Pat Hanna
Encyclopedia
Pat Hanna born George Patrick Hanna 18 March 1888 Whitianga
New Zealand died 24 October 1973 Ampthill
, Bedfordshire
England was a New Zealand soldier of the First World War who entertained postwar audiences with Digger
travelling stage shows and films.
and cartooning for a Wellington, New Zealand newspaper. He enlisted at the start of the First World War as a private in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force
where he participated in the Occupation of German Samoa
.
In 1916 he joined the Otago Regiment where he was sent to Egypt, then France and Belgium. He was commissioned a second lieutenant
in December 1916 and was prompted to lieutenant
in December 1917. His expertise with hand grenade
s led him to be appointed a Bombing Officer.
Lt Hanna remained in the Army of Occupation following the Armistice
becoming Entertainment Officer forming No 1 Entertainment Unit. His orders were to "organise entertainment, lay on laughter unlimited and rollicking relaxation". Hanna set up a concert party called "The Digger
s" where he was the director, chief writer and performer. The Diggers toured in Germany, France and England. During this time he invented a scaled down version of badminton
called "Batinton" that was played with bats on a smaller court.
Hanna posed for Jack Cato's photograph The Spirit of Anzac.
The New Zealand Hanna became renowned for creating a caricature
of the Digger stereotype and another of an Army Chaplain
. One of the Chaplain's monologues The Gospel According to Cricket and Hanna singing Mademoiselle from Armentières
became big sellers.
The Digger shows' popularity led to Hanna making his first film Diggers
(1931) as actor and writer for Efftee Studios
led by Frank W. Thring
, the father of Frank Thring
. Diggers was Australia's second talking feature. Hanna argued with Thring over the position of his musical numbers in the film leading him to form his own film production company where he produced, directed and starred in Diggers in Blighty
and Waltzing Matilda
(both 1933) however the films were poorly distributed and not successful.
Too old for active service in World War II, Hanna invented a detonatation device for a petrol grenade and trained troops and civilians planning to be guerillas against the Japanese in the use of hand grenades. Hanna encouraged having fun with grenades and combined his knowledge of grenades and entertaining. He published a book in 1941 Grenade Training by Recreational Methods. Hanna's son Ian served with the 2/24 Battalion posing for a drawing of Sybil Craig's called Soldier in a Digger Hat.
Charles Chauvel considered casting Hanna as the lead in his Forty Thousand Horsemen
film but was impressed by the younger Chips Rafferty
who Chauvel cast in Hanna's place.
One of Hanna's Diggers troupe, Joe Valli
, reprised his Scottish caricature he played in the Diggers show in the film and Chauvel's The Rats of Tobruk
.
Hanna and his family moved to England in 1961 where he researched the Clan Hannay
's ownership of Sorbie Tower
in Wigtownshire
Scotland. Jessie Hanna and his daughter Pattie returned to Australia after Pat's death.
Whitianga
Whitianga is the main settlement of Mercury Bay on the North Island of New Zealand. The population was 3768 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 690 from 2001. The population is now 4100 an increase of 332 since 2006.-Social:...
New Zealand died 24 October 1973 Ampthill
Ampthill
Ampthill is a small town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, between Bedford and Luton, with a population of about 6,000. It is administered by Central Bedfordshire Council. A regular market has taken place on Thursdays for centuries.-History:...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
England was a New Zealand soldier of the First World War who entertained postwar audiences with Digger
Digger (soldier)
Digger is an Australian and New Zealand military slang term for soldiers from Australia and New Zealand. It originated during World War I.- Origin :...
travelling stage shows and films.
Biography
Born to an Irish father and an Australian born mother, Hanna's talent for art led him to a signwriting apprenticeshipApprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
and cartooning for a Wellington, New Zealand newspaper. He enlisted at the start of the First World War as a private in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force
New Zealand Expeditionary Force
The New Zealand Expeditionary Force was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight for Britain during World War I and World War II. Ultimately, the NZEF of World War I was known as the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force...
where he participated in the Occupation of German Samoa
Occupation of German Samoa
The Occupation of Samoa was the takeover and subsequent administration of the Pacific colony of German Samoa in August 1914 by an expeditionary force from New Zealand called the Samoa Expeditionary Force and New Zealand's first action in World War I...
.
In 1916 he joined the Otago Regiment where he was sent to Egypt, then France and Belgium. He was commissioned a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in December 1916 and was prompted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in December 1917. His expertise with hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
s led him to be appointed a Bombing Officer.
Lt Hanna remained in the Army of Occupation following the Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
becoming Entertainment Officer forming No 1 Entertainment Unit. His orders were to "organise entertainment, lay on laughter unlimited and rollicking relaxation". Hanna set up a concert party called "The Digger
Digger (soldier)
Digger is an Australian and New Zealand military slang term for soldiers from Australia and New Zealand. It originated during World War I.- Origin :...
s" where he was the director, chief writer and performer. The Diggers toured in Germany, France and England. During this time he invented a scaled down version of badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
called "Batinton" that was played with bats on a smaller court.
Hanna posed for Jack Cato's photograph The Spirit of Anzac.
Pat Hanna's Diggers
After leaving the Army, Hanna reformed The Diggers as Pat Hanna's Diggers where they toured New Zealand, than Australia with several former Australian Diggers now in the group; numbering 25. The Diggers featured a musical sister act of Jessie and Hilda Meadows. Hanna married Jessie the pianist in 1922 the couple having two children Ian and Pattie.The New Zealand Hanna became renowned for creating a caricature
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
of the Digger stereotype and another of an Army Chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
. One of the Chaplain's monologues The Gospel According to Cricket and Hanna singing Mademoiselle from Armentières
Mademoiselle from Armentières
"Mademoiselle from Armentières" was a song that was sung during World War I. It is also known by its ersatz French line, Hinky Dinky Parley Voo . It was considered a sexy song, and when sung on the radio and TV, as in The Waltons, typically only the first verse was sung...
became big sellers.
