Lawrence Penn

IN 1971 writer Joan Long was researching a documentary about Australian cinema in the 1920s. She wrote a letter to newspapers in a number of regional centres, trying to flush out stories and photos relevant to her work. The letter was picked up by NBN television in Newcastle which interviewed Long about her research. Among the people who watched the interview was a man named Lyle Penn, who had written a manuscript about his life as a travelling picture show man in the early years of the 20th century. Penn sent a copy of the manuscript…