Cinema Papers no. 41 December 1982 (2025)

OCR

THE YEAR 0F
.1 VING DA NGEROUSZY

or poster inside
,1‘ ’ } “rlap. We of the Never Never and more

Issue 41 $3.50‘

Jaws

Luther

I'd Rather Be Rich
Imitation of Life
Immoral Tales

In Celebration

In Love and W[...]s Fair Weather
]upiter’s Darling

Kathy 0

King of Hearts

Kismet

Kiss of the Vampire

Les Grandes Manoeuvres
Green Fire

G[...]Harrad Experiment
Help

Hot Enough for June
House of Usher

How I Won the War
Hustle

I Could Go on Si[...]Shamus

Simba

The Milky \Nay

Muriel

The Story of Adele H

A Study in Terror
Summertime

Sunstruck

Suspira

The Swan

Tales From the Crypt
The Tamarind Seed

Ta ras Bulba

Ten Rillington Place
That Lady

That Obscure Object of Desire
Knights of the Round Table
Knights of the Teutonic Order
Lady Caroline Lamb
Lady L

Lan[...]t Summer

The Last Sunset

The Last Valley

Lease of Life

The Light at the Edge of the World
The Little Hut

Live for Life

The Long[...]Love and Pain and the Whole Damn

Thing

Love Me or Leave Me
Lover Come Back
Loving

Lunch on the Gra[...]in Winter

Live and Let Die

The Long Hot Summer

If . . .

Isadora

The King and I

The Great Gatsby

The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Monty Python's Life of Brian
Oliver

Chariots of Fire

Alfie

Battle of Britain

The Blue Max

The Bridge on the River Kw[...]Holy Grail
Murder on the Orient Express
Lawrence of Arabia

Julia

Henry V

Death on the Nile

Dr Dolittle

Dracula

A Bridge Too Far

The Charge of the Light Brigade
2001: A Space Odyssey
Thoroughl[...]oulette

Zazie Dans Le Metro
Thunderball

A Touch of Class

You Only Live Twice

The Pink Panther

The Pink Panther Strikes Again
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Kramer vs Kramer

The Shining

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Arthur

Sapphire

On Golden Pond

Mo[...]Pete’s Sake

Cries and Whispers
Day for Night

D-Day the Sixth of]une
The Devil’s Playground
The Eagle has Landed[...]O Lucky Man

The Odessa File

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
The Thirty—Nine Steps
Till Death Us Do Part
Tom Jones

The Trojan Women
Red Sun

Woman of Straw

Young Winston
Z

The Owl and the Pussycat[...]tagem
Stand Up and Be Counted
Stolen Kisses

Face of a Fugitive

The Family Way

Fat City

Fedora

Fli[...]gue

Funny Lady

Galileo

The Gambler

The Garden of Fitzi Continis
A Gathering of Eagles
Getting Straight

The Glass Slipper

Good Neighbour Sam

The Curse of Frankenstein
The Dark Avenger

A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
The Day of the Triffids

Deep in My Heart

The Defector

The[...]ur O'clock
Dirty Little Billy

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
A Doll's House

A Dream of Passion

Eagle in a Cage

El Greco

El Topo

Butl[...]e New Centurions

eates
the worl s grea

The King of Marvin Gardens
Scream and Scream Again
The Serpen[...]Wicker Man

The Wild Geese

Pepe

The Adventures of Arsene Lupin
And God Created Women
Bartelby

Bern[...]ife are Free
Betrayed

The Blue Peter

The Bottom of the Bottle
Boy on a Dolphin

Macon County Line

M[...]The Amityville Horror
Gallipoli

Hoodwink

Winter of our Dreams
Puberty Blues

The Killing of Angel Street
Love Boat

Best of Friends

Doctors and Nurses
Heatwave

Lady[...]

Brothers

Moving Out

The Year of Living Dangerously
The Boyfriend

Blood Line

Breaking Glass

Curse of the Pink Panther
Diamonds are Forever
The Empire[...]enanfs Woman
For Your Eyes Only

Gold

Mary Queen of Scots
Murder on the Orient Express
Mohammed - the Messenger of God
Man with the Golden Gun
Omen

Outland

Return of the Pink Panther
Roller Ball

Revenge of the Jedii
Shout at the Devil

Sarah

Superman II[...]wboy
Midway

Sunday Bloody Sunday
Superman

Tales of Beatrix Potter
The Taming of the Shrew
Taxi Driver

The Ten Commandments
Last[...]an Livingston Seagull
Kelly's Heroes

The Killing of Sister George
King Kong

The Great Escape

The Guns of Navarone
Heaven Can Wait

Hello Dolly

Shampoo

A[...]ion
Fun with Dick and Jane
The Godfather

The Day of the Jackal
The Deer Hunter

The Dirty Dozen

Dirt[...]en Jones

The Cassandra Crossing
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Cool Hand Luke

The Valachi Papers[...]k

One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Other Side of Midnight
Three Days of the Condor
Toral Tora! Tora!

Trapeze

Travels wi[...]Zabriskie Point

The Paper Chase

Patton

Planet of the Apes

Play it again Sam

The Poseidon Adventure
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
The Prize

The Professionals
Prud[...]The Brass Bottle

The Bravados

Turkey Shoot

We of the Never Never
Little Big Man

ET

From pre»pro[...]gives you the commitment to quality and the range of
stock that you demand.

Kodak and its range of Eastman film products
has always been at the forefront of motion picture film
development and technology.

This leadership is further strengthened by
innovations such as our n[...]s greatest film maker working with you
every step of the way.

The world's greatest film makers[...]

6 Plate from
$13,750 Model
D.3

There are many fine Film Editing Machines ava[...]CHMID can offer the following facilities in

what is the best value package available in Australia

to[...]Eisen
ean-Luc Godard Graham Greene John
Grierson D W Griffith Alfred Hitchcock
d floggart Anthony Howard Jeremy ls
Luline Kael El[...]rol over your Sound and Editing
functions.

There is an extensive range of models and options to
suit every need.

Call us f[...]l film magazine famous for its detailed coverage of the best of world
cinema and television. Extensively illustrated, critical and controversial, sight or
Sound is Britain's leading film quarterly.

Recent issues[...]ovies, Raul Ruiz, French crime films, the making of Heat
and Dust, Coppola's Zoetrope, new broadcasting technologies, the economics of
exploitation movies and Abel Ciance’s Napoleon.[...]uly and October.

j
For month by month reviews of every feature film and selected short films ent[...]ins a full plot synopsis and a critical appraisal of each film

and a definitive list of its cast and technical credits. The Retrospective[...]tin

I would like an annual
subscription to Sight or Sound

_ Please tick _ _ Please tick

_ 1 £5.70[...]airmail |_| £l8.8O airmail

:1 £4.50 per Sight or Sound binder f’_’| £4.50 per MFB binder

I w[...]ssue dated

Please return this form with a cheque or postal order [crossed and made payable to[...]

business of moving
pictures

With their extensive mark[...]

FILMWEST PTE LTD
Importers and distributors of Aaton cameras throughout
Singapore, Malaysia, Tha[...]ve a
talk to Wally and Peter about our full
range of sound studio facilities.

These include high-spee[...]awthorn, Victoria, 3122 (03) 818 0461 We can also do 16 mm mag. stripe.

is proud to have provided

COMPLETION GUARANTEES

fo[...]Sexton
Director Simon Wincer
Executive in Charge of Production Richard Davis
Director of Photography Russell Boyd[...]Fairlax

Production Supervisor Ted Lloyd
Director of Photography Toni lmi

The Settlement

Produce[...]rd Ruble

Production Manager Irene Korol
Director of Photography Ernie Clark

Ginger Meg[...]Dawson

Production Manager Jill Nicholas
Director of Photography John Seale

Battletruck

Producer[...]Cokliss

Production Manager Jake Wright

Director of Photography John Ease

Motion Pi[...]

Advertising: Peggy Nicholls (03) 830 1097 or (03) 329 5983. Printing: Waverley Offset Publishi[...]y Ltd.

‘Recommended price only.

Cinema Papers is produced with financial assistance from the Australian Film Commission. Articles
represent the views of their authors and not necessarily those of the editors. While every care is
taken with manuscripts. and materials supplied fo[...]nor the
publishers accept any liability for loss or damage which may arise. This magazine may not be
reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of the copyright owner. Cinema Papers is
published every two months by Cinema Papers Pty L[...]Ltd, No. 41, December 1982.

Front cover: montage of actor Mel Gibson (who plays Guy Hamilton) and a scene from
Peter Weir's The Year of Living Dangerously.

CINEMA PAPERS December — 499

Ross Dimsey, chief executive of Film
Victoria (formerly the Victorian Film
Corporation), has retired at the end of
his three-year contract. Dimsey, who
directed Blue Fire Lady and Final Cut
before joining the VFC, is to direct Faust
for producer Antony I. Ginnane.

Film Victoria, which is to undergo
major reorganization. has not as yet
a[...]ate unfair competition with
private companies. It is felt, however,
that since then the circumstances have
changed so dramatically that a complete
re-think is called for.

One motivating factor has been the
drain of creative talent over the border to
Sydney, where[...]filmmakers, who would
reach their potential only if Film Victoria
was able to act as a producer for them.
This is a total change of policy, and a
welcome one.

Eady Fund
IIIIIIIIIII[...]tralia continues on
the degree, function and type of govern-
ment support of the film industry, a
similar debate rages in Britain.

There, tax is applied to all cinema
ticket sales and the proceeds go into the
Eady Fund. This in turn funds (wholly or
partly) the, National Film Finance
Corporation an[...]h Films Minister,
lain Sproat, announced a review of the
Eady Levy and it is feared by many
within the industry that the levy may be
abolished. There is a feeling that the
Thatcher Government, in its desire to
cut costs, is not committed to govern-
ment support of British film production.

The Association of Independent Pro-
ducers, which comprises 350 lead[...]ous film industry.

Yet, the [British] Department of Trade

[is] thinking of abolishing the one

small support to keep the Bri[...]ealize how
incredibly important the film industry
is in presenting any national culture to
the world. Maggie clearly sees us as a
nation of porno-cable watchers."
Certainly the Sproat Report, to be
released at the end of the year, will have
a great effect on how long th[...]otalling almost $60,000
in the script development of five new
children’s projects were announced by[...]Edgar, ACTF
director, said that a continuing flow of
good quality projects was being sub-
mitted for f[...]by experienced
professionals and new writers. “If all the
projects now given investment funding
rea[...]ated they will represent nearly $10
million worth of new children's
programs.”

Total investment by[...]development has now reached
$235,000, with three of the projects
funded earlier this year scheduled t[...]outh Aus-
tralian Film Corporation’s production of
Colin ThieIe’s Fire in the Stone. This
will be the SAFC’s third film of works by
Thiele, and follows Storm Boy and Blue
F[...]in the inno-
vative, but costly, high-risk stage of the
production process — program develop-
ment[...]d to continue
investing in new programs.

Details of the new investments are as
follows:

Chase Through the Night —— $15,950
for first-draft funding of a five-part mini-
series to Endeavour Film Produc[...]— $5420 for first-draft funding
for Episode one of a seven-part mini-
series to Colosimo Nominees and Pablo
Albers Productions.

