Australian Cinema > history >
On this page is Pike & Cooper's introduction to this period from their definitive book, followed by a list of films made during this period.
Pike & Cooper:
In the 1970s film-making suddenly boomed after three decades of few local initiatives in feature production. More people began to work professionally in the industry than ever before, making a wider variety of films, and access to the medium by non-professionals was greater than it had ever been. The attitudes of film-makers had also changed: in the ‘golden years’ of Australian cinema the most successful directors had been guided by their own sense of showmanship, in which their relationship with the local audience was crucial. But by the 1970s television had taken over much of film’s mass entertainment function, and most film directors came to their work with a perspective that was not purely local but was related to the movement of cinema world-wide. Film-makers came back from overseas to work in Australia, reversing the tradition of ‘talent drain’, and a new cosmopolitan atmosphere pervaded the industry.
The revival of feature production in 1969-70 was almost entirely the result of government subsidy and investment. Calls for government assistance went back to the earliest days of the industry when producers first encountered marketing difficulties, and attempts to investigate and assist the industry had been made periodically by state and federal governments, including a Senate Select Committee on Australian production for television; it presented its report (known as the Vincent Report) to Parliament in 1963. The assistance that came at the end of the 1960s was primarily directed towards production, and the long-standing structural problems of distribution and exhibition were left unaltered, although they gradually eased as distribution and exhibition complexes were drawn into production.
In 1969 the Commonwealth government finally responded to pressure from producers and others involved in film and television, and announced a three-part programme of assistance to the industry. The Gorton government promised funds for (i) an investment corporation to assist the financing of feature films and television programmes, (ii) a national film and television school, and (iii) an ‘experimental film’ fund to facilitate the making of l6mm low-budget films and to encourage new film-makers.
A certain degree of administrative confusion followed as new organizations were established to fulfil Gorton’s programme. The Australian Film Development Corporation was created in 1970, and in 1975 re-established with wider powers as the Australian Film Commission. The Commission then became the focal point for the administration of government funds, including responsibility for Film Australia (the former Commonwealth Film Unit). An Experimental Film and Television Fund, administered initially by the Australian Film Institute (a private organization subsidized by the government) also became the direct responsibility of the Film Commission, as part of its Creative Development Branch. Film-makers were also able to receive funds from the Australian Council for the Arts (or the Australia Council, as it became) until the activities of the Council’s Film, Radio and Television Board were also transferred to the Commission. The only major new body that continued to function outside of the Commission’s control was the Film and Television School, which began operation in 1973 with Jerzy Toeplitz as its foundation director.
State governments also became involved in features production. In 1972 the Dunstan government established the South Australian Film Corporation to provide investment and facilities for feature films and television series, as well as handling the production of official films for government departments and operating the state’s educational film library service. The success of the South Australian model in contributing towards a progressive image for the state, and the major commercial and critical success of its first feature investments (Sunday Too Far Away, 1975, Picnic at Hanging Rock, 1975, and Storm Boy, 1976), soon lured other state governments into the field. State corporations, with powers to invest in feature films, were established in Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and Queensland by 1978.
Diversity of sources for feature film funding was improved further by the involvement of commercial distribution and exhibition companies in production ventures. Roadshow Distributors invested heavily in Hexagon Productions, a company that maintained continuity of feature output for four years after the outstanding commercial success of its first production, Alvin Purple (1973). The Greater Union Organization also began to support local features with post-production investments in several films, including Stone (1974), and their first pre-production investment since Sons of Matthew (1949), in The Man from Hong Kong (1975). The new commitment of such companies was partly prompted by the same motives that had led Stuart Doyle and others into production in earlier decades: a shortage of product for local theatre chains (especially a factor for Greater Union after 1976); the impact of the economic climate, with inflation in the 1970s forcing theatre expenses up and ticket prices out of the range of family audiences; and the fear of government intervention in exhibition and distribution practices, with an inquiry by the Tariff Board into (the industry in 1973; The commercial success of a few pioneering films, among them Stork (1971) and The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972), demonstrated that worthwhile profits could be made from Australian films, and proved yet again that Australian audiences, if given a choice, could show an emphatic preference for local product.
After 1975 the continued effects of inflation and the impact of colour television simultaneously pushed up the expense of production and greatly reduced (by as much as 30 per cent) potential revenue from cinemas. It became increasingly difficult for local producers to rely on the local market to recover costs, and the industry moved towards a reliance on the government not only to provide investment capital but also to carry the burden of the deficit, allowing private investors to recover their capital from a film’s first earnings. Taxation concessions for investors were also introduced in 1978.
The new industry found a responsive public at a time of increased nationalism in the early 1970s. An atmosphere of euphoria was encouraged by the Film Commission and others in the promotion of Australian films at home and abroad, especially at market-places like the Cannes Film Festival. Critics who pointed out the emptiness or ‘softness’ of many of the new films were castigated as betraying a national cause. The euphoria obscured the important fact that the losses of the industry were severe, and that 70 per cent or more of the films were failing to recover their costs. Given this high failure rate, the Australian Film Commission had much to gain by feeding the mass media with publicity that could help to sustain confidence and safeguard the continuity of government funds in the climate of economic cutbacks following the fall of the Whitlam government in 1975.
In re-establishing the industry, lessons that might have been gained from the past were generally neglected. Only a few producers (principally Anthony Buckley and Joan Long) had much awareness of how the Australian industry had once operated. The young people who dominated the industry had grown up since the Second World War, in a period when virtually no Australian films were made, and they had become, accustomed to thinking about film only with reference to overseas models. The past of Australian film tended to be scoffed at, without much awareness of what exactly was being repudiated.
There was little conscious continuity, then, with earlier years in the thematic development of Australian film. Many films rifled the past for ‘nostalgia’, carefully reproducing the material surfaces of earlier periods, but only a few, such as Between Wars (1974) and The Getting of Wisdom (1977), achieved a sense of historical dynamism and created characters who seemed alive in their exotic period settings. Films with contemporary settings usually had urban backgrounds, and protagonists of a vague cosmopolitan character. Some local film-makers followed overseas models closely to produce films in the style of Chinese kung fu movies (The Man from Hong Kong), softcore sex comedies (Alvin Purple), Italian Westerns (Raw Deal, 1977), folksy family yarns from the American Deep South (The Mango Tree, 1977), and exploitation films emphasizing violence or sex (The Inn of the Damned, 1975, or Fantasm, 1976).
The most distinctive locally rooted character was the ‘ocker’, a distant relative of the urban larrikin of The Sentimental Bloke and of Pat Hanna and Chips Rafferty, although more extreme in his language and pursuit of sex because of relaxed censorship standards in the 1970s. He appeared frequently in comedies, such as the Barry McKenzie films, as well as in dramas like Petersen (1974) and Don’s Party (1976). A few 35mm films explored more personal or intimate subjects, especially the problems of adolescence, but it was mainly in the low-budget and 16mm films that filmmakers were free to explore more rigorously issues of social concern (27A, 1974), or questions of spiritual fulfilment (Solo Flight, 1975, or Down the Wind, 1975).
A sharp contrast developed between big-budget 35mm production and the makers of low-budget films. A few marketing techniques explored in such 16mm productions as The Naked Bunyip (1970) and Stork (1971) lent ideas to the mainstream industry, and a few film-makers bridged the gap by moving from 16mm to 35mm production, but generally there was little contact between the two areas of production. Most new directors in the mainstream came not from independent-16mm production but from television, and the rise of television drama series in the late 1960s not only provided a pool of trained film-makers but also, contributed strongly towards the pressure on the government to revive the feature film industry.
In the 1960s the two main centres of 16mm film activity developed in markedly different directions. In Melbourne, 16mm production centred on a group of film-makers in Carlton, drawing actors and directors from the experimental theatre, La Mama, and influenced strongly by the work of French ‘New Wave’ directors. Their films tended to be experiments in narrative fiction and contrasted strongly with a heavy stress in Sydney on experiment in abstract forms of cinema. The founders of Ubu Films (which eventually became the Sydney Film-makers Co-operative), especially Albie Thoms, Aggy Read and Dave Perry, drew much of their inspiration not from European commercial cinema but from avant-gardists in European art and theatre, including Marinetti and Artaud, and also experimental film-makers from the American West Coast. Ubu also provided a crucial focus for radical film debate, encouraging a broadened base for the discussion of film as an art form, actively campaigning against film censorship and government attitudes to film, and establishing exhibition channels for ‘underground’ films, whether politically or aesthetically opposed to the dominant views of Australian society.
