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Arthur Embrey Higgins was another close associate of Longford's for many years. He was born in Tasmania on 25 October 1891, the brother of two other cinematographers, Ernest and Tasman. He followed Ernest to Sydney and was barely twenty when The Fatal Wedding was shot. His career as a newsreel and documentary photographer flourished and he also worked on several features. He joined Longford again on the South Australian production, The Woman Suffers (1918), and remained with him to photograph The Sentimental Bloke, On Our Selection and others. In the late 1920s he turned briefly to feature film direction and production, but without marked success. After a long and active career as one of Australia's best known and most poetic cameramen, he died in Sydney on 22 September 1963. Pike & Cooper: 19.
Life And Adventures Of John Vane, The Notorious Australian Bushranger, The, (S. A. [Stephen Australia] Fitzgerald, 1910) Spencer's Pictures, prod. Spencer's Pictures, dp Arthur Higgins; Jim Gerald, Lance Vane, Max Clifton; longest title
Fatal Wedding, The (Raymond Longford, 1911) Spencer's Pictures, screenplay, scenario, script Raymond Longford, dp Arthur Higgins; Raymond Longford (Howard Wilson), Lottie Lyell (Mabel Wilson), Walter Vincent (Robert Curtis), Tom Cosgrove (Toto), Harry Saville (Peter Schwartz), George Ellis (Constable O'Reilly), Mr Henderson (Reverend Dr Lanceford), Miss Clare (Cora Williams), Helen Fergus (Bridget), Elsie Rennie (Jessie), Master Anson (Frankie), Jack Goodall; first film to bring together Longford, Lyell and Higgins; 3500 ft
If The Huns Came To Melbourne (George Coates, 1916) dp Arthur Higgins
Woman Suffers, The (Raymond Longford, 1918) ... While the Man Goes Free; Southern Cross Feature Film Company, wr. Raymond Longford, dp Arthur Higgins; Lottie Lyell, Boyd Irwin, Roland Conway, Connie Martyn
Ginger Mick (Raymond Longford, 1920) Southern Cross Feature Film Company, wr. Lottie Lyell (?) Raymond Longford, from verse narrative The Moods of Ginger Mick by C. J. Dennis, dp Arthur Higgins, 5500 ft; Gilbert Emery, Arthur Tauchert, Lottie Lyell, Jack Tauchert, Queenie Cross, George Hotspur
On Our Selection (Raymond Longford, 1920) wr. Raymond Longford from stories by Steele Rudd, dp Arthur Higgins, titles Syd Nicholls, 6890 ft; Percy Walshe, Beatrice Esmond, Tal Ordell; comedy
Rudd's New Selection (Raymond Longford, 1921) wr. Raymond Longford from stories by Steele Rudd, dp Arthur Higgins; J. P. O'Neill, Ada Clyde, Tal Ordell, Lottie Lyell, Charlotte Beaumont
Blue Mountains Mystery, The (Raymond Longford, Lottie Lyell, 1921) Southern Cross Feature Film Company, prod. E. and Dan Carroll, wr. Lottie Lyell from novel The Mount Marunga Mystery by Harrison Owen, dp Arthur Higgins, 6000 ft; Marjories Osborne, John Faulkner, Vivian Edwards; murder mystery; 66 min.