Telefeature Package and Rocks of
Honey — $8000 for Package Develop-
ment and $20,166 for first-draft funding
for the telefeature Rocks of Honey to
Merryweather Productions.

National Library of Australia
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Roger Easton, chief of technical
operations at the Canadian National
Fil[...]station,
but has lived in Canada for 16 years and
is now a Canadian citizen.

Melbourne Festival

New[...]ner as
executive director (he retired in October)
is Franco Cavarra, former artistic
director of the Australia-wide Italian Arts
Festival. Cavarra[...]the Sydney Opera House. In 1982,
he was a member of the jury at the Mel-
bourne Film Festival.

Mari Kuttna, an Australian of Hun-
garian descent, has been named
program director. Kuttna is a film critic
who has written for many world film[...]ght & Sound,
American Film and Cinema Papers. She
is also on the awards panel of the British
Film Institute, is vice-president of the
British branch of FIPRESCI (Inter-
national Association of Film Critics) and
has co-directed the Oxford International
Film Festival. It is not intended that
Kuttna will attend the Melbourne Film
Festival.

David Stratton, director of the Sydney
Film Festival and presenter for A Whole
World of Movies on 0/28, has been
retained as program consultant.

Don Dunstan, former Premier of
South Australia, has been appointed
president of the Festival, a newly-
created position.

A billboard image from Times Square, New York (The Road Warrior is the U. S. title for
Mad Max 2).

The Voting

The first controversy was over the
implementation of a pre-selection
process, which ‘narrowed’ the[...]ntered down to 18. (For a full report see
1Cg£e;'na Papers, No. 37, pp. 108-109,

Once the 18 films h[...]voted
in approved categories. Multiple
screenings of each film were held in
Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaid[...]on October 20 (later
extended to October 24) — or should
have. First, there was the problem of the
Best Actors ballot paper — it had
Norman Ka[...]Out
and Vince Colosimo in Lonely Hearts
(instead of vice versa). Once the AFI
realized the error anot[...]As they felt they had cor-
rected the mistake, it is possible they
didn't bother to vote again.

What of those who voted twice? Well,
the auditors, Lowe,[...]r error con-
cerned the Screenplay Award. Instead
of alphabetical order, as required, the
nominees wer[...]out. Numerous
people complained about non-arrival of
forms: most who complained finally got
their ball[...]ed
in vain.

One Melbourne voter (not myself) was
so incensed that his ballot paper had not
arrived th[...]before
the Awards. He was told it was too late to
do anything. When he then said he was
going to take[...]lip Adams.

Sujatlia and John B. Murray, producer of
Lonely Hearts (Best Film) and co-
producer of We of the Never Never (Best
Cinematography).

stand by[...]rs direct,
who would take his vote by phone. This
is what they did. And had he not told
them he was in[...]about the AF|’s and
their auditors’ handling of the Awards
voting.

Tradition

It is the prerogative of any organiza-
tion to change its protocol requirements
at any time —~ especially if a new
management or board structure is intro-
duced. Equally, there are certain
courtesi[...]ed all past
executive directors would have to pay if
they wanted to come. This was both
ungracious and mean-spirited -
ungracious because several of those
past executive directors had worked
slavish[...]past executive
director opted to pay — a profit of $30).

The executive directors involved were
Erwi[...]nnan, David Floe,
John Foster and Peter Crayford. Of
these, Brennan was invited as a pro-
ducer of the nominated Starstruck and
Crayford paid. Flado[...]airman, Senator
Hamer, and after the intervention of
two AFI board members.

Overall, the whole incide[...]el more inclined to recog-
nize the contributions of those who
came before.

Bob Ellis and Denny Lawre[...]ards for Best Screenplay.

Eric Porter, winner of the Raymond
Longford A ward.

The Presentation

F[...]1982 Awards
seemed to be the best since the start of
television telecasts. The program was
better stru[...]per that only
the chairman should speak on behalf of
the AFI).

Looking at a video recording later,
ho[...]ap to the pole — but on
television it lost most of the flair (the leap
was covered from above, for some
reason).

A second criticism of the presentation
—~ and mostly from those outside the
industry —— was that too many of the
films mentioned had never been heard
of.

In 1976, when David Roe convinced
Channel Nine to do the first televised
Awards, the majority of the prizes went
to Fred Schepisi’s unreleased D[...]the film and felt left,

out.

Another criticism of the 1976 Awards
was that the voting favored new,[...]recognized).

As a result, when the ABC agreed to
do the telecast in 1977, it insisted that all
films[...]ver.

The Quarter

militate against the criticism of favoritism
for the new over the old.

The prior-release clause stayed until
this year, when the number of films —
and the number of unreleasable films —
was deemed too large to be coped with
adequately. So, the old problem of
audience bewilderment returned.

It is certainly a problem that needs to
be solved if ratings are to increase,
which is the whole point of the telecast.

The A wards

The awards themselves[...]comment as they represent the collec-
tive voting of accredited members of the
AFI. it does seem odd that a film of the
exceptional standard of Mad Max 2
should not be nominated for Best Film
(but nominated for Best Director!) but
that is the way voting goes.

I certainly agree with Bob Ellis in his
criticism of the abandonment of the Jury
Prize for features, but one can’t
complain about Peter Tammer’s
Journey to the End of Night receiving
just recognition.

The winners ar[...]Achievement in Cinematography:
Gary Hansen for We of the Never
Never.

Best Achievement in Editing: Ti[...]by Rivka Hartman.

Best Documentary Film: Angels of War,
produced and directed by Andrew Pike,
Hank N[...]Jury Prize: Peter Tammer for Journey to
the End of Night.

Special Achievement in Cinemato-
graphy:[...]mond Longford Award
Eric Porter.

Noni Hazlehurst is applauded by Mel
Gibson and Pat Lovell for[...]

I agree 100 out of 100 with virtually
everything that Scott said in this piece
and if there can be a recognition of these
basic facts, then actions by people of
goodwill will have a chance of moving
the industry fonrvard once more.

Let us h[...]ngs ratio will be reversed and we will
see 10 out of 10 for at least three.
Because, after all, there is nothing
wrong with cinema that a damned good
film[...]al topics that
deserve comment.

First, the point is well made that it is
the quality of a film itself, rather than the
presence or absence of a foreign star,
that determines whether the film[...]ce success; however, both
those who argue that it is fallacious for
producers to equate foreign talent[...]further
point that the producer's direct customer
is not the filmgoer but the distributor.

It is the distributor's belief in the box-
office attraction of a particular star that
justifies the producer's d[...]fied.

It would be interesting to see the
results of regular surveys of distributor
attitudes towards Australian talent.[...]d indicate, better than any
attempted correlation of box-office
results with the presence or absence of
talent imports, the extent to which such
imports[...]production in
Australia purports to be in defence of
employment. In fact, it often has the
opposite re[...]results in a proposed production being
cancelled or removed from Australia to
another country (e.g.,[...]ankee Zephyr, The Bad Seed). Since
the proponents of the policy shrug off
these effects, it is hard to resist the con-
clusion that their real purpose is not to
increase local employment opportuni-
ties, but to shelter local mediocrity from
the demands of an international market-
place.

In an internatio[...]ompeti-
tion, especially not on its home ground.

If indeed there is some excellent Aus-
tralian talent that is not fairly recognized,
the remedy lies not in policies designed
to restrict the freedom of choice of Aus-
tralian producers and investors, but in
prom[...]ers.

Secondly, Scott Murray was rightly
critical of some of the attitudes and argu-
ments of the recently-formed Film Action
Group.

While I support the Group’s general
aim of promoting the Australian film
industry, and its a[...]une
30 deadline imposed by Part III Division
10BA of the Income Tax Assessment

Act, I can only deplore the unfairness of
its attack on UAA, and its mis-
representation of the effects of section
51(1) of the Act.

For all the Group's rhetoric about Aus-[...]ed away to
American-controlled productions, there
is no evidence that investments in Aus-
tralian cert[...]eriously affected by the money-raising
activities of UAA, any more than they
have been by other legiti[...]s occurred, UAA has not yet promoted
any projects so far as I am aware.

Producers whose finances are[...]new film tax con-
cessions can hardly accuse UAA of
exploiting the Australian taxation
system.

The whole point about UAA’s opera-
tions is that they do not rely on any
special tax concessions. The only
deduction offered is under section 51(1),
under which any taxpayer can[...]ic business
expenses against business income.

It is just not true to claim (as the Group
evidently do[...]reby the Commissioner may
disallow the deductions if he is not satis-
fied that such repayment will take place),
they are only justified when the profit-
ability of the business is assured.

Why should Australians not be free to
o[...]and to invest in
servicing foreign film projects (or indeed
any other kind of projects) of guaranteed
commerciality when the income will be[...]present export
earnings for Australia?

Producers of certified Australian films
have been handed a ma[...]blind to the
dangers (leave aside the unfairness) of
such a campaign. If it succeeds, what
reason will there be for the go[...]in the
industry may find their own tax positions
(or that of their loan-out companies)
harmed by whatever legislation is intro-
duced to curb the application of section
51(1) to film business expenses.

It is surprising that the Group, and the
many journalis[...]ve failed to
identify what everyone on the inside of
Australian film financing knows is the
real reason (apart from the recession
and inv[...]production, namely, the
operation, since July 1, of the new Com-
panies legislation, which contains an
expanded definition of offering interests
“to the public”, and which[...]ces most often
relied on in the past: the clients of
solicitors and accountants.

The Sydney Corporate[...]mission has led the way in drawing the
attention of producers to the heavy
penalties (up to $20,000 and 5 years
imprisonment) for breach of the relevant
sections. investors and investment
brokers have been warned of possible
injunction actions to freeze production[...]d seeking to rely on a less-strict
interpretation ofor on the way to
being so, have been postponed while
their advisers grapple with the unfamiliar
complexities of preparing and register-
ing approved deeds and prospectuses.

Of course, this hiatus would not
matter so much if it were not for the rule
requiring films to be co[...]y
their investors for tax concessions in the
year of investment. Soon it will be too
late for producti[...]rguments listed by Scott
Murray for relaxing it.

If that can be achieved, then regard-
less of the activities of UAA-type
operators, once the short-term diffi-
culties of learning to comply with
Companies legislation are[...]and hope-
fully we shall see a continuing output of
films of the quality that won prizes at the
recent Austral[...]speech,
I hope he will let me have my say on
some ofif the Film Action Group is
heeding Scott's advice and are indeed
directing t[...]nd Trans-Pacific Media to the govern-
ment, which is as it should be.

Scott cites the industry's indi[...]anies as
having "had all the moralistic hyperbole
of a Jerry Falwell ra||y". Such a strong
statement leaves no doubt whose side
Scott, director of two unsuccessful films,
is on. The Pirate Movie was quite enter-
taining — but only if looked upon as a
children's film. The overall cri[...]as
amazed me (will Cinema Papers publish
a review of The Pirate Movie? l doubt it.
Scott could do a favorable one himself, if
he dares.)

Bob Ellis, to my memory, has never
known what he is writing or talking about
when making statements or writing
articles on films and film industries,
es[...]Fred
Schepisi, Gillian Armstrong, Graeme
Clifford or anyone else for that matter
going to the U.S. to[...]irectors should be allowed
to come here, but only if they happen to
be making 98 per cent all-American[...]writers, musicians, etc.) that
happen to be set, or partly set, in Aus-
tralia (e.g., Ride A W[...]