In the early 1970s, the availability of government grants for minority films made the ‘underground’ reliant on government funding agencies; in January 1972 Albie Thoms wrote that ‘underground film in Australia is dead’ (The Review, 22-28 January 1972), in the sense that radical films no longer were made and shown in an atmosphere of clandestine rebellion. Minority groups within the community began to make films as more and more people gained access to the medium. Pioneering women’s films, such as Got At (1972), produced at La Trobe University, Melbourne, and the work of the Sydney Women’s Film Group began to examine sexism in Australian society and other issues of concern to women. Efforts were made to make film and video available to Aborigines and to European migrant groups. The potential of film as an art form also continued to be explored, especially in the work of Arthur and s Corinne Cantrill in Melbourne, with an extraordinary series of films about Australian landscapes, a major exploration of the philosophy of the Sydney poet, Harry Hooton, and investigations into perception and the nature of the film medium itself. The Cantrills also contributed persistently to debate about film through their magazine, Cantrills Filmnotes.
In documentary film, the Commonwealth Film Unit (or Film Australia) experienced a new wave of enthusiasm after 1970 when young directors, including Peter Weir, Oliver Howes and Brian Hannant, were given opportunities to direct narrative films, beginning with the three-part feature Three To Go (1971). The Film Unit, together with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, assisted the growth of ethnographic film, with the work of Ian Dunlop and Roger Sandall, and later the Americans David and Judith MacDougall in central and northern Australia. Specialized documentary films were also made for the surfing community by Bob Evans, Paul Witzig and others, and shown profitably by the film-makers themselves on coastal circuits. Occasionally surfing films reached wider audiences: Morning of the Earth (1972) , by Albert Falzon, with effects by Albie Thoms and music by G. Wayne Thomas, was promoted as psychedelia, and Crystal Voyager (1973), by David Elfick, screened widely overseas and was given circuit distribution by Greater Union.
The commercial success of surfing movies was paralleled by other 16mm documentaries made by people outside of the mainstream industry recording travels around remote parts of Australia. These travellers’ tales, in the old tradition of Francis Birtles and Frank Hurley, were screened often in makeshift conditions in town halls and disused cinemas in the city and country, usually with the film-maker in attendance, giving an accompanying lecture, selling tickets and operating the projector. Some of these films earned huge profits for their makers, notably Northern Safari (1966), by Keith Adams, Across the Top (1969), by Malcolm Douglas and David Oldmeadow, and films by the Leyland brothers, including Wheels Across a Wilderness (1967) and Open Boat to Adventure (1970). Films such as these helped to break down assumptions about exhibition and audiences that had dominated the trade for decades.
By the end of 1977 the energy of the industry had been tempered slightly by the Fraser government’s economic cutbacks, and the Whitlam years of 1973-75 looked increasingly like a peak of confidence in the new industry. But although by 1978 the industry was undergoing a more sober appraisal of its direction, the potentials of film-making remained rich and strong. Comparison with any earlier decade of production showed that most of the conditions that earlier film-makers had fought for, especially sympathetic government assistance and access to theatres, had come into existence. The change was not just a superficial one of quantity, but a change of attitude, and the old scepticism of exhibitors about Australian product had been eroded. Only the filmmakers were needed to take advantage of these dramatically improved conditions, and as the 1970s drew on, figures like Peter Weir, Phil Noyce and Ken Cameron began to fulfil the promise that the whole industry showed.
Clay (Giorgio Mangiamele, 1965) aka Argilla; wr. dp. ed. Giorgio Mangiamele; first art movie, according to O'Regan 1996: 171, 223; 85 min.
Funny Things Happen Down Under (Joe McCormick, 1965) Pacific Films; children's; Terrible Ten comedy; Olivia Newton-John's first film
Don't Let It Get to You (John O'Shea, 1966) wr. John O'Shea, prod. John O'Shea, dp Tony Williams, ed. John O'Shea; Howard Morrison, Gary Wallace, Carmen Duncan, Normie Rowe, Kiri Te Kanawa; Aussie drummer goes to NZ to find work; comedy musical; 80 min.
They're a Weird Mob (Michael Powell, 1966) wr. Richard Imrie [Emeric Pressburger], novel by Nino Culotta [John O'Grady]; Walter Chiari (Nino Culotta), Clare Dunne, Chips Rafferty, Alida Chelli, Ed Devereaux, Slim DeGrey, John Meillon, Charles Little, Anne Haddy, Jack Allen, Red Moore, Ray Hartley, Tony Bonner, Alan Lander, Keith Peterson; satirical comedy
Cobweb on a Parachute (Dusan Marek, 1967) experimental
Journey out of Darkness (James Trainor, 1967) [James Trainor was born WA]; Konrad Matthaei (an American), Ed Devereaux, Kamahl; plot summary Cinema Papers, 129, January 1999: 23; white actor Devereaux blacks up to play Aboriginal tracker, Jubbal, and Kamahl (from Ceylon [now Sri Lanka]) plays an Aboriginal prisoner; when Jubbal dies, the prisoner becomes his captor's guide "out of darkness"
Pudding Thieves (Brian Davies, 1967) wr. Brian Davies; first "Carlton school" (University of Melbourne circle) film; 54 min.
Koya No Toseinin (Junya Sato, 1968) aka The Drifting Avenger; Japanese western shot but not released in Australia
Moeru Tairuku (Shogoro Nishimura, 1968) aka Blazing Continent; Japanese romance shot but not released in Australia
Time in Summer (Ludwik Dutkiewicz, 1968) SA; art movie
2000 Weeks (Tim Burstall, 1969) aka Two Thousand Weeks; wr. Tim Burstall, Patrick Ryan; Jeanie Drynan, Mark McManus, Eileen Chapman, David Turnbull, Michael Duffield, Stephen Dattner, Bruce Anderson, Dominic Ryan, Nicholas McCallum, Anne Charleston, Graeme Blundell; writer's isolation: he only has 2000 weeks to achieve something in his life
Age of Consent (Michael Powell, 1969) wr. Peter Yeldham from book by Norman Lindsay, ed. Anthony Buckley; James Mason, Helen Mirren, Neva Carr-Glynn, Jackie MacGowran
Color Me Dead (Eddie Davis, 1969) crime; Tom Tryon, Carolyn Jones, Rick Jason, Patricia Connolly, Tony Ward, Penny Sugg, Reg Gillam, Margot Reid, Peter Sumner, Michael Laurence, Sandy Harbutt, John Dease, Tom Oliver, Phil Haldeman
Hey Al, Baby (David Minter, 1969) Alan Finney, Chrissie Loh, Peter Carmody, Chris Maudson, Anna Raknes, Eleanor Wilson; 34 min.
Intruders, The (Lee Robinson, 1969) aka Skippy and the Intruders; spinoff from Skippy
It Takes All Kinds (Eddie Davis, 1969) Goldsworthy Productions (Reg Goldsworthy, with Commonwealth United Corporation, US) Robert Lansing, Vera Miles, Barry Sullivan; B movie crime genre quickie shot in Melbourne; budget $300k; 98 min.
Marinetti (Albie Thoms, 1969) Ubu Films, experimental feature; Clem Wright, Susan Howe, David Perry, Aggy Read; colour, 83/90 min.
Rise and Fall of Squizzy Taylor, The (Nigel Buesst, 1969) Brian Davies (as Squizzy Taylor); biopic doco; 53 min.
You Can't See 'Round Corners (David Cahill, 1969) prod. Peter Summerton, novel by Jon Cleary; Ken Shorter, Rowena Wallace, Carmen Duncan, Judith Fisher, Slim de Grey, Max Cullen, Peter Aanensen, Max Phipps, Henri Szeps; man deserts at time of Vietnam War
Adam's Woman (Phillip Leacock, 1970) aka Return of the Boomerang (working title), prod. Louis F. Edelman, ed. Anthony Buckley, music Bob Young, 116 min.; Beau Bridges, Jane Merrow, John Mills, Andrew Keir, Peter Collingwood, Harold Hopkins, James Booth, Clarissa Kaye, Peter O'Shaughnessy, Katy Wild, Helen Morse, Tracy Reed; historical 'convict western'
Beyond Reason (Giorgio Mangiamele, 1970) dp Giorgio Mangiamele; drama, thriller; patients locked in bunker of mental hospital during atomic warfare attack; 84 min.
Brake Fluid (Brian Davies, 1970) wr. Brian Davies, dp Nigel Buesst; Graeme Blundell, Peter Carmody, Dave Downey, John Duigan, Kerry Dwyer, Alan Finney, Bill Garner; 51 min.; Sydney Film Festival Best Film 1970
Dead Easy (Nigel Buesst, 1970) wr. prod. Nigel Buesst, dp Vincent Monton; Peter Carmody, Kurt Beimel, Anna Raknes, Peter Cummins, David Carr, Brian Davies, Mark McManus, Bruce Spence
Harry Hooton (Arthur Cantrill, 1970) experimental film about poet
I Happened to be a Girl (Jan Chapman, 1970) prod. Jan Chapman, dp Phil Noyce, ed. Phil Noyce
Jack and Jill: A Postscript (Phillip Adams, Brian Robinson, 1970) Melbourne, colour, 16 mm, 67 minutes, wr. prod. dp. Phillip Adams and Brian Robinson, music, Peter Best; Lindsay Howatt, Judy Leech, Anthony Ward; AFI Best Film 1969; kindergarten teacher falls for motorbike rider
Little Jungle Boy (Mende Brown, 1970) children's
Naked Bunyip, The (John B. Murray, 1970) prod. Phillip Adams; Graeme Blundell, Barry Humphries, Jacki Weaver
Ned Kelly (Tony Richardson, 1970) wr. Tony Richardson, Ian Jones; Mick Jagger; NOT an Australasian production
Nothing Like Experience (Peter Carmody, 1970) Bill Garner, John Romeril, Martin Phelan, Tony Rudd, Warren Woolcock, Anna Raknes, Jane Washington, Lindsay Smith, Peter Cummins, Brian Davies, Dave Downey, Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Garrie Hutchinson, Tim Burstall, Nigel Buesst; 50 min.
