sub category of eventscreening
Solaris (35mm)
The most inexplicable mysteries are the human ones.
9:00 AM
Dad and Dave Come to Town (35mm) + Q&A
Country charm meets city life.
Arc Cinema
2:00PM
$8 (+$1.50 booking fee)
Sat, Aug 22, 2026
Dad and Dave Come to Town (35mm) + Q&A 22 August, 2026
A spirited tale of a bush family navigating urban schemes and rivalries in the big smoke.
Join us for a post-screening discussion about the film’s history with Friends of the NFSA President Ray Edmondson and film historian and distributor Andrew Pike OAM.
1938 | G | 97 mins | D: Ken G Hall
Country farmer Dad Rudd (Bert Bailey) inherits a struggling women’s fashion store in Sydney and uproots his family from the bush to the city. While Dad and his son Dave (Fred MacDonald) struggle to adjust to city life, he puts his capable daughter Jill in charge of the business. As she modernises the store and prepares a major fashion show, a rival shop owner resorts to dirty tricks from to bring the family down.
Dad and Dave Come to Town reflects director Ken G. Hall’s conviction that comedy could offer reassurance during economic hardship.
‘When times are tough, make comedy.’ — Ken G. Hall, quoted in Directed by Ken G. Hall (autobiography)
The $8 Collection Selection series is presented in partnership with Friends of the NFSA.
Presented on 35mm film prints from the NFSA collection.
Arc Cinema
We are situated in the heart of Canberra on McCoy Circuit, Acton, between the shores of Lake Burley Griffin and the grounds of the Australian National University. Just a 10-minute walk from the city and state bus interchanges.
1 McCoy Circuit, Acton, ACT 2601
Film Details
Year
1938
Details
35mm 97 mins G
Director
Ken G Hall
Countries
AUS
Accessibility
Hearing Loop
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