As regards overseas actors being
used in our films, most of them are
unnecessary (e.g., Kirk Douglas, Tom
Ske[...]estleman — and
,eve actor that Tony Ginnane has so far
use from overseas). In this day and age
of the non-star they are just not called
for. All (or most) of today’s best films
have “unknowns” playing[...]uld be
developing our own “star system"
instead of encouraging has-beens and
never-weres to come here. The sort of
“star” that may be box-office today,
Australi[...]st can't afford to hire.

By the way, at least 10 of our 30 films
entered in the 1982 Australian Film[...]l, not eight as Scott suggests.
I agree that most of the other 20 were
uniformly bad.

Yours sincerely[...]city cinemas.

Scott Murray replies:

David Maher is wrong when he infers
from reading my Quarter item that I am
in support of UAA. The point I was
making was twofold:

1. UAA has acted within the law, a fact
ignored by most of its detractors; and

2. The attacks on UAA have b[...]ney going into
UAA would go into Australian films if
the legislation were changed).

My view about UAA, unstated in the
item, is that legally, at present, it has
every right to operate. I do not see
myself, or anyone other than an elected
government, dictating what UAA or any
other film organization or individual
should do with their or their investors’
money.

I would prefer Austral[...]would also hope the all-too-vocal
industry would do something about
raising local standards. If Australia
produced films as entertaining, witty a[...]home.

Maher goes on to link my supposed
support of_UAA with the claim that I
made two unsuccessful films. He is
wrong both in his logic and his facts (the
number of films is four).

Travelling Festival
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

De[...]d in Cinema Papers (No. 39, p.
392).

As director of The Travelling Film Fes-
tival — a division of the Sydney Film
Festival — I would like to point out that
there is only one “Travelling Film Fes-
tival” operati[...]The name
—— The Travelling Film Festival — is a
business name, registered in each state
of Australia.

Any legal difficulties relating to other
organizations in operation in the state of
Victoria have been overcome, and The
Travelling F[...]0

Australian Films Score
Festival Awards

Angels of War has won the Grand
Prix at the 14th Nyon Inter[...]y
Andrew Pike, Hank Nelson and Gavan
Daws, Angels of War is a documentary
about the experience of villagers when
World War 2 came suddenly to the
islands of Papua New Guinea.

The Plains of Heaven, produced by
John Cruthers and directed by[...]een awarded the Gold
Ducat (carrying a cash prize of 2000 DM)
at the 31st Mannheim International Film
Week in West Germany. The Plains of
Heaven is the story of two men who
maintain a satellite relay station on[...]roducer Bob Weis’ television mini-
series Women of the Sun was awarded
the United Nations Media Peac[...]are determined
by the United Nations Association of
Australia.

The four-part series, directed by Dav[...]Hoop.

Further production investment in the
form of a standby finance facility of
$300,000 was allocated to Jill Robb’s
Careful He Might Hear You.

Additionally, a grant of $3000 towards
developing “American Dreams, Aus-
tralian Movies" (a series of radio
programs for NPR Radio in the U.S.)
went to[...]and the Creative Develop-
ment branches.

A total of $105,083 was allocated to
Script Development Inve[...]d
included $32,750 for third-draft script
funding of Richard Brad|ey’s Alien
Hunter; $24,933 for Joa[...]July
meeting. Major allocations included a
grant of $13,106 for Paul Winkler‘s
Trades; $10,351 for[...]oberts); and $8000 for Anthony J.
Brooks’ Curve of the Earth. Other
projects include David EIfick’s Under-
cover, which received a total of
$100,000 for production development:
$10,500 allo[...]s Daisy Bates; and production
development funding of $25,000 for
Horizon Films’ Where East Meets
Wes[...]oductions
has received a standby finance facility of
$300,000 for All the Rivers Run.

Cowarle Holdings has been allocated
a $9350 grant for a 13-week study of
Australian films on the international
market; and a Trainee Grant of $1500
went to the Film Producers’ Guild (WA)
to[...]The Australian Feature Film Directors
Association is now to be known as the
Australian Screen Director[...]voted to change the name and
expand the interests of the Association
to include all directors working[...]on.

Gillian Armstrong has been elected
president of ASDA, replacing foundation
member Henri Safran. A[...]n, Sophia Turkiewicz
and Anthony Bowman.

The aim of ASDA is to seek better con-
ditions for directors in the Australian film
and television industry. It is also working
towards a standard contract that wil[...]e an
honorary life member, and was recently
guest-of-honor at a meeting of ASDA
where he addressed members on the
role of directors in the Australian film
industry. Referring to recent disputes in
the making of Australian films, Hall said:
“If the director's not the boss, who else
is going to make the picture?”

The ASDA currently has 50 members
and says it is aiming to see that all
accredited film and televi[...]n be obtained
from Gillian Armstrong (02) 82 1004 or
Albie Thorns (02) 989 7468.

McElroy & McElroy

M[...]nounced
two senior executive appointments as
part of continued company expansion.

Robert Fisher has b[...]nior partner in the
Sydney and Brisbane practices of
Wallace, McMullin & Smail, chartered
accountants.

Fisher is financial controller of
McElroy Productions. They are currently
the MGM-financed feature The Year of
Living Dangerously and, with Hanna
Barbera (Austr[...]een
made business affairs manager. He was
manager of the corporate finance divi-
sion of Citicorp Australia. Wilcox’s
speciality will be contracts and
financing.

Pat Lovell, producer of Monkey Grip and
Australian Businesswomarz of the Year.

CINEMA PAPER ecember — 503

When did you start work on “We
of the Never Never”?

I bought the option rights to the
book about five years ago. I was
one of the thousands of people
who were first introduced to it at
school. It always had a relevance
to me about the way of life in Aus-
tralia.

What relevance is that?

I saw it as telling the story about
the development of the Australian
rural heritage. There is no doubt
that much of what Australia is,
and what we are, is because of our
rural background. It is not the
events, not the total scope, but the
emotion of it — between races,
between males and females, and
between human beings and the
countryside. We of the Never
Never seemed to sum it up very
well.

At what stage did Adams-Packer
become involved?

After I’d had a shooting script
prepared and only a few mon[...]r involve-
ment only went as far as the
financing of it.

It was understood that it was my
project, and my view of the book.
They specifically excluded them-
selves[...]p

- z

i
i

IGOR
UZINS

Director Igor Auzins is interviewed by Debi Enker
about his latest film, We of the Never Never, based
on the novel by Jeannie Gunn.

Adams quite often. Phillip is
obviously very creative and
talented, and the guidance he gave
was valuable. Greg Tepper, who is
a producer of the film, was at the
Victorian Film Corporation w[...]s?

Phillip, as executive producer,
was in charge of the business end.
As associate producer, B[...]

What caused his resign[...]n’t know and I don’t think it
would be proper of me to make
suppositions. I wasn’t involved
with[...]ust before he left the
production. Quite a number of
people came and went during the
shooting. My job[...]did an interview for
Cinema Papers vast sections of the
industry wouldn’t speak to me for
months.

I always believe it is so difficult
to avoid ambiguities in answering
questions that you sort of folk ask.

506 — December CINEMA PAPERS

Above:[...]Gregor) kisses her niece’s hand in
farewell. We of the Never Never.

We sort of folk?

Yes, you know, people who
interview and pu[...]oot in the
Northern Territory, with the

problems of distance and isola-
tion?

If the film is judged as success-
ful, it will be to some extent[...]the same place and to walk
the same ground. Some of them
were quicker to realize that than
others.

It is not easy working like that,
obviously, but I think it is very
worthwhile. The shoot was only 12
weeks and[...]12
weeks under almost any hardships.
Perhaps one of the film’s strengths
is that it does have that edge of
insanity about it.

What was the original budget?[...]k
we probably went about $700,000
over that. Most of the excess was
expended on transport, accommo-
dation and the art department. The
cost of accommodation, for some
reason or other, escalated while we

were there. Transport[...]nderestimated, as had the

6'12: ‘,1 ‘

cost of obtaining materials and
supplies. Those three areas really
took the film grossly over budget.

One of the complaints that Dan, a
character in the book, makes is
that city people, who don’t really
understand the outback, like
telling bush stories. Do you think
that the 12 weeks out there put you
in[...]about?

Yes, even though I had spent
quite a lot of time there in the years
of researching the story and
writing the script.

It is a special part of the world.
It has a spiritual quality. I think
that most of the cast and crew felt

it while we were there, almost as if
it were a foreign country.

Is that another reason why you
decided to shoot on the actual
locations of the book?

Yes, and I think that judgment is
probably justified by the results on
film. I don’t think we could have
achieved the same look or feeling if
we had shot the film just out of
Shepparton with a few fibreglass
ant-hills.

I do[...]hooting conditions as
insurmountable problems. It is
part of our work. It is part of the
way filmmaking has always been.
You don’t a[...]fficult filming in the Northern
Territory than it is filming in
Footscray or Kings Cross.

There must be a lot of differences
in terms of the amount of the
control you can have. You are
subject to the weather, and you
have all sorts of logistical problems
to contend with . . .

Well, there shouldn’t be those
differences. One of our problems
was that some of the pre-produc-

..a‘§’

tion on the film wasn’t as tightly
organized as it could have been. It
is not absolutely the end of the
earth in terms of distance. It
should be possible to organize a
fil[...]aptation

What are the advantages and
limitations of adapting a screen-
play from an autobiogra[...]

In this[...]to try to
be faithful to the style and the
intent of the book, and I believe we
have been. Perhaps som[...]ven’t faithfully reproduced the
sense and style of all the

characters, but I think that we
have been faithful to the intent of
the book.

What di ou think its intention
was?

I think Jeannie Gunn’s inten-
tions for the book were to explain
some of the harshness and pecul-
iarities that she witnes[...]ecomes almost a
personal justification, on behalf of
the white people of the outback of
that time, for the way of life out
there. It doesn’t read like a
personal story, but I believe it is.

I think she saw the men of the
outback as bruised, lonely figures,
and she wanted the book to be an
explanation of that.

Why did you decide to include the
opening scenes of the marriage
preparations, the advice that
Jeannie (Angela Punch McGregor)
was getting and the reaction of the
city women to her decision to go
into the out[...]m; to
give it an immediate purpose and
identity.

Do you think it shows a contrast
between Jeannie’s attitudes and
the attitudes of the other women of
the time?

It certainly shows the attitudes
of the other women, and it shows
that she is a rebel of some sort.
Obviously, it provides a contrast
between city and country, and
gives a context for the rest of the
story.

The book is written in the first
person. Did you ever conside[...]it in the present day,
because life in that part of the
Territory has changed very little
since 1902.[...]probably be more successful
and just as relevant if we retained
it as a period story.

The relationship between Jeannie
and Aeneas (Arthur Dignam) is
never explicitly developed in the
book, and in the film it is emotion-
ally restrained. How do you create
a feeling of intimacy between a
couple who talk so little about
themselves and their marriage?

I suppose the answer is that we
understood them to be not parti-
cularly[...]ily in Melbourne.