Daughter Of Australia, A (Lawson Harris, 1922) Austral Super Films, prod. Lawson Harris, wr. Dulcie Deamer, Albert Goldie, dp Arthur Higgins, 7000 ft; Lawson Harris, Yvonne Pavis, Charles Beetham, Gilbert Emery; young Englishman, falsely accused of murder, eludes the police by emigrating to Australia where he finds work on a cattle station and befriends the squatter's daughter
Circumstance (Lawson Harris, 1922) Austral Super Films, prod. Lawson Harris, wr. Lawson Harris, Yvonne Pavis, dp Arthur Higgins, 5 reels; Yvonne Pavis, Carlton Max, Cane Arthur; urban drama
Sunshine Sally (Lawson Harris, 1922) aka Winnie of Woolloomooloo; Austral Super Films, prod. Lawson Harris, Yvonne Pavis, wr. John Cosgrove, dp Arthur Higgins; Yvonne Pavis (Sal), Joy Revelle (Tottie Faye), John Cosgrove (Spud Murphy), Dinks Patterson (Skinny Smith), Mrs Hutton (Katie Smith), J. P. O'Neill (Bill Smith), Sheila Moore (Mrs Constance Stanton), Lionel Lunn (Basil Stanton), Mervyn Barrington (James Stanton), Maude Ranier (Salvation Army woman); "Sal is rescued from the surf at Coogee by a bronzed lifesaver, Basil Stanton, and is taken to his wealthy Potts Point home to recuperate." (Pike & Cooper); 5000 ft
Townies and (Beaumont Smith, 1923) Beaumont Smith's Productions, wr. Beaumont Smith, dp Arthur Higgins, 5000 ft; George Edwards, J. P. O'Neill, Pinky Weatherley, Ada St Claire
Australia Calls (Raymond Longford, 1923) Commonwealth Immigration Office/British Empire Exhibition Commission; wr. Lottie Lyell, dp Arthur Higgins, 4000 ft; semi-documentary: 'the experiences in New South Wales of a successful immigrant'; Ernest Idiens
Fisher's Ghost (Raymond Longford, 1924) Longford-Lyell Productions, wr. Raymond Longford, dp Arthur Higgins, 5000 ft; murder mystery thriller
Bushwhackers, The (Raymond Longford, 1925) Longford-Lyell Productions, wr. Raymond Longford, Lottie Lyell, dp Arthur Higgins
Peter Vernon's Silence (Raymond Longford, 1926) Production Company: Longford-Lyell Productions, dp Arthur Higgins, 5830 ft. Cast: Rawdon Blandford (Peter Vernon), Walter Hunt (Philip Kingston), Loretta May (Marie), Rene Sandeman, Iris Webster, Beryl Gow, John Faulkner, George Chalmers, Billy Ryan, Victor Davy, Annie Permain. The last of the Longford-Lyell productions before Lyell's death in December 1925 was an uninspired melodrama about a man's loyalty to his mate.
Pioneers, The (Raymond Longford, 1926) wr. Lottie Lyell from novel by Katharine Susannah Prichard, Arthur Higgins, 8000 ft; Virginia Beresford, William Thornton, Augustus Neville
Hills Of Hate (Raymond Longford, 1926) dp Arthur Higgins
Kid Stakes, The (Tal Ordell, 1927) Ordell-Coyle Productions, wr. Tal Ordell, prod. Tal Ordell, Virgil Coyle, dp Arthur Higgins, 5000 ft; 'Pop' Ordell, Charles Roberts, Ray Salmon, Frank Boyd; based on the character of Fatty Finn, as created by cartoonist, Syd Nicholls (1896-1977), first film to be based on a comic strip; Fatty Finn is the only comic character in Australia to have inspired two films; story concerns goat racing
Trooper O'Brien (John Gavin, 1928) Australian Artists Company, prod. Herbert Finlay, wr. Agnes Gavin, dp Arthur Higgins
Adorable Outcast, The (Norman Dawn, 1928) aka Black Cargoes of the South Seas, Australasian Films, wr. prod. Norman Dawn from novel Conn of the Coral Seas by Beatrice Grimshaw, dp Arthur Higgins; Edith Roberts (Luya), Edmund Burns, Walter Long; action adventure
Odds On (Arthur Higgins, 1928) Arthur Higgins Productions, wr. Arthur Higgins, dp Arthur Higgins, Tasman Higgins; Phyllis Gibbs, 'Check' Hayes, Stella Southern, Arthur Tauchert; racecourse drama, shot on location at Randwick; 6300ft; lost
Fellers (Arthur Higgins, Austin Fay, 1930) Artaus Productions, wr. Ashley Durham, dp Tasman Higgins; Arthur Tauchert, Jean Duncan, Les Coney; Aust Light Horse in Palestine during WW1; early talkie; comic adventures of three mates; 8000 ft
Diggers (Frank W. Thring, Pat Hanna, 1931) Efftee Film Productions, wr. Pat Hanna, Eric Donaldon, dp Arthur Higgins; comic adventures of Chic (Hanna) and Joe (George Moon); followed by Diggers in Blighty and Waltzing Matilda; opened 6 November 1931; 61 min.