The Digger shows' popularity led to Hanna making his first film Diggers
Diggers (1931 film)
Diggers is a 1931 Australian film directed by F.W. Thring starring popular stage comedian Pat Hanna. Based on Hanna's stage show, it concerns the adventures of Australian soldiers during World War I. The film consists of three separate episodes....
(1931) as actor and writer for Efftee Studios
Efftee Studios
Efftee Studios was established by F.W. Thring in 1930.In 1931 the first commercially viable Australian made sound feature film, Diggers, was produced by Efftee Films in Melbourne using optical sound equipment imported from the USA.Efftee was also the first licensee of Melbourne radio station 3XY...
led by Frank W. Thring
F. W. Thring
Frank W. Thring, , better known as F. W. Thring, was an Australian film director, producer, and exhibitor. He was managing director of Hoyts until 1930, after which he went into film production, establishing Efftee Studios...
, the father of Frank Thring
Frank Thring
Frank William Thring was an Australian character actor.-Early life:Thring was born in Melbourne and educated at the Melbourne Grammar School. His father, Frank W. Thring, was the head of Efftee Studios, in Melbourne, in the 1920s, and is said to be the inventor of the clapperboard...
. Diggers was Australia's second talking feature. Hanna argued with Thring over the position of his musical numbers in the film leading him to form his own film production company where he produced, directed and starred in Diggers in Blighty
Diggers in Blighty
Diggers in Blighty is a 1933 Australian film starring and directed by Pat Hanna. Hanna decided to direct this film himself after being unhappy with how F.W...
and Waltzing Matilda
Waltzing Matilda (1933 film)
- Cast :*Pat Hanna*Coral Browne *Norman French *Joan Lang *Nellie Mortyne *Dorothy Parnham *Joe Valli*George Moon...
(both 1933) however the films were poorly distributed and not successful.
Later life
Hanna toured America billed as the "Down Under Will Rogers" and returned to Australia where he broadcast on 3LO.Too old for active service in World War II, Hanna invented a detonatation device for a petrol grenade and trained troops and civilians planning to be guerillas against the Japanese in the use of hand grenades. Hanna encouraged having fun with grenades and combined his knowledge of grenades and entertaining. He published a book in 1941 Grenade Training by Recreational Methods. Hanna's son Ian served with the 2/24 Battalion posing for a drawing of Sybil Craig's called Soldier in a Digger Hat.
Charles Chauvel considered casting Hanna as the lead in his Forty Thousand Horsemen
Forty Thousand Horsemen
Forty Thousand Horsemen is a 1940 Australian war film directed by Charles Chauvel. The film tells the story of the Australian Light Horse cavalry which operated in the desert at the Sinai and Palestine Campaign during World War I. It follows the adventures of three rowdy heroes in fighting and...
film but was impressed by the younger Chips Rafferty
Chips Rafferty
Chips Rafferty MBE was an iconic Australian actor. Called "the living symbol of the typical Australian", Rafferty's career stretched from the 1940s until his death in 1971, and during this time he performed regularly in major Australian feature films as well as appearing in British and American...
who Chauvel cast in Hanna's place.
One of Hanna's Diggers troupe, Joe Valli
Joe Valli
Joe Valli was a Scottish actor, who worked for many years in Australian vaudeville and film. He had a long-running vaudeville partnership with Pat Hanna, Chic and Joe.- Selected filmography :* Diggers * Waltzing Matilda...
, reprised his Scottish caricature he played in the Diggers show in the film and Chauvel's The Rats of Tobruk
The Rats of Tobruk (1944 film)
The Rats of Tobruk is a 1944 Australian film directed by Charles Chauvel. The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the Australian Army together during World War II. Their story is based on the siege of the Libyan city of Tobruk in North Africa by Rommel's Afrika Korps...
.
Hanna and his family moved to England in 1961 where he researched the Clan Hannay
Clan Hannay
-Origins of the clan:Although the modern surname Hannay is likely derived from the place name Hannethe, the precise identity of the place is unknown. The family can be traced back to Galloway in South-West Scotland. The name 'Gillbert de Hannethe' appears on the Ragman Rolls of 1296, submitting to...
's ownership of Sorbie Tower
Sorbie Tower
Sorbie Tower is a fortified tower house 1 mile east of the village of Sorbie, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.The ancient seat of the Clan Hannay, it is in an L-shaped format, rubble-built in the late sixteenth century, possibly by Patrick Ahannay....
in Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown is a registration county in the Southern Uplands of south west Scotland. Until 1975, the county was one of the administrative counties used for local government purposes, and is now administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway...
Scotland. Jessie Hanna and his daughter Pattie returned to Australia after Pat's death.
External links
- Pat Hanna at Australian Dictionary of BiographyAustralian Dictionary of BiographyThe Australian Dictionary of Biography is a national, co-operative enterprise, founded and maintained by the Australian National University to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's history....
- Pat Hanna at Austlit (subscribers only)
- Pat Hanna Collection at Arts Centre Melbourne Listing
- Article on Pat Hanna at Australian Variety Archive
- Pat Hanna at Dictionary of New Zealand BiographyDictionary of New Zealand BiographyThe Dictionary of New Zealand Biography contains biographies for over 3,000 New Zealanders. It is available in both English and Maori. All volumes of the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography are available online....
- Hindsight Radio Program on Digger variety shows