But it wasn’t really a story of
their marriage as such. Their
marriage was a catalyst for the
other events of the story. It is an
examination of males and females,
but not only of married males and
females. It deals with the whole
maleness of rural Australia as
opposed to the woman’s influ[...]writing
about emotions and feelings was a
product of the time, of the sort of
things that were acceptable for
women to say at t[...]lf after they were
married. I don’t think she’d really

formed an advanced consciousness

Left: t[...]annie. Below:
Jeannie, alone at Elsey Station. We of the
Never Never.

Igor Auzins

about her position[...]react to
the film?

Generally they liked it. Some of
them weren’t absolutely comfor-
table with the two orDo you see any similarity between
films like “We of the Never
Never” and “The Man From
Snowy River” and the American
Western in terms of the explora-
tion of history and the celebration
of pioneers and folk heroes?

Yes. Those two Austral[...]distributors in North
America was that perhaps We of
the Never Never will fulfil the
search American filmmakers have
embarked on for a new form of
American Western.

They identified with the aspects
of romanticism and pioneering
isolation, and with the drama of
empty spaces. Films like Long
Riders and Barbarosa are all part
of that continuing search.

It appears that the Western
forms nowadays are a reflection of

CINEMA PAPERS December — 507

America’s urban society, whereas
in We of the Never Never perhaps
they see a Western form that
doesn’t have an edge of harshness
and cynicism.

There seems to me to be a common
theme in Westerns and in “Snowy
River” to do with the necessity to
prove your worth in a harsh[...]show-
ing the men that he was competent

Jeannie is told she can come no closer to the
feverish stran[...]and two days before the
national release.)

It is a reality in those sorts of
environments, even today, that
unless you are competent you are a
liability. The men expected Aeneas
to do it, particularly given his
background. He was a s[...]a
much stronger sense from the film
than the book of a woman who is
30, who feels left on the shelf . . .

The concept of herself as a wall-
flower is taken directly from one
of her letters from the Northern
Territory to Melbourne, where she
writes of herself as Plain Jane, the
wallflower.

508 —[...]throughout the
film you get the feeling that she is
excluded and resentful . . .

She was excluded from the
broader range of the station
society. She was expected to be a
housewife. She wasn’t the sort of
lady to like that. She wanted to be
accepted as an individual and not
as a woman whose place is in the

s- '~"-* '. . \

. 3,, 14.}-{;'.).

cg..[...]dividual
woman and they had pre—concep—
tions of her position.

There seems to be a stronger feeling
of warmth and humanity in the
book. You feel that sh[...]st in the
film that she doesn’t understand
them or that they don’t understand
her. Towards the end of the film
the attempt at comfort that she
receives from Dandy (John
Jarratt) is an indication of the
support that she describes in the
book. I sup[...]ween the whites and the blacks
in the second half of the film.

One of Jeannie’s major criticisms
of the men is their inability to
express their emotions to a
woman. Do you think Dandy’s
tears at the end are an indication of
her influence on them?

Yes. It is an expression of the
growth in mutual trust in the rela-
tionship between her and the men.
But it is still not an absolutely
warm, open, contemporary[...]ok. The

I)‘-

chapter dealing with the arrival of
the feverish stranger is for Jeannie
a demonstration of the bonds of
mateship. Yet in the film it is her
affirmation of exclusion from the
male world. Why did you change[...]e
to being rejected in that way.

Yet, the effect of that scene is to
make her seem resentful, whereas
in the book she is more accepting
of the constraints of her life in the
Never Never . . .

I would argue[...]nts. On several
occasions we were advised that We
of the Never Never just wouldn’t
make a film becau[...]ng that’s Australian today.
Frankly, I think it is an indication
of how poorly people read.

After her conversation with Mac
(Tony Barry), Jeannie is convinced
that the men built the house as a
priso[...]he conflict
between Jeannie and the men? -.

Each of these questions is rela-
tive to scenes we have invented
rather than[...]ious,
and even a bit neurotic . . .

Certainly it is not an absolutely
faithful reproduction of the lady as
perceived in the book, though I
would hope that it is not a ridi-
culous interpretation. We tried to
ensure that our inventions were
believable variations of human
behaviour, given the circumstances
of the book.

A film can only possibly deal
with a very small section of a year
in the life of a cattle station. Some-
times we couldn’t find[...]dramatic moment in the book
and we modified some of the
events or some of the responses for
the structure of the film.

I had trouble with the scene where
Jea[...]s no
desire to teach the Aboriginals
anything but is quite happy to
learn from them. She then
proceeds[...]ty bred,
Edwardian lady with no special
knowledge or understanding of
other cultures. She had a certain
emotional respo[...]o teach.

Yet, when it actually comes to a
moment of how to do that, in the
middle section of the film, she
doesn’t have the knowledge or the
experience or the insight to offer
anything other than traditio[...]dening tasks for
Aboriginals.

As a character she is by no

Is the corroboree at the end
supposed to indicate a resolution
of problems?

It is an indication of acceptance
by some of the members of the
group, a desire for contact. But
even that piece of intervention is
basically unsuccessful because the
white men overstep the situation.

Why is it necessary for them to get
up in the middle of the ceremony
and start shooting?

As their form of expression of
aggression towards the black
people of the time. I think that is a
fairly accurate representation of
how it was and is. It is unresolved.
All we hoped to be able to do with
the film was to have the audience
ask itself one or two questions. We
have no answers, only questions.

Occasionally the book is quite
patronizing towards Aboriginals.

Yet in[...]. Did you choose that
change to make people aware of
the prevalence of racist attitudes?

It is not a change we made. That
confrontation between Jeannie
and the men is described in the
book. She specifically suggests[...]that
the station owners should share the
produce of the station with the
Aboriginals. I think she was[...]t we
didn’t believe that to be her inten-
tion. If we had, I don’t think we
would have made the film.

How difficult is it to depict atti-
tudes that are racist and to differ-
entiate those attitudes from the
attitudes of the film?

I can’t tell anymore. Do you
believe that the film takes a racist
or a non-racist stand?

I think it shows that the me[...]it at that . . .

You don’t believe that there is
any advance towards a third form
of treatment of the Aboriginal just
prior to her husband’s death?

I suppose one of the things that
perhaps the film ultimately says is
that it is unresolved. In her case,
we would suppose it is unresolved
because she left the station. The
work[...]r
husband as a couple, and, through
them, the men of the station,
accomplished was terminated
because[...]. Right:
Bett-Bett (Sibina Willy) and Jeannie. We of
the Never Never.

Why did you use sub-titles?

I don’t think it is appropriate to
have characters speaking a foreign
language and not understand what
they are saying; it is offensive. If
we understand the white charac-
ters, I think we[...]that the sub-titles create an
audience awareness of a complex
Aboriginal culture of which the
white characters remain ignorant

Right. One of our intentions was
to give the Aboriginal people a life
and community and culture of

their own. We wanted a device that
would convey the feeling that the
Aboriginal people have their own
way of life, their own sense of
humor, their own priorities and
their own sensiti[...]many urban
Australians. But a film as broad as
We of the Never Never, describing
so many events, must trivialize
most of them, unfortunately.

If you must trivialize events, what
are you hoping t[...]and true.
But they are not very deep
examinations of the moments —
they can’t be. Not necessarily[...]about the
events you select. You can’t

explain or background the moment
adequately, can you?[...]I assume that through a whole
variety of different techniques,
without having a literal time scale,
it is possible to convey a sense of
what has gone before and what will
follow particu[...]’t
exactly matching. I consider that
unless you do fully explain and
fully follow up, you have trivial-
ized the importance of something.
For me, We of the Never Never
should probably run for about
thr[...]might have been able to address
ourselves to some of the things that
we tried to indicate.

A film obviously isn’t a defin-
itive statement of any sort. It is an
impression. It is an idea. It is
hopefully an emotional and
moving idea, but it is not a
thorough explanation or examina-
tion.

How did the Aboriginal actors in[...]Did they con-
tribute in any way to the creation
of the characters?

They contributed to the creation
of their characters, yes. They
didn’t contribute to the script’s
treatment and the script’s concept
of black and white to any great
extent.

Were they s[...]y believed we were
going to advance understanding of
them as human beings.

What about the Bett-Bett char-
acter? She is a peripheral character

in the book, but a[...]

The curator of the zoo, Oliver Yates (John
Heard), is as repressed as the heroine, and
sexual contact is postponed not only because of
Irena’s fear of her savage nature but also
because of Oliver’s apprehension about
despoiling a vision of perfection. The character
is introduced as he is reading Dante, which anti-
cipates the film’s ultimate descent into the
underworld and the revelation of his character:

chrader’s new film, Cat People (1982),
is the first he has directed from
someone e1se’s s[...]Cat People
(1942) by DeWitt Bodeen.

2. Schrader is credited as co-scripter on Raging Bull with
Mardik Martin.

aul Schrader is one of the seminal figures of the
contemporary American cinema. His success is attributable
to the creative use of his critical faculty and a commercial
deployment of his Calvinism. The result is a body of work
that is a bracing commentary on classic and modern
Hollyw[...]dy.

the curator as a romantic idealist in search of
his Beatrice.

This connects Oliver very strongly[...]ated for Brian De Palma’s
Obsession (1976), who is also a romantic
obsessive, a man who kills the th[...]or her. In Obsession,
the Dante—Beatrice legend is alluded to quite
explicitly.

Cat People and Obsession can also be
compared because of their imaginative use of a
New Orleans setting for metaphysical melo-
drama, and their concern with the taboo of
incest which in both films traumatically seems
to be the only form of sexual release that will
preserve the characters’ identity.

ike most of Schrader’s films, Cat

People is extremely violent. The zoo

is used to suggest that people are in

their own private cages. In this film,

as at the end of American Gigolo

(1980), the two lovers are separ[...]ty only

when separated forcibly. The zoo imagery is

used also as a correlative to human savagery

an[...]ere’s a monster lurking
under the calm surfaces of every person”.

Similar imagery also per[...]

The intense inner life of Schrader’s
characters is often signalled by external aggres-
sion. Similar[...]acter
tears himself to pieces psychologically, he is
also in danger of being torn apart physically,
limb from limb. One only has to think of the
missing digits that scatter the Schrader scri[...]’s right hand in Rolling Thunder (l977)“
that is thrust into the mechanical garbage
disposal unit;[...]h Jake’s masochism (mas-
querading as machismo) is signified by his
ability to absorb extreme physic[...]in hand with
Schrader’s excremental vision. One of the
dubious achievements of Cat People is to give a
whole new dimension to the word “pus”, as the
black leopard leaves disgusting evidence of its
imminent presence. A hand becomes part of the
garbage in Rolling Thunder. The demented
desire of Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) in Taxi
Driver to[...]re to expunge and annihilate.

One should be wary of identifying Schrader
too clearly with his characters, but there
sometimes is an uneasy sense of his putting a
sentiment he is afraid to acknowledge within
himself into the mouth of an unbalanced
protagonist.

