About

Empire Builderswill screen from a new 2K digital restoration undertaken by the National Film and Sound Archive Australia. It will be presented with live musical accompaniment from acclaimed Italian classical pianist Mauro Colombis.

Set during the Second Boer War, 'Snowy' Baker stars as Captain William Ballard of the British Army Territorials. Ballard is sent to make a treaty with the natives, but meets resistance from the Boers, still unreconciled to British rule. There is a beautiful Boer woman for him to fall in love with, a daring rescue to perform and the heroic rescue of important military dispatches.

After three films, Snowy Baker's Australian production company folded and he packed up his wife and two daughters and moved to Hollywood to try his luck - as many Australians had done and continue to do. Signing with prolific silent-era producer Phil Goldstone, Baker split duties between appearing on the screen and coaching Goldstone's other actors in their stunts and riding techniques. Empire was Snowy's second film for Goldstone (the first being The White Tiger, also 1924) and Snowy insisted the production wait until his beloved horse Boomerang arrived from Australia, with the horse receiving equal billing with Snowy in some of the movie's promotional materials.