His Royal Highness (Frank W. Thring, 1932) aka His Loyal Highness; Efftee Film Productions, wr. C. J. Dennis from story by George Wallace, dp Arthur Higgins; George Wallace (feature debut)
Sentimental Bloke, The (Frank W. Thring, 1932) Efftee Film Productions, wr. C. J. Dennis, dp Arthur Higgins; Cecil Scott, Ray Fisher, Tal Ordell; 92 min.
Diggers In Blighty (Pat Hanna, 1933) Pat Hanna Production, wr. Pat Hanna, dp Arthur Higgins; based on sketches used in the Diggers stage show; while serving in France in 1918, Chic and Joe abscond with rum from the quartermaster's store...
Harmony Row (Frank W. Thring, 1933) Efftee Film Productions, wr. George Wallace, dp Arthur Higgins; comedy; George Wallace (Constable Dreadnought), Phyllis Baker (Molly); Bill Kerr (as Willie Kerr); 78 min.
Waltzing Matilda* (Pat Hanna, 1933) Pat Hanna Productions, wr. Pat Hanna, assoc.dir. Raymond Longford, dp Arthur Higgins; comedy with the boys from the Diggers films; Hanna's last film, Coral Browne's first and only Australian film
Clara Gibbings (Frank W. Thring, 1934) Efftee Film Productions, wr. Frank Harvey, dp Arthur Higgins; Dorothy Brunton, Campbell Copelin, Harvey Adams; 81 min.
Streets Of London, The (Frank W. Thring, 1934) Efftee Film Productions, wr. Frank Harvey, dp Arthur Higgins; Frank Harvey, Ethel Newman, Leonard Stephens; 85 min.
Ticket In Tatts, A (Frank W. Thring, 1934) Efftee Film Productions, wr. George Wallace, John P. McLeod, dp Arthur Higgins; George Wallace, Frank Harvey, Campbell Copelin; 88 min.
Streets Of London, The (Frank W. Thring, 1934) Efftee Film Productions, wr. Frank Harvey, dp Arthur Higgins; Frank Harvey, Ethel Newman, Leonard Stephens; 85 min.
White Death (Edwin G. Bowen, 1936) wr. Frank Harvey, dp Arthur Higgins; Zane Grey financed and starred; adventure about great white shark
Avenger, The (A. R. Harwood, 1937) New Era Film Productions, wr. Bert Hollis, dp Arthur Higgins, Tasman Higgins; Douglas Stuart, John Fernside, Karen Greyson; crime melodrama; 55 min.
Show Business (A. R. Harwood, 1938) New Era Film Productions, prod. A. R. Harwood, wr. Frank Chapple, dp Arthur Higgins; Bert Matthews, Joyce Hunt, Fred Tupper, Jimmy Coates and his band, the Pathe Duncan Ballet; same story as his Nightclub; 90 min.