This might account for the uncomfortable
tone that hovers over some of the films. Is
Travis in Taxi Driver a madman or a hero? Cat
People recalls Hardcore in the way it[...]assia Kinski. Right (top to bottom): three
Images of lovers separated by ‘prison walls’: Irena (Kinski)
looks at her leopard in Cat People; the hand of Michelle
Stratton (Lauren Hutton) comforts Julian[...]kes, and the films reel
between contrary impulses of pleasure and
punishment, Protestantism and permis[...]rification and perversion. I am a little
reminded of D. H. Lawrence’s early response
to Dostoevsky:

“He is again like the rat, slithering along in

hate, in[...]e light, professing love, all love. But his

nose is sharp with hate, his running is

shadowy and rat-like, he is a will fixed and

gripped like a trap. He is not nice.”
It summons again Schrader’s ambivalence
towards his taxi—driver hero and his description
of him as a man “who moves through the city
like a[...]alled a junk-food
Dostoevsky. Like Dostoevsky, he is
violent, melodramatic, religious and
profoundly c[...]Russian master also, he uses the
tawdry formulae of crime fiction to erect
massive psychological dram[...]ffering and sacrifice.
The ultimate dramatic goal is rarely a
narrative resolution but invariably a form of
spiritual transcendence or enigma. One has
only to think of the ironic and inscrutable final
minutes of Taxi Driver or the spiritual
implosion yet narrative diminuendo that forms
the denouement of American Gigolo. “One
thing I know that, whereas I was blind, now I
see”, is the epilogue for Raging Bull, following
th[...]

last or disappearing under the flab of narcis-
sism. Oliver visits the cage at the end of Cat
People as if it were a shrine, and, as the cat
stares back, th[...]de with a movement into
the mysterious black hole ofis laceratingly lurid. It could be termed ‘neon
realism’, in which an objectively familiar world
is refracted nightmarishly through a disturbed
central consciousness. The setting is invariably
a modern America of garish impersonality, and
the style takes its sha[...]an active

psychological life and an outer world of plastic
surfaces.

Cat People is something of a departure from
this and Schrader’s boldest stylistic experiment.
Reality is only perfunctorily indicated and,
through color, sound and performance,
Schrader reaches for a visualization of a
mythical world, not only to summon up the
creatures that roam the subconscious but to
evoke the essence of films as a dimension of
magic. Some films make you think; Schrader’s

make you dream. The goal of Cat People is to
provide a pleasurable nightmare in a stylish
exploitation context.

he dark side of life on which

Schrader’s work seems exclusively

to concentrate is at least alleviated

by flashes of lugubrious humor. Cat

People has fun in drawing feline
analogies to human feelings: the preenings of
Paul, the way Irena pounces on a bowl of fish
in a cafe, or the way Paul’s housekeeper,
Female (Ruby Dee),[...]mic
flourishes, notably in the sexual humiliation of
the egocentric vocalist, Eric Katz (John
Belushi)[...]on amusingly yet tellingly reflects the
intensity of his exasperation with impassive
mechanical inefficiency.

Amidst the perversion and pornography of
Hardcore, there is a funny moment when a

512 — December CINEMA PA[...]ul
Schrader’s Obsession.

visiting producer is impressed by the direction
of his new porno opus and receives the instant
expla[...]eazy expertise: “He’s
from UCLA.”

Schrader is also from UCLA. Having
decided not to become a mi[...]there on a recommendation from Pauline
Kael. Out of this period came his book on
Bresson, Dreyer and Ozu, Transcendental Style
in Film5, which is a fascinating fusion of
theology and film. It has the flavor of the kind
of films that Schrader would be interested in
making[...]substance, and are
intrigued by what would happen if European
existentialism were to be transposed to the
streets of the U.S. According to Schrader, Taxi
Driver gives[...]ir, which not only
assisted towards a revaluation of the

classic noir films of the 1940s and

1950s but may have helped to creat[...]as to turn his demons into
dollars and his way to do that was to write a
script. Nevertheless, it is possible to see
Schrader’s film career as being as much an act
of criticism as of creativity. One of the central

5. Paul Schrader, Transcendental[...]Ozu,
Bresson, Dreyer,
Berkeley, 1972.

University of California Press,

Harry Kilmer (Robert Mitchum) takes the violence of the
West to Japan in Sydney Pollack’s The Yakuz[...]De Niro) andfamily: "disappearing
under the flab of narcissism”? Martin Scorsese's Raging
Bull.

facets of Schrader’s creative work is the way it
feeds off previous films and offers a modern
perspective on earlier film classics, a form of
adaptation that is also a form of criticism. This
process variously takes the form of homage,
parallelism with variations, expansion an[...]r’s screenplay for Brian
De Palma’s Obsession is essentially a homage.
The film’s fixation is with Alfred Hitchcock’s
Vertigo (1958), of which Obsession is a virtual
remake, both in terms of plot (man loses the
woman he loves only to come across her
double), and in terms of style and visual detail
(360 degree panning shots, dreams, paintings,
letters, the church). There is a moment when
the young artist, Sandra Portinari (Genevieve
Bujold), the mirror-image of the woman
Michael Courtland has lost, asks whether it is
preferable to restore a great artistic original or
cut through the surface to see what is under-
neath. Michael prefers the former.

The qu[...]woman. But it also has relevance to the relation
of this film to Vertigo. Now that the chances of
seeing the Hitchcock film seem to be very
scarceé, Obsession becomes itself the restora-
tion of a lost masterpiece. Bernard Herrmann’s
towering[...]ic score supplies a
delicious and nostalgic slice of authenticity.

Interestingly, Schrader fell out w[...]st love. This might have been truer to the
spirit of the tragic outcome of Vertigo, with its
ghosts and wanderers and its sense of trauma.
As it stands, the film could be almost eq[...]hero’s weakness costs him, he thinks, the life of

6. The film is subject to a contracted legal dispute over[...]

Obsession is a critical work of interpretative
insight and not blind hagiography,[...]throws the
emphasis away from Hitchcock as master of
suspense and towards Hitchcock the anguished
roma[...]which Schrader’s work

has alluded constantly, is John

Ford’s The Searchers (1956). Four

of his screenplays seem to derive
inspiration from t[...]ore. The
Yakuza takes from The Searchers the idea of a
hero’s quest in an alien world for a kidnapped
girl, a quest which is also a form of self-interro-
gation. However, Taxi Driver and Ha[...]rceive as
the lower depths: a rescue mission that is also a
journey into Hell.

Although The Yakuza borrows only the
equivalent narrative situation of The Searchers,
the other films make an attempt to approximate
the complex psychology of the Ford film. Taxi

7. Robin Wood, Hitchcock’: Films, Collins, London,
1965.

8. Donald Spoto, The Art of Alfred Hitchcock, W. H.
Allen. London. 1977.

The search for a lost daughter: Jake looks at a porno film
of his daughter, while watched by Andy. Hardcore.[...]c heroes whose antag-
onists are nightmare images of their own
undisclosed wishes and innate violence. Their
revenge becomes a kind of terrible purgation.

It is the madness in The Searchers that excites
Schrade[...]ent in that film which
he has seized and enlarged is its veiled racism.
Rolling Thunder attempts to co[...]his home and murdered his
wife as the equivalent of the Vietnamese whom
he was prevented from fightin[...]omes an elaborate
compensation and a re-enactment of a personal
racist fantasy, rather in the manner of Ethan
Edwards’ (John Wayne) vendetta against th[...]into a nice
guy (“which would be the equivalent of giving
the character in Taxi Driver a dog”, Sch[...]lm about a racist than a racist film.

axi Driver is more uncompromising.
It includes a tender scene b[...]underage prostitute, Iris (Jodie
V Foster), which is the equivalent of a
scene often imagined in The Searchers but
never shown: the life together of Scar (Henry
Brandon) and Debbie (Natalie Wood). Was it
really unimaginable savagery or was there
tenderness and even love there? Ford se[...]chrader crosscut
their ‘Scar’ scene with that of Travis’ prepara-
tion for his own private war that will lead
inexorably to his invasion of Sport and Iris’
camp. The nervy confrontations[...]in Taxi Driver are not dis-

similar to those of Ethan and Scar in The
Searchers.

As well as exposing some of the racist issues
that the earlier film elided, Taxi Driver is also a
modern reflection on the efficacy of heroism,
maleness, prejudice and legitimized violence
embodied in the Western of which Ford’s films
are the supreme achievement. For the first time
Ford, in The Searchers, is profoundly
ambivalent about these attitudes and values.
The bloody denouement of Taxi Driver merci-
lessly dramatizes their savage[...]assic which
Schrader has revalued in his fictions is On the
Waterfront. Schrader’s debut as writer and
director, Blue Collar (l978)9, is full of
references to Elia Kazan’s film, culminating in[...]arvey Keitel) and Zeke Brown (Richard
Pryor) that is almost word for word a repeat of
the slanging match between Terry Malloy
(Marlon B[...]ed their fight. But, signi-
ficantly, Blue Collar is politically more
knowing than On the Waterfront, more
detailed in its observation of men at work,
sharper in its observation of shop—floor politics,
more cruel in its imagery (the rebel worker who
is suffocated in a haze of blue paint spray) and
more cynical in its exposure of the limits of
individualism.

Kazan’s upbeat ending has now b[...]ion. The
final frame freezes the men at the point of con-
frontation and we hear again the film’s
me[...]punch—drunk ex-
boxers moving toward some form of
redemption and who have a relationship with a
blo[...]than themselves but
representing a desired vision of genteel woman-
hood, a sense of softness in a hard world. Both
heroes have a 1ove[...]e striking than their similarities. The
allusions of Scorsese and Schrader to On the

9. Co-scripted with Leonard Schrader.

Three images of "a blond heroine classier than themselves but representing a desired vision of genteel womanhood, a sense of softness in a hard world”: Travis and Be[...]

Waterfront and their examination of an actual
1950s hero in La Motta illustrate, by contrast,
the essential romanticism of the 1950s screen
hero and how such portraiture has changed
during the past 25 years or so. Brando’s hero
represents the confusions of a typical rebel of
the ’50s; De Niro’s that of the alienated anti-
hero of the ’70s. Brando is a rebel without a
cause; De Niro a rebel without[...]ll.

These new heroes are not anguished idealists
or angry young men. They are heroes who
challenge any attempt at identification or moral
approval. (As a British critic observed, Ra[...]bout heroism and
modern heroes and their morality is personal,
private and idiosyncratic.

If a film such as Raging Bull can be read as
Schrader’s critical commentary on the changing
face of screen heroism since the 1950s, his
remake of Cat People equally reflects savagely
the different conventions of representing
violence, sexuality and perverse mythology.
Jacques Tourneur’s 1942 version is all
atmosphere, traces and implications;
Schrader’s is explicit and erotic. Although the
film pays tribute to two of the classic set—pieces
of the original (the pursuit in the park; the
swimming pool scene), Schrader is in some
ways closer to Hitchcock than to Jacques[...]ularly recalls Marnie
in its self—conscious use of color (the association
between blood-red and loss of innocence), its
frank sexual imagery, and its all[...]ity and the hero’s odd and
detached perceptions of the human zoo.

