Crick and Finlay

Stanley Sadler Crick was born in Tasmania on 9 October 1888. He joined the Melbourne office of Pathé Freres and became manager of the Sydney branch in 1909. After his production venture failed in mid-1912 with the closing of the Australian Photo-Play Company, Crick turned to distribution as managing director of the Express Film Service, and in 1914 became the partner of John C. Jones in another distribution service. In 1919 he was appointed Victorian manager of the Fox Film Corporation and soon became managing director of Fox's Australian operation holding that post until his retirement in 1938. Through his position in Fox he also served for many years as the chairman of directors of Hoyts Theatres. In addition to his work in the film trade, Crick was active in local government; he was elected an alderman on the Sydney City Council in 1935 and was Lord Mayor of Sydney from 1940 to 1942.
His original partner, Herbert Finlay, began in films as a photographer and exhibitor of topical news items in Melbourne in the late 1890s. He was a member of the biograph company employed by Johnson and Gibson to tour with The Story Of The Kelly Gang around Australia in 1907, and in 1910 he joined Pathé to produce the Sydney edition of their weekly newsreel. After his involvement in the Australian Photo-Play Company, he photographed the 1912 production of The Life Story of John Lee. He was seriously injured in a film fire and spent several years on the fringe of the industry as a travelling exhibitor. He eventually renewed his association with John Gavin in the production of Trooper O'Brien (1928). Pike & Cooper: 13.

Ben Hall And His Gang (John Gavin, 1911) Crick and Finlay, wr. Agnes Gavin, dp Herbert Finlay, 3000 ft; John Gavin (Ben Hall)

Frank Gardiner, The King Of The Road (John Gavin, 1911) Crick and Finlay, wr. Agnes Gavin, dp Herbert Finlay; John Gavin (Frank Gardiner)

Assigned Servant, The (John Gavin, 1911) production company Crick and Finlay, wr. Agnes Gavin, dp Herbert Finlay; John Gavin, Alf Scarlett, Charles Woods, Dore Kurtz, Sid Harrison, Agnes Gavin; 4000 ft

Keane Of Kalgoorlie (John Gavin, 1911) Crick and Finlay, wr. Agnes Gavin from play by W. O'Sullivan from novel by Arthur Wright, who wrote: 'The authorities would not allow Randwick course to be used for picture purposes, so a "scenic" picture of the running of a race in WA (the Perth Cup, I think) was joined up in the film ...'; John Gavin, Agnes Gavin, Alf Scarlett

Garry Gillard | New: 17 November, 2013 | Now: 3 July, 2020