Part Two—The Beginning (Chris Lofven, 1970) scifi; 10 min.
Set, The (Frank Brittain, 1970) novel by Roger Ward; Sean Myers, Rod Mullinar; two young men have an affair; one attempts suicide; overseas sale banned by the censor
Squeeze A Flower (Marc Daniels, 1970) Walter Chiari; liqueur recipe; comedy
Strange Holiday (Mende Brown, 1970) aka Boys of Lost Island; children's
That Lady From Peking (Eddie Davis, 1971) ed. Anthony Buckley; Carl Betz, Nancy Kwan, Bobby Rydell, ... Ruth Cracknell, ... Jack Thompson; A defecting Russian diplomat is murdered in Hong Kong while trying to give his story to a world-famous author, Max Foster (Betz); Foster's attempts to find the diplomat's diary bring him to Sydney, with Chinese, Russian and American spies in hot pursuit
And the World Was Made Flesh (Dusan Marek, 1971) surrealist fantasy; 70 min.
Bello, Onesto, Emigrato Australia Sposerebbe Compaesana Illibata (Luigi Zampa, 1971) aka Girl in Australia, The Flying Fox; Alberto Sordi, Claudia Cardinale; partly filmed around Broken Hill
Bonjour Balwyn (Nigel Buesst, 1971) wr. John Romeril, Nigel Buesst, dp John Duigan; John Duigan, Peter Cummins, John Romeril, Patricia Condon, Barbara Stephens, Reg Newson, Camilla Rowntree, Marcel Cugola, Jim Nicholas, Alan Finney, Peter Carmody, Geoff Gardner; 'satirical comedy'; 60 min.
Country Town (Peter Maxwell, 1971) spinoff from Bellbird, filmed around Wentworth, NSW
Demonstrator (Warwick Freeman, 1971) prod. David Brice, James Fishburn for Freeman-Fishburn International and Act One, wr. Kit Denton, novel Elizabeth & Don Campbell, dp John McLean, ed. Anthony Buckley; Canberra; Michael Aitkens, Slim de Grey, Noel Ferrier, Ken Goodlet, Harold Hopkins, Irene Inescourt, Joe James, Gerard Maguire, Max Meldrum, Kenneth Tsang, Doreen Warburton, John Warwick; set during anti-Vietnam demos
Homesdale (Peter Weir, 1971) B&W, 16mm, 50 min., prod. Grahame Bond, Richard Brennan, wr. Piers Davies, Peter Weir, dp Anthony Wallis, music Grahame Bond, Rory O'Donoghue, Wayne Le Clos; Grahame Bond, Barry Donnelly, Kate Fitzpatrick, Geoff Malone, Phillip Noyce, Doreen Warburton, Peter Weir; black comedy
Nickel Queen (John McCallum, 1971) Perth; colour, 35 mm, 89 min. prod. Joy Cavill, John McCallum, wr. Joy Cavill, Henry C. James, John McCallum, story Anneke & Henry James, dp John Williams, design Bernard Hides, music Sven Libaek, ed. Don Saunders; Ed Devereaux, Peter Gwynne, John Laws, Tom Oliver, Alfred Sandor, Ross Thompson, Doreen Warburton, Googie Withers; WA
Part One - 806 (Chris Lofven, 1971) scifi; 70 min.
Stockade (Hans Pomeranz, Ross McGregor, 1971) prod. Hans Pomeranz for Spectrum Films, wr. Kenneth Cook, dp Jack Bellamy; Graham Corry, Michelle Fawdon (Elizabeth Green), Rod Mullinar (Peter Lalor), Michael Caton; began as a musical play (directed by McGregor) detailing, with reasonable historical accuracy, the events at the Eureka Stockade when rebellious miners fought against government regulation of the goldfields in Ballarat in 1854; 90 min.
Stork (Tim Burstall, 1971) prod. Tim Burstall, Bilcock and Copping Film Productions, wr. David Williamson from play The Coming of Stork, dp Robin Copping; Helmut Bakaitis, Graeme Blundell Peter Cummins, Sean McEuan Max Gillies, Dennis Miller, Bruce Spence, Jacki Weaver; Spence won an AFI for this; Melbourne; colour, 35 mm, 90 min.; brief review of DVD release: Michael Adams, Empire, 45, December 2004: 112; three AFI awards, including best film
Sympathy In Summer (Antony I. Ginnane, 1971) wr. prod. Antony I. Ginnane; Connie Simmons, Vincent Grifith, Tony Horler, Robin Wells, Pam McAlister, John Caust, Marlene Schulenberg, Leon Boyle
Three to Go (Peter Weir, Brian Hannant, Oliver Howes, 1971) prod. Gil Brealey, Commonwealth Film Unit, dp Kerry Brown, ed. Wayne Le Clos; Michael, dir. Peter Weir, wr. Peter Weir; Grahame Bond, Matthew Burton, Peter Colville, Betty Lucas, Judy McBurney, Georgina West; Judy, dir. Brian Hannant, wr. Brian Hannant, music Grahame Bond, Rory O'Donoghue; Brian Anderson, Gary Day, Serge Lazareff, Judy Morris, Cliff Neate, Wendy Playfair, Penny Ramsay, Mary Ann Severne; Toula, dir. Oliver Howes, wr. Oliver Howes; Gabrial Battikha, Erica Crown, Joe Hasham, Rina Ioannou, Andrew Pappas; B&W, 35mm, 89 min.
Wake in Fright (Ted Kotcheff, 1971) aka Outback (US); wr. Evan Jones, novel Kenneth Cook, dp Brian West, ed. Anthony Buckley; Gary Bond (John Grant), Donald Pleasance (Doc Tydon), Chips Rafferty (Jock Crawford), Sylvia Kay, Jack Thompson, John Meillon, Peter Whittle, Al Thomas, John Armstrong, Slim de Grey, Maggie Dence, Norman Erskine, Buster Fiddess, Tex Foote, Owen Moase, John Dalleen, Colin Hughes, Mark Jackson, Nancy Knudsen, Dawn Lake, Harry Lawrence, Robert McDarra, Carlo Manchini, Liam Reynolds; suspenser; last film of Chips Rafferty and Buster Fiddess; Kotcheff went on to direct the first Rambo film First Blood; filmed Broken Hill
Walkabout (Nicolas Roeg, 1971) prod. Si Litvinoff, Max L. Raab & Si Litvinoff Films, wr. Edward Bond, novel James Vance Marshall, dp Nicolas Roeg, music John Barry, design Terry Gough, ed. Anthony Gibbs, Alan Patillo; Jenny Agutter (Girl), Lucien John [Roeg] (Brother), David Gulpilil (Aboriginal boy), John Meillon, Noelene Brown, Peter Carver, Barry Donnelly; influential UK production about two white Australian children stranded in desert and helped to safety by young Aborigine, played by David Gulpilil; 100 min.
Adventures of Barry McKenzie, The (Bruce Beresford, 1972) Melbourne, colour, 35 mm 114 min., prod. Phillip Adams for Longford Productions, wr. Bruce Beresford & Barry Humphries, from comic strip written by Humphries, dp Don McAlpine, design John Stoddart, music Peter Best, ed. William Anderson & John Scott; Alexander Archdale, Dick Bentley, Paul Bertram, John Clarke, Peter Cook, Julie Covington, Barry Crocker, Judith Furse, Wilfred Grove, Jonathan Hardy, Barry Humphries, John Joyce, Avice Landon, Margo Lloyd, Chris Malcolm, Spike Milligan, Maria O'Brien, Dennis Price William Rushton, Mary Ann Severne, Bernard Spear, Brian Tapply, Jenny Tomasin, Jack Watling
City's Child, A (Brian Kavanagh, 1972) prod. Brian Kavanagh, 35 mm from 16mm, 80 min., wr. Don Battye, dp Bruce McNaughton, composer Peter Pinne, design Trevor Ling, ed. Brian Kavanagh; Monica Maughan, Sean Scully, Moira Carleton
Flashpoint (Brian Hannant, 1972) Serge Lazareff (David), Wyn Roberts (Foxy), Jan Kingsbury (Vicky); newcomer to a mining town in north-west Australia where men outnumber women fifty to one, finds that the flashpoint in human conflict is set dangerously low
Gentle Strangers (Cecil Holmes, 1972) 'mini-feature' about the problems faced by Asian students in Australia; 58 min.