Given Schrader’s cine—literac[...]ly not accidental. But
Schrader’s cine-literacy is of an altogether
different kind from that of, say, Peter Bog-
danovich’s. He does not simply compose a
series of obsequious fan letters to his favorite
films. The references are incorporated into an
auto—critique of the cinema. They are not
nostalgic, but intellectual. Their function is not
simply referential but comparative and revalu-
ative. Obsession resurrects Vertigo as a film of
profound romantic psychology. Taxi Driver
pays tr[...]ise the political evasions and rhetorical
heroism of On the Waterfront. Cat People, by
alluding to the[...]PAPERS

a critical essay on the changing fashions of
cinema in reflecting horror, demonology and
sexua[...]lm
. history, they also create it and become
part of it. Indeed, any critical history of
Hollywood in the past decade would
to give subst[...]s flamboyant but nevertheless significant
figures of the decade, such as Sydney Pollack
(who romantici[...].
Blue Collar.

~¥

reactionary melodramatics of Schrader’s
script). He did a first draft of Close Encounters
of the Third Kind which Steven Spielberg later
rejected. Indeed, it is tempting to think of
Schrader and Scorsese’s floating yellow taxi-
cab (in the first shot of Taxi Driver) and Spiel-
berg’s floating yellow[...]lose
Encounters) as the two most resonant emblems
of the decade. They represent the extremes of
menace and magic that were Hollywood’s chief
bo[...]ems to stand apart
from what seems most memorable or charac-
teristic of the soof De Palma to the Utopian
fantasies of Spielberg. Schrader looks like a
slightly cold, c[...]s his achievement to date? 15 there still
a sense of a vacuum between the quality of his
intelligence and the coherence of his
achievement? If so, why?

A clue might be found in his creative meth[...]iversity, his advice to his students,
apparently, is: “Cultivate your neuroses: you
never know when they might come in handy.”
For the past decade or so, he has done that very
successfully. But the danger is one of morbid
introspection, of a neurosis indulged in more
than critically examined.

With directorial sensibilities of the calibre of
Scorsese and Tewkesbury, the neurotics at the
whe[...]mainly to Scorsese, Taxi Driver becomes
something of a social document and not simply

the diary of a madman. Blue Collar also avoids
neurotic narrow[...]dening its social
context and splitting its focus of interest among
three main characters. But the identification
with the hero of Hardcore hurts the film: it is
impossible to decide whether we are meant to
deplore or endorse Jake VanDorn’s (George C.
Scott) increa[...]The closer we are drawn into Schrader’s
frame of mind, the more his distaste for certain
aspects of modern progressiveness borders on
the repressive and the prurient. This is
something which also disfigures American
Gigolo i[...]iting method, which

he encourages in his pupils, is to think

of one dominant emotion that is ruling

his life at that moment and then find a[...]sponds
to that emotion. The example he often uses is
Taxi Driver, the inspiration for which derived
from Schrader’s personal feelings of loneliness
and isolation and which were converted into the
metaphor of a taxi driver cut off from human
contact by the g[...]and a symbolic function in
his particular vision of the world (taxi driver as
a symbol of urban alienation, gigolo as icon of

sleek, hustling, loveless Los Angeles).

Perhaps his greatest gift is precisely this
imaginative capacity to summon forth images
of infinite suggestiveness even before being
fleshed[...]learly has
limitations for Schrader, irrespective of
whether it would work for anyone else. It is a
gift more appropriate to an imagist poet than a
narrative dramatist. Schrader is much better at
exposition than development, and the
excellence of the basic idea sometimes
diminishes in the machinery of narrative
formula (like, for example, the glib attribution
of the hero’s violence in Rolling Thunder to
bruta[...]star persona as a crusader against the
pollution of environment and traditional values
(as in Rage, Day of the Dolphin, The Formula
and, more recently, Taps) is powerfully evoked.
The moral issues — the thin[...]loitation, the bourgeois having
to defend his way ofis
fearfully unconvincing on any level.
Attempting to be an intelligent examination of
the new morality, the film looks like a porno-
graphic version of Mr Deeds Goes to Town.

Blue Collar has similar crudities of structure,
its political strengths somewhat diluted by
domestic sentimentality and the contrived
diversion of a caper film plot. American Gigolo
never quite pu[...]iends has a promising concept
— the revaluation of one’s present through a
direct encounter with o[...]. Why should
the heroine believe that the process of
rediscovery will result from a reunion with
forme[...]ALWAYS READY

Paul Schrader

THE SAME DRIVER IS

For: me
UNEXPECTED

vative patriarchy.) What kind of heroine is it
who, professing to be a clinical psychologist,[...]brother’s clothes before seducing him, and then
is positively shattered to learn that it appears to
have done him some harm? It is hard to decide
whether the film is about adaptation or regres-
sion, or whether an adult film about a yearning
for childh[...]easily
to him. The impression he has given since is
that of an artistic sensibility slipping too
willingly in[...]traitjacket. He has
mastered the complex currency of modern
Hollywood, but it might be at the expense of his
own sense of human complexity.
When thinking of Schrader, I always think of
a line in Obsession when the daughter,
distraught[...]e late for existential questions,
darling”, she is told bluntly. “Just take the
money. Believe me, it’ll help you to forget.”
That is the question mark over Schrader’s
career. Is it too late for him to return to the
existential questions? Is the money helping him
to forget? it

Fi[...]

Independe[...]many adjectives used to describe
certain aspects of filmmaking practice. “Oppositional”, “radic[...]and “avant-garde” are now less popular.
There is a wealth of meanings and nuances.

The situation of independent filmmaking in Australia is similar to that in other western,
social democracies. At the core of this activity is government funding via state-established
funding bodies and/ or state television. Financial support may entirely or partially cover the
budget, usually on the basis[...]or near subsistence wages, and on the expectation of nil or marginal
financial returns.

There is a certain irony, then, that what is described as independent filmmaking is in fact
heavily dependent on government funding to produce, often, films opposed to the views of
the political masters of those agents of the governments which make funding available.

Th[...]idlands Arts, 1978):

“Given the present system of social relations and of relations in the cinema only the very
wealthy are[...]o buy up a few cinemas in which to show the film, or at the very least a
few projectors with which to show it, no filmmaker is ‘independent’. Rather, what we need
to understand and analyse are the complex series of dependencies which characterise the
position of the non-commercial filmmaker. What must be emphasised is the fact of
dependence on whatever system of finance presents itself. ‘Independents’ are part of an
economic system which contains and to some ext[...]thin that dependency, what are the possible
areas of action, the possible areas of freedom within the larger constraints?”

In the case of Tammer, the fact that he has operated with a measure of self-inflicted
financial independence in making f[...]has
been entirely free to pursue his own notions of film form. It is safe to say that as a result of
this freedom his films are unique, operating by T[...]unt him as a ‘natural’ filmmaker. His methods do not have any smooth
grace. Poverty of means produces work that is rude and abrupt in the confrontation between
subj[...]eir best and most effective, they rely on a sense of shock that
derives from an interest in the subject and from the way that Tammer attacks that subject. It
is always a frontal attack.

Tammer’s most recently-completed film, Journey to the End of Night, is so far his only
work to have a broad public impact mostly through extravagant press reaction to the
revelations of its subject. Overseas film festivals are n[...]

Eccentric is a bad word because
it is prejudicial; it has a feeling of
somebody being a nut. I don’t
think of someone like Danny
Cramer or Reg Robinson that way.
They are remarkable people[...]er in Struttin’ the Mutton.
But I don’t think of Danny as an
eccentric so much as a guy who
had a freaky unpredictability,[...]me. It
took me six months to realize that
instead of Danny being in only one
scene in the film, he was[...]ooker
to the event. I identify with the
same sort of cringing that Mark
was showing in the film.

What[...]has some remarkable
attribute, as with Myra Roper or
Reg Robinson or Bill Neave, I am
attracted to making films which[...]report their lives.‘ But I have
always tried to do more than that.
For example, I was very conscious[...]ary Patterson that
we were also making a portrait of
ourselves as vagrant filmmakers.
That is very clearly in the film for
those who care to read it. We
didn’t go out of our way to state it,
but it was in the footage, so we left
it in.

What does the term “vagrant film-
makers” mean?

I don’t see myself as part of the
commercial film establishment in a
convention[...]e to make whatever films
appeal to me, regardless of the
financial conditions at the time.
Now, this d[...]to make
feature films, it just means that
when I do, I imagine I will be oper-
ating as an independent filmmaker
and not as part of a general
industry scene.

I prefer to work with[...]different from those
espoused by the industry. I do not
want to work with large crews,
large budgets or casts of
thousands. I want to work on an
intimate scale.

1. A Woman of Our Time, Here’s to You
Mr Robinson and Journey to the End of
Night respectively.

You have called this form of work
“portrait films”, making a distinc-
tion with what others call docu-
mentary or ‘biogs’. How do you
see that distinction?

_ I see my films as one of the
aspects of documentary. They can
loosely be called bio—pics or biogs,
but the normal understanding pre-
supposes films about people of
public note. You might get a film
made by the BBC about Dame
Edith Sitwell or a documentary on
the life and work of Orson Welles,
including an interview with him.
That is the traditional documen-
tary portrait.

Now, mine are equally portraits.
They have elements of documenta-
tion but they are different in
approach and style from the house
style of television documentary
portraits, which always, t[...]or.
There are very few films in the bio-
pic line of documentation that I
look at with great relish; one is
Grey Gardens. What I like about
that film, and what people have
responded to in my earlier films, is
that the characters speak for them-
selves. The f[...]lutely staggering,
breathtaking documentary. But, of
course, it is so different from tradi-
tional documentary because of the
absence of a voice of God dictating
the sort of things that the audience
should pick up on. The audience is
left total freedom to pick up on
what it wants.

That is true of Here’s to You Mr
Robinson, much more than it is
true of Journey to the End of
Night, although Journey still has
some of that quality. I have inter-
posed in that film things such as
quotations.

The Maysles’ films come out of the
cinema verite school, and there has
been a lot of discussion about
whether the camera is influencing
the people to perform before it. In
your films, one suspects there is a
great deal more performance. In
“Struttin’ the Mutton”, for
instance, there is an element of
outrageous performance going on
which is being encouraged simply
by the presence of the camera . . .

There is a great difference
between the amount of perfor-
mance encouraged by me as a film-
maker with Mark and Danny in
Struttin’ the Mutton and the
amount of performance encour-
aged by me in Journey. The My[...]at
people will not be absolutely
natural in front of a camera. They
will not only reveal qualities abo[...]h one pushes a
person in that circumstance has to
do with the aims and purpose of a
film. Myra, for example, was co-
operative but[...]s Bill.

Bill was the one with the greatest
sense of having a story to tell. He
was the one who most wanted his
story to be heard. He believed it
was of great significance.

Quite often I would say to B[...]own to the T01
plantation, and seeing some bodies
of your mates that you might know
from parade a couple of weeks ago
and just down the trail two days
ago. I[...]live through
that moment again.” He would
then do so.

I might have to do three takes on
that because the first two didn’t
have that quality of really re-
living, but the third one did. I am
no[...]ere weren’t many
first takes in the film — 40 or 50
per cent are first takes — but 50
per cent are third, fourth or fifth
takes.

The best example of that was the
last take in the film, where Bill
ta[...]that scene, I spent
one whole evening doing what is a
10-minute take on film.

The first three takes[...]useless and it was cracking Bill up.
I was scared of how far I was
pushing him because I was pretty
br[...]go
through it. But even though it had
the quality of disturbing him
immensely, it did not come over as
genuine as it was in the final take,
which is in the film. That is devas-
tating in its power because he loses
himse[...]take that
approach with the Danny Boy
take, which is equally powerful.
That was a oncer.

