Back

“Play the Greater Game”

Play Video Pause Video
More Info View Shotlist Share Comments

This 1915 Australian Government recruitment film uses slogans such as 'Play the Greater Game' to urge men to join the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Later propaganda films were less subtle in their efforts, and used persuasion, fear, guilt, confrontation, accusation, or scenes of heroic action on the battlefields to influence eligible men to enlist. The films omitted any reference to the harsh realities of military life or the threat of death or injury for Australian troops abroad.

Year:1915

Location:Australia

See someone you know? Email us

Featured

More...

A matter of principle

27:18 View Audio 21884

Trench Fever

1:25 View Video Trench fever

Who was to blame for the sinking of the Marquette?

13:34 View Audio Picture1

HMS New Zealand anchored at Dunedin

01:02 View Video F38483 hms nz at dunedin

Poor old soldiers, both two-legged and four-legged

04:57 View Audio War horses from f4340
Close

“Play the Greater Game”

This 1915 Australian Government recruitment film uses slogans such as 'Play the Greater Game' to urge men to join the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Later propaganda films were less subtle in their efforts, and used persuasion, fear, guilt, confrontation, accusation, or scenes of heroic action on the battlefields to influence eligible men to enlist. The films omitted any reference to the harsh realities of military life or the threat of death or injury for Australian troops abroad.

Year: 1915

Length: 06:56

Source: National Film and Sound Archive of Australia

Catalogue Reference: NFSA title: 32584

Location: Australia

Tags: Australia, enlistment, recruitment, troops, transport ship, training, horses

Subject: enlistment, recruitment, tranport ship

This Australian Government recruitment film includes 18 intertitles exhorting men to enlist. Titles such as: 'Play the Greater Game'; and 'Be a Man! Be one of the Boys of the Anzac Breed' aimed to shame Australian men into joining the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). These emotive titles punctuate footage of a march past of the first Australian contingent to leave for the European War in front of the Governor-General at Parliament House (Spring St, Melbourne, 1914), and life on board one of the troopships of the first Convoy bound for Europe.

At the beginning of the war Australia’s recruitment numbers were so high that men had to be turned away by recruitment officers. Later, as reports of massive casualties at Gallipoli reached Australia, support began to waver. In response to Britain's request for more troops, the Commonwealth government introduced strategies to encourage more people to enlist, including official recruitment propaganda such as this film.

The pitch of the early recruitment films was relatively unsophisticated – the placement of intertitles bears no relation to the footage (the title card ‘You think a lot of your Countrymen in Khaki. What do they think of YOU?', for example, is juxtaposed with shots of horses being led out on deck for exercise). This mattered less at a time when various recruitment ploys were successful in meeting volunteer target numbers, but as numbers of recruits dwindled, later propaganda films were even less subtle in their efforts.

Close

“Play the Greater Game”

  • Australia

  • 0:00

    Intertitle: March Past of the First Expeditionary Force before the Governor – General at Parliament House

  • 0:03

    Soldiers and marching band parade past the Governor General. Crowds watch.

  • 0:59

    Intertitle: First Australian Contingent to Leave for the European War

  • 1:07

    Intertitle: Physical Drill in the Morning

  • 1:11

    Men on a troopship performing exercises

  • 1:26

    Intertitle: Australia requires 16,000 Men per Month. ENLIST!

  • 1:34

    Men on a troopship performing exercises

  • 1:46

    Intertitle: “SPELL – HO”

  • 1:48

    Men resting on the deck of a troopship

  • 2:12

    Intertitle: The Daily Lecture in the Art of Modern Warfare

  • 2:18

    Men on deck listen to a lecture

  • 2:30

    Intertitle: HORSES EXERCISING

  • 2:32

    Horses being led out onto deck

  • 2:43

    Intertitle: What is Your Answer? Others are saying “Yes”

  • 2:49

    Horses being led out onto deck

  • 3:06

    Intertitle: You think a lot of your Countrymen in Khaki. What do they think of YOU?

  • 3:15

    Horses being led out onto deck

  • 3:35

    Intertitle: Proceeding to Quarter Deck for Drill

  • 3:40

    Soldiers ascending to quarter deck

  • 3:58

    Intertitle: Be a Man! Be one of the Boys of the Anzac Breed

  • 4:03

    Soldiers ascending to quarter deck

  • 4:20

    Intertitle: Afternoon sees Troops again at Physical Drill

  • 4:25

    Soldiers performing exercises

  • 4:41

    Intertitle: We’ve Made a Name. You Must Uphold it

  • 4:47

    Soldiers performing exercises

  • 5:18

    Intertitle: RETURNING TO QUARTERS

  • 5:21

    Soldiers marching along deck

  • 5:35

    Intertitle: Play the Greater Game

  • 5:38

    Soldiers marching along deck

  • 5:44

    Intertitle: CHURCH PARADE

  • 5:45

    Crowd of soldiers assembled holding pamphlets

  • 5:57

    Intertitle: These are the men protecting your wives and children

  • 6:03

    Crowd of soldiers assembled holding pamphlets

  • 6:21

    Intertitle: Australia’s Sons – Are They Downhearted?

  • 6:26

    Group of men joking to the camera

  • 6:34

    Intertitle: You’re asked to Help your Pals

  • 6:39

    Group of men joking to the camera

  • 6:48

    Intertitle: OFFICER READING SIGNALS

  • 6:51

    Officer using a telescope