Hands of Cormac Joyce, The (Fielder Cook, 1972) telemovie; wr. Leonard Wibberly (novel), S.S. Schweitzer (teleplay), Thomas Rickman; Stephen Boyd, Colleen Dewhurst, Dominic Guard; savage storm wreaks havoc on small Irish fishing village; brave local fisherman, Cormac Joyce, decides to fight back; as both (Oz) Crawford Productions and (US) NBC were involved, it seems to have been an Aust/US copro; partly filmed at Phillip Island, Victoria
Marco Polo Junior vs the Red Dragon (Eric Porter, 1972) aka The Magic Medallion; prod. Eric Porter, wr. Sheldon Moldoff; Bobby Rydell, Arnold Stang, Coried Sims, Kevin Golsby; Australia's first animated feature tells the story of a boy who discovers that he is the seventh son of the seventh son of the original Marco Polo; this won the AFI for 'direction' in 1973
Office Picnic, The (Tom Cowan, 1972) wr. Tom Cowan, prod. Richard Brennan, Tom Cowan, Child's Play Moving Picture Company, dp Michael Edols; Max Cullen, Philip Deamer, Ben Gabriel, Kate Fitzpatrick, Gay Steel, John Wood; Melbourne; B & W, 35 mm, 83 min.
Private Collection (Keith Salvat, 1972) wr. Keith Salvat & Sandy Sharp, Keisal/Bonza Films, dp David Gribble; Peter Reynolds, Pamela Stephenson, Brian Blain, Grahame Bond, John Paramor, Noel Ferrier, Les Foxcroft; comedy; Sydney, colour, 16 mm, 92 min.
Shirley Thompson versus the Aliens (Jim Sharman, 1972) prod. Jim Sharman, colour, 16 mm, 104 min., Kolossal Pictures, wr. Helmut Bakaitis & Jim Sharman, dp David Sanderson; Helmut Bakaitis, June Collis, Tim Elliott, Kate Fitzpatrick, Ron Haddrick, Jane Harders, Alexander Hay, Max Hess, John Ivkovitch, Phil Kitamura, Marion Johns, John Llewellyn, Sue Moir, Marie Nicholas, Candy Raymond, Julie Rodgers, Georgina West; rock tale, 1950s, girl visiting Luna Park Sydney hears from aliens
Sunstruck (James Gilbert, 1972) aka The Education of Stanley Evans, wr. Stan Mars, ed. Anthony Buckley; Harry Secombe, Maggie Fitzgibbon, John Meillon, Dawn Lake, Peter Whittle, Bobby Limb, Norman Erskine, Jack Allen, Derek Nimmo; Secombe arrives Kookaburra Springs to run the local school; comedy
To Love a Maori (Rudall Hayward, Ramai Hayward, 1972) NZ, Rudall and Ramai Hayward Film Productions, wr. Rudall & Ramai Hayward, Diane Francis from case studies by Diane Francis, dp Alton Francis; Val Iriwn, Marie Searell, Desmond Lock, Sybil Lock/Westland; 3850ft, 104 min.
Alvin Purple (Tim Burstall, 1973) colour, 97 min., prod. Tim Burstall for Hexagon Productions, wr. Alan Hopgood dp Robin Copping; Abigail, Graeme Blundell, Sally Conabere, Noel Ferrier, Jon Finlayson, Alan Finney, Jill Forster, Penne Hackforth-Jones, Dina Mann, Kris McQuade, Dennis Miller, Debbie Nankervis, Anne Pendlebury, Jacki Weaver, Elli McClure, Jennifer Hagan; comedy; brief review of DVD release: Matt Coyte, Empire, 42, September 2004: 117
Avengers Of The Reef (Chris McCullough, 1973) dp Peter James; filmed in Fiji; children; 84 min.
Children of the Moon (Bob Weis, 1973) John Duigan
Come Out Fighting (Nigel Buesst, 1973) play by Harry Martin, dp Byron Kennedy, 50 min.; Michael Karpaney, Joey Collins, Bethany Lee , Cliff Neate, Peter Green (Rocko Garibaldi), Kris McQuade ('Sporting World' hostess), John Duigan (student); Aboriginal boxer drama
Dalmas (Bert Deling, 1973) Melbourne, colour, 16 mm., 103 min., prod. Apogee Films, wr. Bert Deling, dp Sasha Trikojus; Peter Cummins, John Duigan, Max Gillies, Peter Whittle, Roger Ward; policeman pursues drug pusher
Don Quixote (Rudolf Nureyev & Robert Helpmann, 1973) ed. Anthony Buckley; Robert Helpmann, Ray Powell, Rudolf Nureyev; film of the Ludwig Minkus ballet
Essay on Pornography, An (Christopher Cary, 1973) Glen Johnston, Helen Mason
Handful of Dust, A (Ayten Kuyululu, 1973) "middle-aged woman's involvement in a blood vendetta" (Pike & Cooper 1998: 291); 40 min.
Libido (John B. Murray, Tim Burstall, Fred Schepisi, David Baker, 1973) colour, 35 mm., 118 min., prod. Christopher Muir, John B. Murray for Producers and Directors Guild of Australia; The Husband, dir. John B. Murray, wr. Craig McGregor, dp Eric Lomas; Mark Albiston, Elke Neidhardt, Bryon Williams; The Child, dir. Tim Burstall, wr. Hal Porter, dp Robin Copping; Bruce Barry, Jill Forster, Judy Morris, John Williams; The Priest, dir. Fred Schepisi, wr. Thomas Keneally, dp Ian Baker; Arthur Dignam, Penne Hackforth-Jones, Robyn Nevin; The Family Man, dir. David Baker, wr. David Williamson, dp Bruce McNaughton; Suzanne Brady, Max Gillies, Debbie Nankervis, Jack Thompson; Melbourne
Lost In The Bush (Peter Dodds, 1973) Production Company: Audio-Visual Education Centre, Education Department of Victoria, wr. ed. Peter Dodds, story Les Blake, dp Lee Wright; 64 min., colour, 16 mm.; Gabrielle Bulle (Jane Duff), Colin Freckleton (Isaac Duff), Richard McClelland (Frank Duff), Adrian Crick, Barbara Maroske, Don Mitchell, Bill Tregonning; in 1864, Jane Duff, aged seven, and her two younger brothers spent nine days lost in the Victorian bush before being found in an advanced state of exhaustion by a search-party led by Aboriginal trackers
Night of Fear (Terry Bourke, 1973) horror; 54 min.; see Michael Helms, Cinema Papers, 129, January 1999: 27
No Bag Limit (Andrew Vial, 1973) 'a film about the extermination of the Aborigines in Tasmania'; David Gulpilil
Rangi's Catch (Michael Forlong, 1973) NZ, Michael Forlong Productions for the Children's Film Foundation, UK, wr. Michael Forlong, dp William Jordan; Andrew Kerr, Temuera Morrison, Kate Forlong, Vernon Hill, Ian Mune; children's; 8460ft, 72 min.
Sabbat of the Black Cat, The (Ralph Lawrence Marsden, 1973) Ralph Lawrence Marsden; horror; based on E. A. Poe story
Skin of Your Eye (Arthur Cantrill & Corinne Cantrill, 1973) experimental
Sunshine City (Albie Thoms, 1973) experimental doco
That's Show Biz (Phillip Noyce, 1973) Gretel Pinninger, Phillip Noyce
Alvin Rides Again (David Bilcock & Robin Copping, 1974) Brisbane, colour, 89 min. prod. Tim Burstall for Hexagon Productions, wr. Alan Hopgood, with Tim Burstall & Alan Finney, dp Robin Copping; Abigail, Briony Behets, Graeme Blundell, Chantal Contouri, Jon Finlayson, Noel Ferrier, Maurie Fields, Alan Finney, Reg Gorman, Penne Hackforth-Jones, Dina Mann, Kris McQuade, Debbie Nankervis, Candy Raymond, Frank Thring, Frank Wilson, Anna-Maria Winchester; comedy; brief review of DVD release: Matt Coyte, Empire, 42, September 2004: 117
Any Morning (David Sumpter, 1974) surfing; 89 min.
Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (Bruce Beresford, 1974) wr. Barry Humphries/Bruce Beresford; Barry Crocker, Barry Humphries, Donald Pleasance, Dick Bentley, Ed Devereaux; comedy; 98 min.
