Editing Jedda (section)

==Development==
Charles Chauvel said the original inspiration for the film came from a meeting he had in Hollywood in early 1950 with [[Merian C. Cooper]]. Cooper encouraged the director to make a film exploiting Australian locations. Chauvel was further encouraged along these lines by [[Bess Meredyth]], who had made a number of films in Australia in the 1920s.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18181721 |title=Our Outback Is A Rich Field fur Film Makerss. |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=31 August 1950 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Chauvel decided to make the project in the Northern Territory. With his wife [[Elsa Chauvel|Elsa]] he made an extensive survey of the Territory later that year with the assistance of the Commonwealth government. He undertook colour tests, intending to make Australia's first colour movie.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18176127 |title="Herald" Saturday Magazine |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=9 September 1950 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23070297 |title=Stark color film to be 'shot' in N.T. |newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]] |location=Melbourne |date=19 June 1951 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The Chauvels then wrote a screenplay, originally entitled ''The Northern Territory Story''.

The lead Aboriginal character was reportedly inspired by the warrior [[Nemarluk]], who killed three Japanese [[pearler]]s in the 1930s and died in prison.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49220497 |title=N.T. Natives Appear in Colour Film |newspaper=[[The West Australian]] |volume=69 |issue=20,899 |location=Western Australia |date=15 July 1953 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134203413 |title=Black stars in a big Chauvel film |newspaper=[[The News (Adelaide)|The News]] |volume=61 |issue=9,338 |location=Adelaide |date=15 July 1953 |page=21 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

In 1951 Chauvel formed Chauvel Productions Ltd to make the film, with a notional capital of £500,000.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2825759 |title=MOTION PICTURE FIRM IN SYDNEY. |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |date=31 March 1951 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18222953 |title=Chauvel To Make Film in N.T. |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=19 June 1951 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> It went public in August 1951, offering 240,000 shares.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18216554 |title=CAPITAL FOR FILMS. |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=15 August 1951 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Chauvel later stated that he turned down an American offer of $100,000 (£44,000) to finance the film because it was conditional upon [[Linda Darnell]] being cast in the lead.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50537899 |title=Forever Amber—but never Jedda role. |newspaper=[[The Courier-Mail]] |location=Brisbane |date=13 September 1952 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Chauvel's regular backers [[Universal Pictures]] did not want to invest in the movie but Chauvel managed to secure finance from various businessmen, including Mainguard Australia Ltd.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71700702 |title=MAINGUARD'S INTERESTS. |newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]] |location=Melbourne |date=11 October 1955 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> It took the Chauvels 18 months to find a suitable filming location.