The Enemy Within

The Enemy Within (1918)

Snowy Baker is a secret service agent called in to crack a ring of foreign agents involved in treason and civil violence in Australia. Jack's sweetheart, Myee, is kidnapped by the villains, but after a long chase Jack is able to trap the enemy and rescue Myee.

Date of release
1918-03-10
Runtime
1h 30m
Director
Roland Stavely

Casting

Interesting facts

The Enemy Within is a 1918 Australian silent film starring Australian sportsman Snowy Baker in his first screen role.

Production

National Film and Sound Archive curator Paul Byrnes has suggested that the film was a vehicle for Snowy Baker, keen to rebuild his profile after bad publicity surrounding the death of boxer Les Darcy in May 1917. Byrnes notes that Baker had been accused of persecuting Darcy after he left for the US. Baker's Sydney boxing stadium was also losing money.

The story was by Roland Stavely, a stage director for J. C. Williamson Ltd. Franklyn Barrett turned it into a scenario. The plot was partly inspired by real-life events, such as the raid of the SMS Wolf in the Pacific during World War I, and the sinking of the Cumberland off Gabo Island. The villains were based on the Industrial Workers of the World, and shown to be operating in Sydney high society.

Filming commenced in December 1917. The plot featured plenty of action sequences, designed to demonstrate Baker's physical prowess. These included climbing down a 300-foot cliff, leaping from a moving car, diving 80-foot into Sydney harbour at Coogee Bay and hand-to-hand fighting.

The part of Snowy Baker's assistant was played by Sandy McVea, an Aboriginal boxer. It was speculated at the time that it was the first significant performance by an Aboriginal actor in an Australian film. Female lead Lily Molloy had started her career aged fifteen and was a stage comedienne.

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