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06-11-2008
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The Dawn (1936)
Shown on Channel 4 in the afternoon about 20 years ago. It's a crummy old potboiler, made by an amateur cast and crew - technically primitive but worth a look as a piece of history.
 A film that was born out of raw stock and love THE late Thomas G Cooper was a man of remarkable vision and the filming of The Dawn in Killarney in 1936 was a remarkable undertaking, according to film critic Michael Dwyer. He told the gathering at the premiere of the film in Killarney that it should not be forgotten that The Dawn was made at a time when there was no film making tradition, no Film Board and no grant aid available, and it was made by a group of people with absolutely no experience. "It is remarkable for many reasons and it was this country's first full-length feature film with sound" he said. "Those involved worked throughout the long summer nights and all day on Sundays to get it done and it is beautifully edited" said Dwyer, a native of Tralee. The Dawn was released in August 1936 and was first screened in the Capitol Cinema in Dublin, where it ran, very successfully, for three weeks. "It recouped all of its running costs at the box office" Dwyer recalled, adding that it was also successful in New York and Boston. The Dawn was set during the War of Independence and it is a story of treachery, bravery, passion and love made by the people who took part in it. The script was written by DDA Moriarty, Donal Cahill and, of course, Thomas G Cooper, who also plays one of the leading roles in the film. Speaking at Thursday night's premiere in Killarney, Thomas G Cooper's grandson, Tommy Cooper, said the event was a fitting tribute to one of the pioneers of the film industry but stressed that his grandfather was a very modest man who seldom spoke of his achievements. "There was an occasion when he was presented with a lifetime achievement award at the Cork Film Festival and we only found out about it on the television" he said. In a newly published history of the movie industry in Killarney, published to coincide with Thursday night's premiere, local film buff Alex Willms says that in creating The Dawn, Tom Cooper achieved what no Irish government had dared to do. "His own appearance in the film was authoritative and excellent and the people in the film live and fulfil their dramatic function. The editing is most impressive and given the circumstances of its making, the technical adequacy of the film is incredible" he writes. "Only in a nation that has shamefully ignored the power and the importance of the cinema could such a remarkable contribution have received no aid of encouragement. The film was the product of raw stock and love" writes Willms. Askey replies.. "Well I didn't do it!" 
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06-11-2008
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Anyone got a copy, I'd like to see that if I can, or, is it for sale anywhere..
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