Between Wars (Michael Thornhill, 1974) prod. Michael Thornhill, wr. Frank Moorhouse, dp Russell Boyd, ed. Max Lemon, production design Bill Hutchinson, costumes Marilyn Kippax, sound Ken Hammond; Corin Redgrave, Arthur Dignam, Judy Morris, Patricia Leehy; medical story; shell-shock; PTSD; Technicolor, 35 mm, 100 min.
Cars that Ate Paris, The (Peter Weir, 1974) prod. Jim & Hal McElroy, Royce Smeal Film Productions & Salt Pan Films, wr. Peter Weir, story Piers Davies, Keith Gow & Peter Weir, dp John McLean, design David Copping, music Bruce Smeaton, ed. Wayne Le Clos; Terry Camilleri, John Meillon, Chris Haywood, Max Gillies, Deryck Barnes, Edward Howell, Melissa Jaffer, Charles Metcalfe, Kevin Miles, Tim Robertson, Bruce Spence; Melbourne, colour, widescreen, thriller; 91 min.
Matchless (John Papadopoulos, 1974) prod. John Papadopoulos, wr. Sally Blake, dp Russell Boyd, prod. ass. Phillip Noyce; Sally Blake, Denise Otto, Alan Penney; three disturbed and lonely people, misfits and outcasts making an uphill attempt to live together in a condemned house in Sydney; B & W, 16 mm, 55 min.
Moving On (Richard Mason, 1974) wr. Anne Brooksbank, Cliff Green; dp Dean Semler; Ewen Solon, Kay Taylor, Ken Shorter, Lyndell Rowe; government-produced feature designed partly to help farmers who faced difficult decisions about their future and partly to encourage urban audiences to be more tolerant of the problems of the rural poor; 57 min.
Number 96 (Peter Barnardos, 1974) spinoff from the TV show
Petersen (Tim Burstall, 1974) prod. Tim Burstall for Hexagon Productions, wr. David Williamson, dp Robin Copping, music Peter Best, design Bill Hutchinson, ed. David Bilcock; Jack Thompson, Wendy Hughes, Jacki Weaver, Helen Morse, Arthur Dignam, John Ewart, Charles Tingwell, Christine Amor, Cliff Ellen, Belinda Giblin, Sandy Macgregor, George Mallaby, Dina Mann, Anne Pendlebury, Tim Robertson, Lindsay Smith; Sydney, colour, 35mm, 107 min.
Stone (Sandy Harbutt, 1974) prod. Sandy Harbutt, Hedon Productions, wr. Sandy Harbutt, Michael Robinson, dp Graham Lind, design Tim Storrier, music Billy Green, ed. Ian Barry; Ken Shorter (Stone), Sandy Harbutt (Undertaker), Deryck Barnes (Doctor Townes), Hugh Keays-Byrne (Toad), Roger Ward (Hooks), Vincent Gil (Dr Death), Slim de Grey, Rebecca Gilling, Bill Hunter, Harry Lawrence, Sue Lloyd, Garry McDonald, Helen Morse, Ros Spiers, Owen Weingott; Stone is an undercover cop who infiltrates a bikie gang when several of its members are murdered; Sydney, colour, 35mm, 103 min.
Stoner (Feng Huang, 1974) Aust/Hong Kong/USA; George Lazenby, Angela Mao, Betty Ting Pei; action
27A (Esben Storm, 1974) prod. Haydn Keenan, Smart Street Films, wr. Esben Storm, dp Michael Edols, design Peter Minnett, ed. Richard Moir; Robert McDarra, Bill Hunter, Graham Corry, James Kemp, Richard Moir, Max Osbiston; alcoholic imprisoned under section of Qld Mental Act; Melbourne, colour, 16mm 86 min.
Wanderer, The (Scott Hicks, 1974) wr. Kim McKenzie; Ross Thompson, Penne Hackforth-Jones; 58 min.
Who Killed Jenny Langby? (Donald Crombie, 1974) telemovie; wr. Greg Barker, Donald Crombie, dp Peter James; SAFC; Tony Allison, Peter Cummins, Julie Dawson; drama; 55 min.
Yackety Yak (Dave Jones, 1974) wr. prod. ed. Dave Jones, dp Gordon Glenn, sound Peter Beilby, Lloyd Carrick; Dave Jones, John Flaus, Peter Carmody, Peggy Cole, Jerzy Toeplitz; look at low-budget film-making; comedy; Melbourne; colour, 16 mm. 86 min.
Aurelia Steiner Melbourne (Marguerite Duras, 1975) experimental; Australian-French production made in and about Melbourne by a significant French writer; 40 min.
Australia After Dark (John D. Lamond, 1974) Hexagon Productions
Box, The (Paul Eddey, 1975) prod. Ian Jones, Crawford Productions, wr. Tom Hegarty, Ray Kolle, dp Wayne Williams, ed. Philip Reid; Barrie Barkla, Fred Betts, Belinda Giblin, Ken James, Paul Karo, George Mallaby, Judy Nunn, Lois Ramsey, Ken Snodgrass, Graham Kennedy; drama based on the TV series and with the same characters, set in a TV station
Double Dealer, The (Alan Dickes, 1975) telemovie, wr. prod. Phillip Avalon; cast includes Phillip Avalon
Down the Wind (Kim McKenzie, Scott Hicks, 1975) wr. Kim McKenzie, Scott Hicks; David Cameron, Penne Hackforth-Jones, Ross Thompson, Christina Mackay, Rod Mullinar, Christine Schofield
Firm Man, The (John Duigan, 1975) wr. prod. John Duigan with assistance from the Film and Television Board of the Australian Council for the Arts, AFI Distribution; Peter Cummins, Eileen Chapman, Peter Carmody, Bethany Lee, Don Gunner; Gerald Baxter leaves his job to become an executive in a mysterious corporation, the Firm; his increasing disorientation is matched by his growing loyalty to it; made on a tiny budget of $5,000 the film is a mix of naturalism and stylisation which the filmmaker hoped would work on a simple, surrealistic level; Duigan's feature debut; 93 min.
Golden Cage, The (Ayten Kuyululu, 1975) prod. Ilhan Kuyululu, wr. Ayten Kuyululu and Ismet Soydan, dp Russell Boyd, ass. dir. Phillip Noyce; Michele Fawdon, Ron Haddrick, llhan Kuyululu, Sayit Memisoglu, Kate Sheil; colour; story of two Turkish men in Australia and their tragic events
Great Macarthy, The (David Baker, 1975) novel, A Salute to the Great McCarthy, by Barry Oakley, wr. Barry Oakley, John Romeril, David Baker, prod. David Baker, Stoney Creek Films, exec prod. Richard Brennan, dp Bruce McNaughton; John Jarratt, Judy Morris, Kate Fitzpatrick, Sandra McGregor, Barry Humphies, Ron Frazer, Bruce Spence, Colin Croft, John Frawley, Chris Haywood, Max Gillies, Dennis Miller, Colin Drake, Lou Richards, Jack Dyer, Jim Bowles, Bruce Spence, Peter Cummins, Cul Cullen, Maurie Fields, Laidley Mort, Tim Robertson, Sally Conabere, Jon Finlayson, Max Meldrum, Bill Garner, John Derum, Luigi Villani, Burt Cooper; comedy about AFL player falling in love with the chairman's daughter; Barry Humphries won an Honourable Mention ( = Best Supporting Actor) for his role at the AFIs 2000
How Willingly You Sing (Gary Patterson, 1975) wr. prod. Gary Patterson for Inch Films, dp Peter Tammer; Isaac Gerson, Braham [sic] Glass (the mother), Morris Gradman, Allan Levy, Garry Patterson, Jerry Powderly, Jim Robertson; Melbourne, colour, 16 mm, 89 min.
Inn of the Damned (Terry Bourke, 1975) prod. Terry Bourke, Rod Hay for Terryrod Productions, wr. Terry Bourke, dp Brian Probyn; Dame Judith Anderson, Tony Bonner, Alex Cord, Michael Craig, Joseph Furst, Reg Gorman, Lionel Long, John Meillon, John Morris, Robert Quilter, Phillip Avalon; Sydney, colour, 35 mm, 118 min.; horror; see Michael Helms, Cinema Papers, 129, January 1999: 27; Pike & Cooper 1998: 446
Is There Anybody There? (Peter Maxwell, 1975) telemovie; wr. Bruce A. Wishart; Wendy Hughes, Charles Tingwell, Patrick Ward; crime
Lost Islands, The (Bill Hughes, 1975) TV pilot; children's
Love Epidemic, The (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1975) wr. prod. Brian Trenchard-Smith, Hexagon Productions; dp Russell Boyd, ass. Ross Blake, Stuart Fist, Greg Hunter; John Ewart, Michael Laurence, Grant Page, Ros Spiers, Roger Ward; Melbourne and Sydney, colour 35 mm from 16 mm, 83 min., semi-doco
Mama's Gone A-Hunting (Peter Maxwell, 1975) telemovie; wr. Bruce A. Wishart; Judy Morris, Gerard Kennedy, Vince Martin; crime
Man from Hong Kong, The (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1975) aka Dragon Flies; wr. Brian Trenchard-Smith, dp Russell Boyd; Deryck Barnes, Rebecca Gilling, Bill Hunter, Hugh Keays-Byrne, George Lazenby, Grant Page, Ros Spiers, Frank Thring, Jimmy Wang Yu, Roger Ward, Phillip Avalon
Melanie and Me (Christopher Fitchett, 1975) short feature; Debbie Burke, Michael Carman, Sally Conabere, Annie Ryall; 50 min.
