The Cheaters (1930 film)

An embezzler, Bill Marsh (Arthur Greenaway), works with his daughter Paula (Marie Lorraine), who serves as a bait, robbing wealthy people. Bill also seeks revenge on a businessman, John Travers (John Faulkner), but Paula falls in love with Travers' son Lee (Josef Bambach) and begins to have doubts about her life of crime. Eventually, Paula reforms and marries Lee. ==Cast==

• Marie Lorraine (Isabel McDonagh) as Paula Marsh • Arthur Greenaway as Richard Marsh • John Faulkner as John Travers • Leal Douglas as the Lady • Josef Bambach as Lee Travers ==Production==

The film was shot as a silent movie in 1929 but had trouble securing a release. The McDonaghs decided to adapt it into a partial talkie and shot some additional scenes in Melbourne in 1930 using an improvised sound-on-disc system. These scenes included a fancy dress party sequence and a romantic scene where Paula sings a song to Lee. The film features a shot of the not yet completed Sydney Harbour Bridge. The musician's union temporarily prevented its members from recording music for the film. The McDonaghs responded by hiring non-union labour. ==Release==

In May 1930 the film was entered in the first Commonwealth Government Film Competition but failed to win a prize. It did not perform well at the box office due in part to the poor quality of its sound recording. ==Notes==