General notes: Filmed with a careful eye for detail on location in Sydney and at the McDonagh family home, Drummoyne House, the picture shows evidence of the McDonagh sisters' understanding of mood and atmosphere. -- This is one of Australia's major surviving silents. -- Completed as a silent in early 1929, the film was redone as a partial talkie because of distribution difficulties, and used sound on disc with some scenes re-shot. -- The film was redone again with an optical soundtrack on a Standardtone system. -- Originally 6000 feet plus, it survives substantially complete at 6309 feet (94 mins @ 18fps). Some sound reels survive.
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia acknowledges Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and gives respect to their Elders both past and present.