Nuts, Bolts And Bedroom Springs (Gary Young, 1975)
Olive Tree, The (Edgar Metcalfe, 1975) prod. Elizabeth Backhouse, David Morre, Film Centre Productions, wr. Elizabeth Backhouse, dp Wally Fairweather, ed. David Moore, High Kitson, music Marisa Robles; John Adam, Alan Cassell, Faith Clayton, Jenny McNae, Robert Van Mackelenberg, Leith Taylor; family crisis on WA cattle station
Picnic at Hanging Rock (Peter Weir, 1975) prod. Jim & Hal McElroy, prod. Patricia Lovell, wr. Cliff Green from novel by Joan Lindsay, dp Russell Boyd; Kirsty Child, John Fegan, Vivean Gray, Dominic Guard, John Jarratt, Anne Lambert, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Ingrid Mason, Garry McDonald, Helen Morse, Rachel Roberts, Martin Vaughan, Jacki Weaver; thriller
Plugg (Terry Bourke, 1975) wr. Terry Bourke, prod. Ninki Maslansky for Romac Productions, dp Brian Probyn; Reg Gorman, Cheryl Rixon, Peter Thompson, Norman Yemm, Alan Cassell, Edgar Metcalfe, Phil Cleary, Noel Ferrier; Perth WA; colour; sex comedy; 88 min.
Pure Shit (Bert Deling, 1975) aka Pure S***; wr. Bert Deling, dp , prod. Bob Weis; Gary Waddell, John Laurie, Ann Heatherington, Carol Porter, Helen Garner, Phil Motherwell, Max Gillies; premiered Perth FF; commercial release 1976
Removalists, The (Tom Jeffrey, 1975) prod. Margaret Fink, wr. David Williamson, ed. Anthony Buckley; Jacki Weaver, John Hargreaves, Peter Cummins, Martin Harris, Chris Haywood, Kate Fitzpatrick; domestic drama
Ride A Wild Pony (Don Chaffey, 1975) Disney; Michael Craig, John Meillon, Robert Bettles; family adventure
Rocky Horror Picture Show, The (Jim Sharman, 1975) not Australian; not in Pike & Cooper; made in England for 20th Century Fox
Scobie Malone (Terry Ohlsson, 1975) aka Helga's Web from novel by Jon Cleary, wr. Casey Robinson, prod. Casey Robinson, Kingcroft Productions, dp Keith Lambert, music Peter aarke, ed. Bill Stacey; Jack Thompson, James Condon, Cul Cullen, Noel Ferrier, Ken Goodlet, Joe James, Jacqueline Kott, Max Meldrum,Judy Morris, Shane Porteous, Rod Taylor; detective story; 98 min.
Sidecar Racers (Earl Bellamy, 1975) aka The Team, The Teem (on the video release); prod. Richard Irving, Universal Pictures; wr. Jon Cleary, dp Paul Onorato, music Tom Scott, ed. Robert Kimble; Ben Murphy (Jeff Rayburn), Wendy Hughes (Lynn Carson), John Clayton (Dave Ferguson), John Meillon (Ocker Harvey), John Derum (Pete McAllister), Liddy Clark, Peter Graves, Peter Gwynne, Serge Lazareff, Arna-Maria Winchester; "young American surfer visiting Australia drifts into the world of sidecar motorcycle racing" (Pike & Cooper); 100 min.
Solo Flight (Ian Mills, 1975)
Sunday Too Far Away (Ken Hannam, 1975) prod. Gil Brealey, Matt Carroll, South Australian Film Corporation, wr. John Dingwall, dp Geoff Burton, music Patrick Flynn; Jack Thompson, Max Cullen, Robert Bruning, Jerry Thomas, Peter Cummins, John Ewart, Sean Scully, Reg Lye, Graham Smith, Ken Shorter, Lisa Peers, Ken Shorter; 90 min.
Test Pictures: Eleven Vignettes from a Relationship (Geoffrey Steven, 1975) NZ, Hinge Film Productions, prod. Geoff Chapple, Erik Braithwaite, wr. Denis Taylor, dp Geoffrey Steven; Denis Taylor, Lee Feltham, Francis Halpin, Moira Turner, Geoff Barlow, Dora Warren, Barbara Saipe, Mark Elmore, Mike Fitzgerald; couple move to a small community in the country to live an alternate lifestyle (Verhoeven 1999: 500); 955m., 87 min.
True Story of Eskimo Nell, The (Richard Franklin, 1975) aka Dick Down Under; dp Vincent Monton; Max Gillies, Serge Lazareff, Paul Vachon, Abigail, Kris McQuade, Elli McClure, Grahame Bond, Max Fairchild, Victoria Anoux, Elke Neidhardt; released on DVD 2004; review by John Tittensor in Cinema Papers, 5, March-April 1975: 52-53
Alternative, The (Paul Eddey, 1976) telemovie; wr. Robert Bruning, Tony Morphett; Wendy Hughes, Peter Adams, Carla Hoogeveen, Tony Bonner, Alwyn Kurts; drama
Barney (David S. Waddington, 1976) aka Lost in the Wild; prod. David S. Waddington, John Williams, Columbia Pictures, wr. Colin Drake, dp Richard Wallace; Sean Kramer, Lionel Long, Brett Maxworthy, Spike Milligan, Colin Petersen, Robert Quilter, Mike Preston, Rob Steele, Al Thomas; children's adventure; with US finance; Melbourne, colour, 84 min.
Betty Blokk-Buster Follies (Peter Batey, 1976) aka Betty Blockbuster Follies; prod. Eric Dare; a Reg Livermore production, Musical Director: Mike Wade; 120 min. colour; Reg Livermore, the Baxter Funt band, the Reginas
Born to Run (Ed Jurist, 1976) (aka Harness Fever); children; 94 min.
Break of Day (Ken Hannam, 1976) prod. Patricia Lovell, Clare Beach Films, wr. Cliff Green, music George Dreyfus, dp Russell Boyd; Sara Kestelman, Andrew McFarlane, Ingrid Mason, Tony Barry, John Bell, Maurie Fields, Eileen Chapman, Ben Gabriel, Sara Kestelmann, Geraldine Turner; WW1 vet falls for attractive artist; Melbourne, colour, 35mm, 112 min.
Bushranger, The (Federico Chentrens, 1976) wr. Kenneth Cook; Leonard Teale, John Hamblin, Kate Fitzpatrick; drama
Caddie (Donald Crombie, 1976) wr. Joan Long, prod. Anthony Buckley, dp Peter James; Helen Morse, Takis Emmanuel, Jack Thompson, Jacki Weaver, Melissa Jaffer, Ron Blanchard, Drew Forsythe, Kirrili Nolan, Lynette Curran, June Salter, John Ewart, John Gaden, Jane Harders, Phillip Hinton, Mary Mackay, Lucky Grills, Robyn Nevin, Simon Hinton, Marianne Howard, Pat Everson, Carmel Cullen, Brian Nyland, Willie Fennell, Les Foxcroft, Jack Allen
Cosy Cool (Gary Young, 1976) Gary Young, John Wilson; two bikies travel around the country
Deathcheaters (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1976) prod. Brian Trenchard-Smith, wr. Michael Cove, Brian Trenchard-Smith, dp John Seale, 93 min.; John Hargreaves, Grant Page, Margaret Gerard, Noel Ferrier, Wallas Eaton, Ralph Cotterill, Judith Woodroffe, John Krummel, Michael Aitken, Drew Forsythe, Chris Haywood, Roger Ward; story about stuntmen: "Cunning Stunts"; Eastman colour, 35mm, Panavision 100 min.
Devil's Playground, The (Fred Schepisi, 1976) wr. prod. Fred Schepisi, dp Ian Baker; Simon Burke, Arthur Dignam, Tom Kenneally, John Diedrich, Sheila Florance, John Frawley, Jonathan Hardy, Charles McCallum, Nick Tate; based on Schepisi's own experience in a Catholic school; Melbourne, colour, 35mm, 107 min.
Do I Have to Kill My Child? (Donald Crombie, 1976) telemovie, wr. Donald Crombie, Anne Deveson; Willie Fennell, Brendon Lunney, Jacki Weaver; family melodrama; short: 53 min.