You started making films literally
out of your own pocket. How
much of this was an instinctive way
of working?

It has always been instinctive at
the level that I want to make films
and, if funds are not available
through other channels, t[...]s on pocket—money
budgets.

Mallacoota Stampede is the
most expensive film I have made.
Its total ca[...]ing grant. The true
budget for Journey to the End of

Night was about $17,000 for 74
minutes.

Mallacoota
Stampede[...]No, Mallacoota was always
meant to be a mixture of styles.
The first level is actuality observa-
tion, with people doing casual[...]avan parks and bumping into
people in the process of doing it, or
a two-year-old kid pushing his
father off a sandbank in a canoe.
Sometimes they are aware of the
camera; sometimes not.

The second level was[...]written and a full cast was
prepared. But because of budget
problems, we didn’t get as many
scenes s[...], even feature
length, had I money to go back
and do some extra shooting. But I
couldn’t raise it be[...]hird level,
where things were set up with the
air of possibility. Take the motel
scene, with Wanda and[...]we’re going
to go into it.” We shot 400 feet of
film which is 11 minutes, and
there’s the scene!

The intensity comes from its
penetration of Larry’s embarrass-
ment. Larry allows his embar[...]takes over and he
doesn’t mind showing that he is
embarrassed. It is beautiful! Of
course, it also owes a lot to
Michelle’s natural coquetry.

“Mallacoota Stampede” gives the
impression of improvized drama.
How much of it did you plan?

The casting of the people who
come from the city was done in
two or three weeks before
shooting. We even had some
reh[...]ountry
boys were only introduced to me
on the day of my arrival at Malla-
coota, by John Archer, the
production manager. None of
them had acted before, not even in
school theatre[...]ted to a certain character. It was

either all or nothing at that stage.

So, yes, it was a conscious deci-
sion that we were[...]rcials but no other screen
acting at that stage.

Of course, Wanda and Michelle,
the two drag queens,[...]ny shows but they are not
performers in the style of film
actors. Wanda, for example, was
good doing r[...]d never acted in a
film. She didn’t know how to do
things actors would know how to
do.

It is difficult to be able to
measure and deliver a per[...]cues along the way and
things like that. As none of the
people were really experienced as
film actors[...]ake
films that have people questioning
whether it is performance or
whether it is a documentary of
observation. In fact, one of the
things I am very happy about in
Journey to the End of Night is that
a few people have asked me,
“Does Bill rea[...]as artificial would have jumped
out at them.

How do you expect people to react
to this sort of sluggish, dramatic
quality of the acting, acting that
would be perceived by many as in-
experienced?

The most difficult moment
required of an inexperienced actor
in Mallacoota Stampede wou[...]played the father, and
Debbie Conway at the back of the
van. He is coming to the realiza-
tion that she has grown up and is
about to leave home. He did that
in one take, and[...]ith such power
and conviction because it came out
of his own experience. Is he an
actor or is he just a person, and
where is the difference?

It is not so much what is in the
scene but whether, with its halting
quality, it looks real in the context
of how people judge film acting
today . . .[...]

That confusion will be illum-
inated if a professional actor were
cast alongside an amateur actor,
and they both hit the truth of the
performance. That is an indefin-
able thing. But it is what convinces
you as against what doesn’t. What
I can’t tolerate is performance that
is not working, whether the actors
are amateur or professional.

A war-time photograph of Neave.

Journey to the End
of Night

The press has concentrated on the
revelatory nature of Bill Neave’s
story in “Journey to the End of
Night”, not on how it is told. I
think we should concentrate on
how it is told. We are talking about
a number of dichotomies in this
film. First, you have to stop and
consider how much of what
happens is a performance for the
camera and how much of it is a
deeply felt experience that you just
happened t[...]with a sequence which to me
denotes fiction: out of the dark-
ness appears a man in his pyjamas,
who looks at the memorial. It then
cuts to close-up of the man
breaking down and crying. Then
we are led[...]e man starts reliving
memories . . .

No, when he is on his own, he
instantaneously relives the mem-
ories. There is a scene with his wife
and son talking about putti[...]— December CINEMA PAPERS

into the remembrance of the war,
in the living room, when he is
obviously on his own.

That is disconcerting for the
audience, which is at a loss to
understand what is going on . . .

I don’t believe the scene at th[...]it as having a fic-
tional quality. In a sense it is rep-
resentational, like the other scene
of him waking up in the night and
walking around the[...]nes are
fictional, but they have a validity.
Even if he hasn’t been to the war
memorial before, he has been there
in his mind. Even if getting up in
the night has a representational

B[...]uality, he has been doing that for
40 years.

One is more documentary than
the other. The pills in the night is a
representational attempt to place a
documentary[...]morial at night,
until that night. I asked him to do
it because I know that he has been
unable to come to terms with 40
years of insomnia and guilt. The
only way I could represent it was
those two scenes.

So, I was attempting to rep-
resent something that internally is
true, but which externally may
have fictitious qualities.

Is there a distinction in the film
between a sort of objective truth
and a truth that comes out of this
recreation of what Bill Neave has
gone through?

The whole film is a recreation.
What we are looking at is what is
coming out of his mind and we
have no idea about the truth of
that . . .

Right. I don’t believe in objec-

t[...]don’t believe
that Bill has revealed the truth of
every event that he takes you
through. It is only true insofar as it
was true for him at the t[...]it hasn’t changed too radically
in the 40 years of remembering.

Now, while some of those events
have gained greater importance
and clarity, some have receded and
taken on a sort of misty quality.
Others have changed slightly
because of people he has talked to
in the past, who have suggested
things to him.

What gives the film its interest is a
constantly shifting nature at work
where truth[...]performance all come together
on the screen. That is why I think
you are probably right to call it a
portrait film . . .

Neave as seen in Journey to the End
of Night.

I resent narrow, category defini-
tions.[...]m that I respect, challenges
me on a multiplicity of levels
including the things you have just
mentioned, such as wherein does
the power or truth of a film lie.

Francesco Rosi’s films, for
instan[...]hy limit them and call
them either a feature film or a
documentary? They are a
wonderful hybrid, and I[...]provide some commen-
tary on Bill Neave’s state of mind.
But do you see them as more than
that?

They are meant t[...]relief. There
are, as you know, two separate sets
of quotes, from the “Book of
Job” and from Celine’s Journey to

the End of Night, which was
written after World War 1.

Now, that brings me to the
second layer of intentions. Journey
and the “Book of Job” are about
characters in the same style as[...]ings who have
been tested beyond the normal
level of endurance. They are about
their attempts to come[...]ially
different from Bill’s. And Celine’s
way is altogether different from
both. But, then, all ar[...]ome level. They are all basically
asking, “What is the purpose of
existence? Why do I want to live?
Why do I carry on through this
shit, this veil of tears?” They all
come up with different answers.
Bill’s answer is very religious
because he believed that God was a[...]inclined towards Celine’s
atheism and his sense of everything
in this world taking us through
nightm[...], we are
going through a terrible existence
which is difficult for us to.under-
stand. But at least we[...]says, “I can’t under-
stand it, therefore it is bigger than
me. It must have been ordained by
God[...]pass,
but I can’t even really believe
that.” So, therefore, he is in
despair. “How could I have been
saved by God[...]back
and become a murderer?” Celine
says, “It is normal, mate! It’s just
the way it is. Accept it!”

You would obviously reject the
notion of various reviewers that
the quotes are simply pompous or
pretentious . . .

There has been a good string of
words: pompous, pretentious,
portentous, longwind[...]only want to know what he has to
offer”, which is their right.

But I felt I was giving them
much more. I felt I was giving
them a view of relief from the story
that would throw it into a[...]ersonal
experience, and challenge them at
a level of their own cultural exper-
ience. It may well have failed to do
that, but I believe it is there to be
read.

I was never interested[...]

seeing a major part of the output?

Director Raymond Longford provides a
good example of this oversight. Of the 26 silent
films that Longford directed, only[...]Bloke (1919), On Our Selection (1920)
and a part of Margaret Catchpole (1911)
survive. These were purportedly among the best
of Longford’s output. No total overview of
Longford’s work can be made.

A newcomer to fil[...]h was
emphatic in stressing to me the superiority of
Longford’s direction over that of the
McDonagh sisters following screenings of The
Sentimental Bloke (1919) and The Cheaters
(1929). Comparing two films of such vastly
differing genre is questionable. But comparison
of Longford’s best film with the least successful
of the McDonaghs’ output is totally unreason-
able.

By many accounts, the best of the
McDonaghs’ films was the powerful anti—war
talkie Two Minutes’ Silence (1933). Like so
much of Australia’s film heritage, Two
Minutes’ Silence is a ‘lost’ film. Not only is
judgment of its value on an objective basis
impossible, most of the films which would pro-
vide the frame of reference for its judgment are
lost as well.

Sho[...]aller
percentages than the features. The backbone of

Left: F. W. Thring, head of Efftee Film Studios. Above:
The Haunted Barn (193[...]he Victorian
exhibition quota specified a minimum of
2000 ft (22 mins) of British and Australian film
per program. A newsre[...]s intentional
omission.

robably the largest body ofof them were shot between
March 1931 and April 1934.[...]tee’s
facilities. It was the most active period of sound
film production in Melbourne’s history.

Amazingly, nearly all of the Efftee output
survives at the National Film Archive,
Canberra. Many of these films are freely avail-
able for loan on 16[...]e Efftee collection provides a
comprehensive view of almost the whole output
of one early Australian studio. This is probably
a unique situation.

The Pat Hanna production of Waltzing Matilda (1933),
which was made at[...]

Efftee films contrast sharply with those of
Cinesound. Lacking Ken Hall’s tight direction
a[...]mely high
value as record. Over-riding their lack of cine-
matic quality, a high technical and artistic
quality allows most of the films — and particu-
larly the unpretentiou[...]shorts, for instance,
are a home-grown equivalent of Hollywood’s
Vitaphone Varieties. Cinesound neve[...]this production scale, with the single exception
of the 49-minute Cinesound Varieties (1934), of
which only fragments survive.

The acts filmed by[...]tee Entertainers
shorts are the visual equivalent of 78 r.p.m.
recordings, and run to similar lengths[...]al alone makes them a priceless and
unique record of Australian theatre history.

Unlike the Cinesound[...]he Efftee films relied heavily on the star appeal
of established radio and stage personalities. Pat
Ha[...]fficult for a
modern audience to assess, stripped of the
context of Hanna’s ubiquitousness on stage and
radio in the early 1930s. “Digger” humor, so
familiar to Australian theatregoers in the 1920s,[...]iliar, have since been
replaced by the catchwords of another war, and
have faded even further in the subsequent
flood—tide of language input with post—war
immigration.

ffte[...]anxious for psychological

escape from the rigors of economic

depression. George Wallace’s

‘Aussie battler’ comedies, Dorothy Brunton’s

dreams of a better life in Clara Gibbings and

Pat Hanna’s echoing of wartime camaraderie
all reflect this.

Even in the Efftee documentaries, the

escapist element is evident, presenting a

‘chocolate box’ vision

of Australian life.