Wings Of Destiny (Rupert Kathner, 1940) dp Arthur Higgins; espionage thriller
That Certain Something (Clarence G. Badger, 1941) Argosy Film, dp Arthur Higgins; Megan Edwards, Thelma Grigg, Georgie Sterling, Lou Vernon; film director looks for a girl with 'it' [Badger also made the film called It (1927) with Clara Bow
Power And The Glory, The (Noel Monkman, 1941) aka The Invaders dp Arthur Higgins; action
Harvest Gold (Kevin Murphy, 1945) Supreme Sound System, prod. Harold Gray, dp Arthur Higgins; Joe Valli, Harry Abdy, Tal Ordell; agricultural drama; sponsored by Caltex; 55 min.; Murphy was a technician and pioneer in sound recording
Son is Born, A (Eric Porter, 1946) prod. Eric Porter, wr. Gloria Bourner, dp Arthur Higgins; Kitty Bluett, Peter Dunstan, Peter Finch, Jane Holland, John McCallum, Ron Randell, Muriel Steinbeck, b/w, 85 min.; family melodrama
Captain Midnight, The Bush King (Alfred Rolfe, 1911) Spencer's Pictures, dp Ernest Higgins; Alfred Rolfe [Alfred Roker] (Edgar Dalmore/Captain Midnight), Lily Dampier [Rolfe's wife] (Elsa), Raymond Longford
Captain Starlight, or Gentleman Of The Road (Alfred Rolfe, 1911) Spencer's Pictures, from the play by Alfred Dampier, based on the novel Robbery Under Arms by Rolf Boldrewood, dp Ernest Higgins; Alfred Rolfe, Lily Dampier, Raymond Longford, Stanley Walpole, Augustus Neville; opened Spencer's Lyceum Sydney 16 March 1911 and ran for a profitable extended season; over 3000 ft
Life Of Rufus Dawes, The (Alfred Rolfe, 1911) Spencer's Pictures, wr. Alfred Rolfe from the novel For The Term Of His Natural Life by Marcus Clarke, dp Ernest Higgins; Alfred Rolfe, Lily Dampier, Raymond Longford; 4000 ft
Romantic Story Of Margaret Catchpole, The (Raymond Longford, 1911) Spencer's Pictures, dp Ernest Higgins; Lottie Lyell, Raymond Longford, Augustus Neville; 3000 ft (?) survives in part
Sweet Nell Of Old Drury (Raymond Longford, 1911) Spencer's Pictures, wr. Raymond Longford from the play by Paul Kester; dp Ernest Higgins; Nellie Stewart, Augustus Neville, Charles Lawrence; 4800 ft
Midnight Wedding, The (Raymond Longford, 1912) Spencer's Pictures, wr. Raymond Longford from the play by Walter Howard, dp Ernest Higgins; Augustus Neville, Lottie Lyell, D. L. Dalziel; 3000 ft
Australia Calls (Raymond Longford, 1913) Spencer's Pictures, wr. C. A. Jeffries, John Barr; dp Ernest Higgins, Tasman Higgins, Arthur Higgins; racist film warning of the Yellow Peril; 4000 ft, 44 min.
Shepherd Of The Southern Cross, The (Alexander Butler, 1914) Australasian Pictures, prod. Stanley Twist, wr. Nell Shipman, dp Ernest Higgins; Arthur Shirley, Vera Pearce, Roland Conway, Clare Stephenson, Tien Hogue; Charles Cozen Spencer's last film
Long, Long Way To Tipperary, A (George Dean, 1914) prod. Higgins Brothers, Ernest Higgins
Church And The Woman, The (Raymond Longford, 1917) wr. Raymond Longford, prod. Humbert Pugliese, dp Ernest Higgins
Waybacks, The (Arthur W. Sterry, 1918) Koala Films, prod. Humbert Pugliese, from play by Phillip Lytton based on novels by Henry Fletcher, dp Ernest Higgins, 7000 ft; Vincent White, Gladys Leigh, Lucy Adair; also marketed later as The Waybacks of 1925
Struck Oil (Franklyn Barrett, 1919) Australian Art Productions, prod. Humbert Pugliese, from play by Sam Smith and Clay Greene, dp Ernest Higgins; vehicle for Maggie Moore, the ex-wife of J.C. Williamson, despite her age; 7 reels
East Lynne (Charles Hardy, 1922) from novel by Mrs Henry Wood, dp Ernest Higgins, 6 reels; Ethel Jerdan, Don McAlpine; archetypal Victorian melodrama
Tide Of Death, The (Raymond Longford, 1912) Spencer's Pictures, wr. Raymond Longford, dp Tasman Higgins; Augustus Neville, Lottie Lyell, Frank Harcourt; 3000 ft, 33 min.