Don's Party (Bruce Beresford, 1976) prod. Phillip Adams for Double Head Productions, wr. David Williamson from his play, dp Don McAlpine, ed. William Anderson; Ray Barrett, Claire Binney, Pat Bishop, Jeanie Drynan, John Hargreaves, Harold Hopkins, Graham Kennedy, Graeme Blundell, Veronica Lang, Candy Raymond, Kit Taylor, John Gorton; election night 1969; Canberra, colour, 87 min.
Eliza Fraser (Tim Burstall, 1976) prod. Tim Burstall for Hexagon Productions, David Williamson, dp Robin Copping, design, Leslie Binns, music Bruce Smeaton, ed. Edward McQueen-Mason; John Castle, Noel Ferrier, Martin Harris, Trevor Howard, Bill Hunter, Gerard Kennedy, Serge Lazareff, George Mallaby, Ingrid Mason, Grant Page, Sean Scully, Charles Tingwell, John Waters, Arna-Maria Winchester, Susannah York; colour, 35 mm, 127 min.
End Play (Tim Burstall, 1976) prod. Tim Burstall for Hexagon Productions, wr. Tim Burstall, novel Russell Braddon, dp Robin Copping, design Bill Hutchinson, music Peter Best; George Mallaby, John Waters, Ken Goodlet, Delvene Delaney, Sheila Florance, Belinda Giblin, Kevin Miles, Charles Tingwell; investigative thriller; police investigate two brothers (Waters, Mallaby) about death of hitch-hiker; Melbourne and Sydney, colour, 35mm, 114 min.
Fantasm ('Richard Bruce' [Richard Franklin], 1976) prod. Antony I. Ginnane; wr. Ross Dimsey, Antony Ginnane (idea); dp Vincent Monton; Maria Arnold, John Bluthal, Dee Dee Levitt, Bill Margold; released on DVD August 2004; sexploitation; colour
Fourth Wish, The (Don Chaffey, 1976) prod. John Morris for Galaxy Productions and South Australian Film Corporation, wr. Michael Craig, from his television serial, dp Geoff Burton, design David Copping, music Tristan Carey; John Meillon, Robert Bettles, Robyn Nevin, Brian Anderson, Michael Craig, Cul Cullen, Julie Dawson, Les Foxcroft, Ron Haddrick, Ann Haddy, Brian James; dying boy to get three last wishes: the father's is the fourth wish; colour, 35mm, 105 min.
God Boy, The (Murray Reece, 1976) NZ telemovie, prod. Murray Reece, wr. Ian Mune, dp Allen Guilford, camera operator Alun Bollinger; Jamie Higgins, Maria Craig, Graeme Tetley, Sandra Reid; 16mm, 88 min.
Illuminations (Paul Cox, 1976) wr. Paul Cox, prod. Tibor Markus, dp Paul Cox and Brian Gracey, design Alan Srubenrauch, eds Paul Cox, Russell Hurley; Sheila Florance, Norman Kaye, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Gabriella Trsek; Melbourne, colour, 16 mm, 74 min.
Image of Death (Kevin James Dobson, 1976) Cathey Paine, Penne Hackforth-Jones, Cheryl Waters, Sheila Helpmann, Barry Creyton, Barry Pierce, Tony Bonner, Queenie Ashton, Max Meldrum, Robert Bruning; thriller; 81 min.
Jog's Trot (John Papadopoulos, 1976) Arthur Dignam
Let the Balloon Go (Oliver Howes, 1976) prod. Richard Mason for Film Australia, wr. Oliver Howes, Richard Mason and Ivan Southall, from novel by Ivan Southall, dp Dean Semler, design David Copping, music George Dreyfus, ed. Max Lemon, 2AD Phillip Noyce; Robert Bettles, Jan Kingsbury, John Ewart, Ben Gabriel, Ken Goodlet, Ray Barrett, Jan Kingsbury, Nigel Lovell, Charles Metcalfe, Grant Page, Goff Vockler; children's movie about epileptic boy; Sydney, colour, 35mm, 78 min.
Mad Dog Morgan (Philippe Mora, 1976) prod. Jeremy Thomas for Motion Picture Productions, wr. Philippe Mora, book Margaret Carnegie, Morgan, dp Mike Molloy, design Robin Hildich, music Patrick Flynn, ed. John Scott; Dennis Hopper, Jack Thompson, David Gulpilil, Frank Thring, Michael Pate, Wallas Eaton, Bill Hunter, John Hargreaves, Martin Harris, Robin Ramsay, Graeme Blundell, Gregory Apps, Norman Kaye, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Christopher Pate, Grant Page, Bruce Spence; Sydney, colour wide-screen 102 min.
Mystical Rose (Michael Lee, 1976)
Oz: A Rock and Roll Road Movie (Chris Lofven, 1976) shorter version released in USA as 20th Century Oz; prod. Lyne Helms, Chris Lofven; dp Dan Burstall, design Robbie Perkins, ed. Les Luxford; Joy Dunstan (Dorothy), Graham Matters (Wally/the Wizard/record salesman/tram conductor/doorman/face at party), Bruce Spence (bass player/surfie), Michael Carman (drummer/mechanic), Gary Waddell (guitarist/bikie). "Oz is a 'rock'n'roll road movie' with the narrative structure of The Wizard of Oz (1939). Dorothy is now a groupie in search of the king of rock performers, the Wizard; the Straw Man is a vague and gentle surfie, the Tin Man a country car mechanic, and the Lion a timid and self-pitying bikie dressed in fearsome black leather." (Pike & Cooper), colour, 35mm, 103 min.
Promised Woman, The (Tom Cowan, 1976) prod. Richard Brennan, Tom Cowan for BC Productions, wr. Tom Cowan from Throw Away Your Harmonica, play by Theo Patrikareas, dp Tom Cowan, design Gillian Armstrong, composer Vassili Daramaras, ed. David Stiven; Gillian Armstrong, Takis Emmanuel, Kate Fitzpatrick Nikos Gerissimou, Yelena Zigon; Sydney; colour, 35 mm, 84 min.
Queensland (John Ruane, 1976) prod. Christopher Fitchett, wr. John Ruane and Ellery Ryan, dp Ellery Ryan, ed. Mark Norfolk; John Flaus, Bob Karl, Alison Bird, Tom Broadbridge, Jack Mobbs, Patricia Condon; Melbourne, colour, 16mm, 52 min.
Storm Boy (Henri Safran, 1976) prod. Matt Carroll for South Australian Film Corporation, wr. Sonia Borg, from novel by Colin Thiele, dp Geoff Burton, music Michael Carlos, design David Copping, ed. G. Turney-Smith; Greg Rowe, David Gulpilil, Peter Cummins, Judy Dick, Grant Page; white boy befriends pelican and outcast Aborigine, Fingerbone Bill, banished by his Kunai people, Adelaide, colour, 93 min.
Summer Of Secrets (Jim Sharman, 1976) prod. Michael Thornhill, wr. John Aitken, dp Russell Boyd, design Jane Norris, music Cameron Allan, ed. Sara Bennett; Nell Campbell, Rufus Collins, Arthur Dignam, Kate Fitzpatrick, Jude Kuring, Andrew Sharp; horror, scifi; colour, 35mm, 102 min.
Surrender in Paradise (Peter Cox, 1976) prod. Peter Cox for Paradise Pictures, wr. Peter Cox, dp Don McAlpine, music Ralph Tyrell, ed. Bob Blasdall, Peter Cox; Ross Gilbert, Carolyn Howard, Erroll O'Neill, Rod Wissler; time travel yarn; Brisbane, colour, 16 mm, 92 min.
Trespassers, The (John Duigan, 1976) wr. prod. John Duigan, dp Vincent Monton, design Gillian Armstrong, music Bruce Smeaton, ed. Tony Patterson; Briony Behets, Peter Carmody, Sydney Conabere, John Derum, Cliff Ellen, Max Gillies, Chris Haywood, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Judy Morris, Peter Thompson, Ross Thompson; Melbourne, colour, 35 mm, 91 min.
At Uluru (Corinne Cantrill, 1977) experimental; 80 min.
Autumn Fires (Barry Barclay, 1977) prod. John O'Shea, wr. Barry Barclay, Martyn Sanderson, Helena's Story by Olive Bracey, dp Rory O'Shea, ed. Dell King; Martyn Sanderson, Olive Bracey, Helena's Story read by Dell King; NZ, 50 min.
Backroads (Phillip Noyce, 1977) prod. Elizabeth Knight & Phillip Noyce, wr. John Emery, Phillip Noyce & cast, dop Russell Boyd; Gary Foley, Bill Hunter, Terry Camilleri, Zac Martin, Julie McGregor; white drifter (Hunter) and young Aborigine (Foley) careen around outback NSW; brief review of DVD release: Edwin Peters, Empire, 45, December 2004: 112; Sydney, colour, 16 mm, 61 min.
