The Strangler's Grip

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}} {{Use Australian English|date=February 2012}} {{Infobox film | name = The Strangler's Grip | image =

| caption = | director = | producer = | writer = | narrator = | starring = | music = | cinematography = Franklyn Barrett | editing = | studio = West's Pictures | distributor = | released = {{film date|df=yes|1912|2|5|ref1=<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15307558 |title=VICTORIA THEATRE. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=5 February 1912 |accessdate=11 April 2012 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>}} | runtime = | country = Australia | language = {{ubl|Silent film|English intertitles}} | budget = }}

'''''The Strangler's Grip''''' is a 1912 Australian silent film shot by Franklyn Barrett. It is considered a lost film.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15307099 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=3 February 1912 |accessdate=21 January 2012 |page=2 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==Plot== The movie featured a "furious motor ride in the night."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15308420 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=8 February 1912 |accessdate=20 February 2012 |page=2 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==Cast== *Sidney Stirling as Squatter John Dalton *Cyril Mackay as his friend Frank Wood *Leonard Willey as Mike Logan, the tramp *Chas Laurence as Old Simon, John's Butler *Master Willey as Bill Dalton, John's Son *Irby Marshall as Maurice Dalton, John's wife

==Production== It is likely that the film was directed jointly by the three lead actors, Sydney Stirling, Cyril Mackay and Leonard Willey. It was the first of four movies they made for West's Pictures in 1912. Cyril Mackay (d. 1923) was a London stage actor brought out to Australian by J.C. Williamson in 1906.<ref name="Pike">Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, ''Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production'', Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 31</ref>

==Reception== The film was described as being a "splendid draw" with the public.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15309402 |title=THE VICTORIA. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=12 February 1912 |accessdate=20 February 2012 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> It was likely the first thriller film made in Australia.<ref>[http://aso.gov.au/titles/collections/horror-in-australian-cinema/ Richard Kuipers, ''Horror in Australian Cinema''] at Australian Screen Online</ref>

==Trivia== Willey and Irby Marshall were real life husband and wife. They later moved to the US and had successful stage careers there.<ref name="Pike"/>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strangler's Grip, The}} Category:1912 films Category:1912 Australian films Category:1912 drama films Category:1912 English-language films Category:1912 lost films Category:Australian black-and-white films Category:English-language drama films Category:Lost Australian silent drama films