{{short description|1926 film}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox film | name = Peter Vernon's Silence | image = File:Peter_Vernons_silence.png | caption = Everyone's 31 March 1926 | director = Raymond Longford | producer = Raymond Longford | writer = Raymond Longford<br>Lottie Lyell | narrator = | starring = | music = | cinematography = Arthur Higgins | editing = | distributor = Paramount | studio = Longford-Lyell Productions | released = {{Film date|1926|04|17|df=yes}}<ref name="ray"/> | runtime = 5,830 feet<ref name="papers">"Raymond Longford", ''Cinema Papers'', January 1974 p51</ref><ref name="pete"/> | country = Australia | language = Silent film <br>English intertitles | budget = | gross = £1,114<ref name="nla">[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article67565746 "£100,000 SPENT." ''Advocate (Burnie, Tas)'' 5 Jan 1928: 6] accessed 6 December 2011</ref> }}

'''''Peter Vernon's Silence''''' is a 1926 Australian silent film directed by Raymond Longford. It was the last film on which Lottie Lyell worked prior to her death in December 1925. It is considered a lost film.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146584827 |title=Scenes from "Peter Vernon's Silence" |newspaper=Table Talk |issue=3023 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=15 April 1926 |accessdate=4 June 2024 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==Plot== Peter Vernon's mother dies and he is adopted by a squatter, Kingston, whose son, Philip, is Peter's age. The two grow up and fall in love with the same girl, Marie (Loretta May). Marie loves Philip but her father forbids the marriage because of his dark reputation and Philip kills the old man in a fit of rage.

Peter tries to take the blame by fleeing from the police and is chased through the Snowy Mountains before being caught. He is sent to gaol, and when he gets out Philip confesses to the murder on his death bed. Peter is reunited with Marie.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55284346 |title=ENTERTAINMENTS EARL'S COURT. |newspaper=The Morning Bulletin |location=Rockhampton, Qld. |date=27 December 1927 |accessdate=11 January 2012 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107607857 |title=Monarch Theatre. |newspaper=The Muswellbrook Chronicle |location=NSW |date=20 May 1927 |accessdate=1 September 2013 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==Cast== *Rawdon Blandford as Peter Vernon *Walter Hunt as Philip Kingston *Loretta May as Marie *Rene Sandeman *Iris Webster *Beryl Gow *John Faulkner

==Production== The movie was the last production from Longford-Lyell Productions which had made ''Dinkum Bloke'', ''Fisher's Ghost'' and ''The Bushwhackers''.

The film featured location shooting in and around Moss Vale, Mount Kosciuszko, Kiandra, Adaminaby, Leura and the Blue Mountains.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55283888 |title="PETER VERNON'S SILENCE.". |newspaper=The Morning Bulletin |location=Rockhampton, Qld. |date=22 December 1927 |accessdate=11 January 2012 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==Release== thumb|right|The Herald 19 April 1926 In February 1926 it was announced Paramount, which had distribututed Longford's ''Dinkum Bloke'', had acquired rights to the film.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146583634 |title=Screen Chatter |newspaper=Table Talk |issue=3014 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=11 February 1926 |accessdate=4 June 2024 |page=59 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The contract was signed 15 February which required Paramount to use its "best efforts to release the film not later than" 1 April. The film was received on 28 February but not released in Victoria until 17 April. It was not released in New South Wales until October.<ref name="ray">{{Citation | title="Everyones" at the Film Enquiry. "Ten Commandment" Didn't Earn £112,000 in Australia. Paramount Answers Many Attacks Made Before Royal Commission. Public Accountants Prove Company Did Not Evade Taxation. | journal=Everyones. | date=7 December 1927 | location=Sydney | publisher=Everyones Ltd | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-578932290 | id=nla.obj-578932290 | access-date=4 June 2024 | via=Trove }}</ref>

==Reception== ===Critical=== ''Everyones'' said the film was "chiefly remarkable for some very excellent photography" but "the story is very weak and unconvincing."<ref name="pete">{{Citation | title=Sydney's Recent Film Releases | journal=Everyones. | date=3 November 1926 | location=Sydney | publisher=Everyones Ltd | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-582380182 | id=nla.obj-582380182 | access-date=4 June 2024 | via=Trove }}</ref>

The ''Herald'' said the cast "should have been better".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article243587626 |title=NEW FILMS: SCREENINGS IN THE CITY |newspaper=The Herald |issue=15,261 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=19 April 1926 |accessdate=4 June 2024 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

===Box office=== Despite being distributed by Paramount, Longford said the film only earned £1,114 at the Australian box office of which £724 was returned to the producers.<ref name="nla"/><ref name="ray"/>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb title|id=0351551|title=Peter Vernon's Silence}} *[http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;adv=no;group=;groupequals=;holdingType=;page=0;parentid=;query=Id%3A343559;querytype=;rec=0;resCount=10 ''Peter Vernon's Silence''] at National Film and Sound Archive *[https://archive.today/20130908122127/http://0-www.austlit.edu.au.library.sl.nsw.gov.au/austlit/page/6182369 ''Peter Vernon's Silence''] at AustLit {{Raymond Longford}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peter Vernon's Silence}} Category:1926 films Category:1926 Australian films Category:1926 drama films Category:1926 English-language films Category:1926 lost films Category:Australian black-and-white films Category:Australian silent feature films Category:English-language drama films Category:Films directed by Raymond Longford Category:Lost Australian silent drama films