Barnaby and Me (Norman Panama, 1977) telemovie, children's comedy adventure; Sid Caesar, Juliet Mills; Barnaby is a koala
Blue Fire Lady (Ross Dimsey, 1977) prod. Antony I. Ginnane, wr. Robert Maumill, dp Vincent Monton; Cathryn Harrison (Rex Harrison's daughter), Mark Holden, Peter Cummings, John Ewart, Gary Waddell, Marion Edward; girl meets horse; 90 min.
Dot and the Kangaroo (Yoram Gross, 1977)
Fantasm Comes Again ('Eric Ram' [Colin Eggleston], 1977) aka Fantasm 99; prod. Antony I. Ginnane; wr. 'Robert Derriere' (Ross Dimsey); dp Vincent Monton; Angela Menzies-Wills, Clive Hearne; sexploitation; released on DVD August 2004
FJ Holden, The (Michael Thornhill, 1977) prod. Michael Thornhill, FJ. Films, wr. Terry Larsen, dp David Gribble, design Lissa Coote, Monte Fieguth, ed. Max Lemon, music Jim Manzie, sound Don Connolly; Paul Couzens (Kevin), Eva Dickinson (Anne), Carl Stever (Bob), Gary Waddell (Deadlegs), Graham Rouse (sergeant), Karlene Rogerson (Cheryl), Vicki Arkley (Chris), Sigrid Thornton (Wendy); Eastman colour, 35mm, 101 min.
Getting of Wisdom, The (Bruce Beresford, 1977) prod. Phillip Adams for Southern Cross Films, wr. Eleanor Witcombe (AFI award), novel by Henry Handel Richardon, dp Don McAlpine, design Richard Kent, ed. William Anderson; Susannah Fowle, Terence Donovan, Sheila Helpmann, Barry Humphries, Patricia Kennedy Candy Raymond, Hilary Ryan, John Waters, Sigrid Thornton; Melbourne, colour, 35mm, 100 min.
High Rolling (Igor Auzins, 1977) aka High Rolling in a Hot Corvette; prod. Tim Burstall for Hexagon Productions, wr. Forrest Redlich, dp Dan Burstall; Joseph Bottoms, Grigor Taylor, Judy Davis (film debut), John Clayton, Wendy Hughes; comedy adventure as two adventurers encounter drug dealers
Inside Looking Out (Paul Cox, 1977) aka Two in the Family; prod. Bernard Eddy, Illumination Films, wr. Paul Cox, Susan Holly Jones, dp Paul Cox, design Alan Srubenrauch, composer Norman Kaye, ed. Paul Cox; Juliet Bacskai, Briony Behets, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Norman Kaye, Elke Neidhardt; Sydney, colour, 35 mm, 88 min.; emotional study of disintegrating marriage, set over the course of a weekend
Journey among Women (Tom Cowan, 1977) prod. John Weilley, wr. Tom Cowan, John Weiley, Dorothy Hewett and cast, dp Tom Cowan, music Roy Ritchie, ed. John Scott; Nell Campbell, Diane Fuller, Jude Kuring, Rose Lilly, Lisa Peers, Jeune Pritchard; Sydney, colour, 35mm, 93 min.
Landfall (Paul Maunder, 1977) NZ National Film Unit for BCNZ, prod. David H. Fowler, wr. Paul Maunder, dp Lynton Diggle; Denise Maunder, John Anderson, Sam Neill, Gael Anderson, Rowena Zinsli; 3100ft, 86 min.
Last Wave, The (Peter Weir, 1977) prod. Jim & Hal McElroy, wr. Peter Weir, Tony Morphett, Petru Popescu, dp Russell Boyd, design Goran Warff, ed. Max Lemon, music Charles Wain, sound Don Connolly; Richard Chamberlain, David Gulpilil, Olivia Hamnett; thriller; Eastman colour, 35mm, 104 min.
Listen to the Lion (Henri Safran, 1977) prod. Robert Hill for Stockton Ferri Films, wr. Robert Hill, dp MalcoLm Richards, music Michael Carlos, ed. Mervyn LLoyd; John Derum, Les Foxcroft, Barry Lovett, Wyn Roberts; mentioned by Andrew Tudor in Aust Film Reader: 231; Sydney, colour, 16 mm, 52 min.
Love Letters from Teralba Road, The (Stephen Wallace, 1977) prod. Richard Brennan, wr. Stephen Wallace, dp Tom Cowan, music Ralph Schneider, ed. Henry Dangar; Bryan Brown, Kris McQuade, Gia Carides; Sydney, colour, 16 mm, 50 min.
Mango Tree, The (Kevin James Dobson, 1977) wr. prod. Michael Pate, Pisces Productions, from novel by Ronald McKie, dp Brian Probyn, design Leslie Binns, music Marc Wilkinson, ed. John Scott; Christopher Pate (Michael's son), Tony Barry, Carol Burns, Diane Craig, Gloria Dawn, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Ben Gabriel, Robert Helpmann, Gerard Kennedy, Charles Tingwell; coming-of-age story; Bundaberg, Qld, colour, widescreen, 104 min.
Out Of It (Ken Cameron, 1977) Glenn Mason, Chris Haywood, George Spartels, Martin Harris, Terry Camilleri, Saviour Sammut, Arna-Maria Winchester, Margaret Nelson; three friends in the industrial suburbs of Sydney, bored both by unemployment and by the jobs available to them, drift from stripping stolen cars to assisting in a clumsy warehouse robbery
Picture Show Man, The (John Power, 1977) prod. Joan Long for Limelight Productions, wr. Joan Long from Penn's Pictures on Tour by Lyle Penn, dp Geoff Burton, music Peter Best, design David Copping; Tony Barry, Patrick Cargill, Sally Conabee, Jeanie Drynan, John Ewart, Harold Hopkins, Garry McDonald, John Meillon, Judy Morris, Grant Page, Rod Taylor; Melbourne, colour, 35mm, 98 min.
Plunge into Darkness (Peter Maxwell, 1977) John Jarratt; horror
Ragazza dal pigiama giallo, La (Flavio Mogherini, 1977) aka The Pyjama Girl Case; crime; NOT Australian, but partly filmed in Sydney; based loosely on the case of Linda Agostini
Raw Deal (Russell Hagg, 1977) producers: Russell Hagg and Patrick Edgeworth, wr. Patrick Edgeworth, dp Vincent Monton, music Ronald Edgeworth, design Jon Dowding, ed. Tony Patterson; Gerard Kennedy, Gus Mercurio, Rod Mullinar; Gerard Kennedy, Bethany Lee, Gus Mercurio, Rod Mullinar, Christopher Pate, Anne Pendelbury, Norman Yemm; "Kangaroo western"; Melbourne and Sydney, colour, 94 min.
Singer and the Dancer, The (Gillian Armstrong, 1977) prod. Gillian Armstrong, wr. Gillian Armstrong, John Pleffer, from Old Mrs Bilson, short story by Alan Marshall, music Robert Murphy, dp Russell Boyd, design Sue Armstrong, ed. Nicholas Beauman; Ruth Cracknell, Elizabeth Crosby, Jude Kuring, Kate Sheil, Rob Steele; Melbourne, colour, 35mm from 16mm, 52 min.
Sleeping Dogs (Roger Donaldson, 1977) wr. Christian K. Stead (novel Smith's Dream—as Karl Stead), Ian Mune, Arthur Baysting, prod. Roger Donaldson, Larry Parr, dp Michael Seresin, gaffer Alun Bollinger; Sam Neill, Warren Oates, Nevan Rowe, Ian Mune; NZ;
Summer City (Christopher Fraser, 1977) prod. wr. Phillip Avalon, Avalon Films/Summer City Productions, dp Jerry Marek, design Jann Harris, music Phil Birkis, ed. David Stiven; John Jarratt (Sandy), Phillip Avalon (Robbie), Steve Bisley (Boo), Mel Gibson (Scollop), Debbie Forman (Caroline), James Elliot, Abigail, Ward Austin, Sydney, colour, 35mm.
Summerfield (Ken Hannam, 1977) prod. Patricia Lovell, wr. Cliff Green, dp Mike Molloy, design Graham Walker, music Bruce Smeaton, ed. Sara Bennett; Nick Tate, John Waters, Elizabeth Alexander, Max Cullen, Barry Donnelly, Sheila Florance, Michelle Jarman, Charles Tingwell, Geraldine Turner; psychological drama, mystery thriller; incest; Sydney, colour, 35mm, 91 min.
Trial of Ned Kelly, The (John Gauci, 1977) TV movie, wr. Roger Simpson (John Waters as Ned)
Wild Man (Geoff Murphy, 1977) wr. Bruno Lawrence, Geoff Murphy, Martyn Sanderson, Ian Watkin, prod. Bruno Lawrence, Ray Murphy, dp Alun Bollinger; Bruno Lawrence, Ian Watkin, Tony Barry, Martyn Sanderson; NZ
Garry Gillard | New: 17 June, 2022 | Now: 17 June, 2022