Harlequin (Simon Wincer, 1980) aka Dark Forces; prod. Antony I. Ginnane for F. G. Film Productions, wr. Everett DeRoche, dp Gary Hansen, music Brian May, design Bernard Hides, ed. Adrian Carr; David Hemmings, Robert Powell, Broderick Crawford, Carmen Duncan, Gus Mercurio, Alan Cassell, Neville Teede, Nita Pannell, Maurie Ogden, Jeremy Sims, Julia Moody, Leslie Wright, Ramsey McLean; shot in Perth, WA; Powell is faith-healer who is to cure politican's son of leukemia; Eastman colour, 35mm, 94 min.
Harlequin (Simon Wincer, 1980) was released in the States as Dark Forces, and elsewhere as The Minister’s Magician – none of them very effective titles. It was shot in Perth, and my main interest in watching it was to see again people I knew personally, two of whom I’d been on stage with myself, one a former teacher and then colleague at UWA, the late Neville Teede, in his only film appearance – so this for me is gold! But there was a surprise. I didn’t know until I saw the film that the house used in the film was Alan Bond‘s, tho I recognised it immediately. And not just for exteriors. Scenes in the bedroom wrere filmed in Bond’s actual bedroom – because of the views across the Swan River. As an estate agent would say: Million-Dollar Views.
... inept and utterly absurd. Stratton: 255.
... Broderick Crawford, looking mummified ... As a result of the casting, and the aforementioned attempts to Americanise the story, the films exists in a kind of no man's land. ... basic contempt shown for the audience ... Stratton: 298.
Garry Gillard | New: 25 October, 2012 | Now: 7 April, 2020