Coo-ee From Home, A (Charles Woods, 1918) wr. Charles Woods, Woods' Australian Films, dp Tasman Higgins
Hordern Mystery, The (Harry Southwell, 1920) Southwell Screen Plays, prod. Harry Southwell, wr. Miss M. F. Garwood from novel by Edward Finn, dp Tasman Higgins, 5600 ft; Claude Turton, Flo Little, Floris St George; Jekyll-and-Hyde story
Life Story Of John Lee, The, or The Man They Could Not Hang (Arthur W. Sterry, 1921) Sterry and Haldane, wr. Arthur W. Sterry; dp Tasman Higgins; Rose Rooney, David Edelsten; 6 reels; remake of the 1912 film of the same name
When The Kellys Were Out (Harry Southwell, 1923) aka True Story of the Kelly Gang, wr. Harry Southwell, dp Tasman Higgins
Daughter Of The East (Roy Darling, 1924) aka The Boy Of The Dardanelles; Blue Bird Films, prod. Adam Tavlaridi, dp Tasman Higgins; Dorothy Hawtree, Paul Eden, Catherine Tearle, Charles Villiers, Adam Tavlaridi; melodrama of Anzac Cove
Jewelled Nights (Louise Lovely, Wilton Welch, 1925) wr. Louise Lovely, Wilton Welch from novel by Marie Bjelke Petersen, dp Tasman Higgins, Walter Sully, 10000 ft; prod. Louise Lovely, Wilton Welch; Louise Lovely, Gordon Collingridge, Godfrey Cass; osmiridium mining in Tasmania
Environment (Gerald Hayle, 1927) Advance Films, prod. Vaughan C. Marshall, wr. Gerald M. Hayle, dp Tasman Higgins, 6000 ft.
Rushing Tide, The (Gerald M. Hayle, 1927) Koala Films, wr. Gerald M. Hayle, dp Tasman Higgins; 72 min.
Caught In The Net (Vaughan C. Marshall, 1928) Advance Films, prod. Vaughan C. Marshall, dp Tasman Higgins; Zillah Bateman, John Mayer, Charles Brown
Fellers (Arthur Higgins, Austin Fay, 1930) Artaus Productions, wr. Ashley Durham, dp Tasman Higgins; Arthur Tauchert, Jean Duncan, Les Coney; Aust Light Horse in Palestine during WW1; early talkie; comic adventures of three mates; 8000 ft
In the Wake of the Bounty (Charles Chauvel, 1933) wr. Charles Chauvel, dp Tasman Higgins, sound Arthur Smith, Clive Cross; Arthur Greenaway (narrator), Mayne Lynton (Bligh); Errol Flynn (Fletcher Christian); dramatised history, filmed Tahiti and Pitcairn
Hayseeds, The (Beaumont Smith, 1933) J. C. Williamson Picture Productions, wr. Beaumont Smith, assoc. dir. Raymond Longfor, dp Tasman Higgins; Cecil Kellaway; characters from Smith's six silent films with the Hayseed family
Heritage (Charles Chauvel, 1935) Expeditionary Films, wr. Charles Chauvel, dp Tasman Higgins, Arthur Higgins, asspro Ann Wynn [Elsa Chauvel], sound Alan Mill; early days of colonial Australia; 94 min.
Uncivilized (Charles Chauvel, 1936) Expeditionary Films, wr. Charles Chauvel, E. V. Timms, dp Tasman Higgins, music Lindley Evans, assdir Frank Coffey, Ann Wynn [Elsa Chauvel]; Dennis Hoey, Margot Rhys, Ashton Jarry; adventure; woman kidnapped by Aborigines led by white man; northern Qld; 82 min.
Below The Surface (Rupert Kathner, 1938) Australian Cinema Entertainments, wr. Rupert Kathner from story by Stan Tolhurst, dp Tasman Higgins; two miners compete for an important coal contract
40000 Horsemen (Charles Chauvel, 1940) Forty Thousand Horsemen, wr. Elsa Chauvel, dp George Heath, additional exterior photography Frank Hurley, Tasman Higgins; Grant Taylor, Betty Bryant, Chips Rafferty, Pat Twohill, Michael Pate's debut film - as an extra; WW1
Racing Luck (Rupert Kathner, 1941) dp Tasman Higgins; comic adventure; final appearance of Raymond Longford
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