NFSA Restores: The Sentimental Bloke with score by Paul Mac

The Sentimental Bloke was adapted from CJ Dennis’ 1915 verse novel by Australian film industry power couple: the legendary director Raymond Longford and superstar Lottie Lyell.

A huge box-office hit with audiences in 1919–20, The Sentimental Bloke is one of the few silent-era Australian films to have survived in its entirety.

The NFSA marked the centenary of this silent film classic with a new digital restoration and a specially composed score by ARIA-award winning musician Paul Mac.

Composer Paul Mac talks about the process of writing the score (ahead of a screening at Arc cinema in Canberra in May 2021).

The film tells the story of Bill (Arthur Tauchert), a wayward Aussie bloke, and his love for Doreen (Lyell).

It was shot on locations including Manly Beach and the-then rough streets of Woolloomooloo, offering a revealing glimpse of Sydney 100 years ago.