Efftee’s first musical shor[...]S

Melbourne Today (1931) provides flowing
images of rich parks and gardens, busy
prosperous thoroughf[...]cinema-
tography maintains the highest standards of
photographic pictorialism. Only occasionally is
one brought down to earth by the sight of
“sussos” scratching for gold in the gutters of
Ballarat, or by a brief shot of a Fascist march in
Dear Old London.

Noel Monkman[...]alian micro-
cinematography in these shorts. Most of the
equipment used to make them was extem—
pori[...]they are a
fascinating and highly original record of Aus-
tralian natural history, obviously made with[...]thusiasm.

Unfortunately, the 16mm viewing prints of
the Efftee material are all too often a sad
travesty of the 35mm originals.

Without exception, the origi[...]und quality.
In shocking contrast, the 16mm print of the
Regent Theatre Orchestra short has a virtually
unlistenable soundtrack, full of hiss and flutter.
The 16mm print of the Athol Tier short is
incorrectly exposed, out of focus, and its sound
is terribly distorted.

Nearly all of the pre—1934 sound films were
shot to a square frame, or pre-Academy
format. In practically every case, 16[...]mposition and slicing off heads and feet.
Copying of these should be repeated to
‘modified silent fo[...]ts, and some
original sound and picture negatives of the
Efftee films, are held by the NFA, so the job
should not entail any technical difficult[...]’t
deteriorated except for a little shrinkage.

Of the five Great Barrier Reef shorts, only
Ocean Od[...]ally, the NFA acquired
only the picture negatives of these four shorts.
With the acquisition of several Monkman
release prints in the Davidson co[...]e possible to recover the missing
sound.

Several of the Efftee shorts, including the
important Apollo[...]een copied at all. The NFA has at
least one print of this, as well as the original
sound and picture n[...]ted
in NFA catalogues by the titles on the leader of

The sound department at Efftee Studios, St Morit[...]m. In several cases, during a search
through some of these cans in 1978, I found
two and sometimes three unlisted items joined
end-to-end in each can. Most of the ‘ring-ins’
had been previously unnoticed by NFA staff. It
is quite possible that a thorough investigation
of the cans of Efftee nitrate could reveal a
wealth of film material hitherto undiscovered.

Until a thorough documentation of Austra-
lian film is undertaken, including newsreels,
documentaries and shorts, any analysis of the
history of Australian film will be incomplete
and misleading[...]ms themselves.

IHE
’-lLMOGRAPHY

Running times of original Australian prints are
given. These are d[...]0-1977, have been intentionally
avoided.

Several of the Efftee shorts are held only on
original nitra[...]NFA.

The technical crew on all films listed here is as
follows, unless otherwise stated.

Camera: Art[...]. Diettrich-
Derrick. Marital farce starring John D'Arcy, Patricia
Minchin, Donalda Warne.

Di[...]

Diggers In Blighty
(78 mins, rel[...]ons. Dir.:
Pat Hanna and Raymond Longford. Comedy of returned
servicemen in Melbourne.

A Ticket In Ta[...]pmates

(unfinished feature, in production at end of 1933) P.C.:
Efftee. Dir.: F. W. Thring. About a third of this film was
completed before production was sus[...]atisfaction with the first rushes. Some 8000
feet of outback footage and several lip-synch scenes had[...]prior to suspension. Sheepmates was an
adaptation of W. Hatfield’s book of the same name,
dealing with an Englishman’s arr[...]orge Wallace and Henry Wenman. About
five minutes of out-takes survive, with lip-synch sound.

Streets Of London

(71 mins, in production early 1934, never[...]1820s,
was produced on stage by Thring at the end of 1933. A
film was planned, but only sound tests we[...]production was suspended. A six-minute sound test of
Gladys Moncrieff and Robert Chisholm singing "Sta[...]vel’s epic attempt at an Australian

equivalent of The Birth Of A Nation. Stars Peggy

Maguire and Franklyn Benne[...]) Pioneer broadcaster O’Hagan sings a
selection of his own compositions, including "Carry
On", “By[...]ections From Their
Repertoire (8 mins, 1931) Trio of violin, cello and
piano playing a selection of ballads and light
classical items.

(4) Athol Tie[...]nd recites the poem On The Stairs in
typical turn-of-the-century declamatory style.

(6) Keith Desmond[...]p fashion. Patter, dance and song. The
excellence of this short induced Thring to hire
Wallace as a st[...]1) Violinist
Herme Barton leads a corps-de-ballet of dancing
lady violinists and solo dancer Dorothy H[...]nic
instruments.

(12) Minnie Love In Impressions of Famous Artists
(No. 1) (3 mins, 1931) Veteran stage performer does
an impression of British music hall star Lily Morris
singing "We C[...]by Stan Rafael.

(13) Minnie Love In Impressions Of Famous Artists
(No. 2) (5 mins, 1931) Impressions of Gracie Fields
singing “A Couple Ot Ducks" and M[...]“Valentine”.

(14) Minnie Love In Impressions Of Famous Artists
(No. 3) (4 mins, 1931) Impression of Randolph
Sutton singing “Over The Garden Wall” and of
Maurice Chevalier singing “You Brought A New
Kind Of Love To Me".

(15) The Sundowners - Harmony Quart[...]Hasn't Told Me”.

v

4.’

Frame enlargement of Henry Wenman in Sheepmates.
(Photograph courtesy[...](No. 2)
(5 mins, 1932) Songs include "The Wedding Of The
Three Blind Mice" and "Sleepy Town Express".[...](1888-1971), veteran character
actor and creator of the radio character “Dr. Mac",
sings “That's My Idea Of A Lady”.

(18) Kathleen Goodall — Songs At Th[...]Gilbert & Sullivan, and later a classical singer of
some repute, Miss Goodall's personality shines
through these shorts. It is a great puzzle that Thring
never cast her in his[...]linist (5 mins,
1932) Bornstein plays a selection of classical items,
with Henri Penn providing piano[...].

(22) George White (unknown length, 1932) Short of
unknown content, now apparently lost. Listed in an
issue of Everyone's, March 1932.

(23) Miss Ada Reeve —[...]s 1897. In 1899 she appeared in the original cast of
Floradora. She stayed in Australia for some years[...]5) Miss Byrl Walkley, Soprano (5 mins, 1932) Star of
His Royal H_ighness and many other Efftee
productions sings “Love Is Best Of All" and
“Trees”. Piano accompaniment by Alaric Howitt, co-
composer of music for His Royal Highness with
George Wallace.

(26) Somewhere South Of Shanghai Rendered By
Marshall Crosby (4 mins, 193[...]tion sung by character actor
Marsh Crosby, father of Don Crosby.

(27) Neil McKay, Scottish Comedian ([...]pera Co. Orchestra
— Selections From The Barber Of Seville by
Rossini (7 mins, 1932) The J. C[...]

Porter), they also have the distinction of being attacked by Left and Right, and
ridiculed f[...]- and anti-feminist.

Cavani’s filmmaking style is as original as her opinions, which show no
concession to popular thinking and indicate an individualist of striking talent.

Cavani was interviewed in Rome by Sue Adler during the post-production of

her latest film, Oltra la porta (Beyond t[...]

In most American universities
there is a cinema section, but not in
Italian universities[...]entre Sperimentale was
very practical: at the end of the
first year you did a 15-minute film,
at the end of the second year a
30-minute film and so on. You
learned to use lenses, to edit, etc.

The[...]s after it was
destroyed, and hopefully they will
do it well.

Do you think you would have gone
into the cinema wit[...]ing
the Centro Sperimentale?

In Italy, schooling is virtually
worthless, unless you want to
make a career in the public service
or as a functionary. No one has
ever asked me about[...]func-
tionary at the RAI [the Italian
equivalent of the BBC] and got the
job, but then I refused it.[...]for
them on a freelance basis. One was
The Story of the Third Reich,
which used German newsreel docu-[...]rom all over the world.

From there, I went on to do
other things for the RAI and for
private televisi[...]issues at that time, and
worked on many programs of this
nature until 1965.

Francesco d ’Assisi

Francis of Assisi was suggested
by the people at the RAI. They
wanted to do it in the studios with
telecameras. I said, “No, I want to
do it on 16mm with people from
the street, not professional actors
from the theatre.” I was able to do
this because I already had a
relationship with th[...]d
done various things for them.

I did have a bit of trouble

because we were dealing with Saint
Franc[...]rn young
man who didn’t fit in with their
ideas of the young Saint. They
were rather taken aback. Bu[...]rest me at all. I
was concerned about the problem
of Francis, which is that of every
young person of 20 years of age
who wants to change the world. It
was also my problem and that of
my generation.

Galileo

Galileo grew out of a co—produc-
tion between a private network and[...]tion between Italy and this
eastern country. Many of the
interiors were done in theatres and
studios i[...]red the film too anti-clerical
and anti-Catholic. So it was shown
in cinemas.

There were a lot of problems
because in doing Galileo I had to
depict[...]ething I
did in the 1968 period. It was the
topic of the time and for me there
was a desire to modify and above
all to rediscover the true value of
things — a search for the meaning
of existence. The Cannibals was a
version, shall we say, of Antigone,
set in a contemporary ambience —
at least, that was its point of
departure.

Today, our problems have been
reduced to two: terrorism and the
Mafia. The Mafia is exclusively an
Italian problem, but terrorism is a
general one. I have never treated
these issues on film because the
newspapers are full of them and
there is no point retelling it in the
cinema, unless you h[...]spite (The Guest,

the Host)

The Guest, the Host is a film I
wanted to make because I had
visited an[...]for a week to observe and make
notes. I wanted to do a story about
a woman who lived there for many
years.

In those days, the asylums were
full of people who were not neces-
sarily raving mad, but who were a
bit nutty and an annoyance for the
family. So they were put away and
left there. Often they cou[...]nsitive.

The Guest, the Host was the
story of a woman who had been
dumped in an asylum and who[...]ere she was not sick, just too
sensitive. Instead of sheltering
these people, the asylum becomes a
prison or concentration camp.

Now they have closed down a lot
of these institutions and people
who formerly were locked away
are roaming the streets. Reforms
are needed. It is not enough to
open the gates.

Milarepa

Milarepa was inspired by my
reading the book of the great
Tibetan poet, Milarepa, which I
liked very much. In the film I tell
the story of a young person who
reads the book and identifies[...]e.

Sometimes reading a book does
this to you: it is like experiencing
physically the thing itself, or being
taken on a voyage. I simply wanted
to relate the feeling of having an
experience with a different culture
and[...]it for television on a low
budget but nowadays it is impos-
sible to approach the private net-
works with projects like this. They
should do films like Milarepa,
which deal with certain them[...]ted
in such films; they cost more than
they make. So I did it with the
RAI.

Galileo, The. Guest, the[...]and done on low
budgets. I believe in the quality of
film stock over everything else. It
is obvious that with 35mm the
results are superior.[...]est film by
the Taviani brothers, for example.
It is a swindle; it is not right.

It is fair enough to say that we
cannot compete technic[...]he American cinema, but there
has to be a minimum of profes-
sionalism and technical modern-
ization.[...]content; you also have to
produce something that is well
made, that is visually beautiful.

The technical aspect is extremely
important to me, but the Italian
cinema[...]e
done properly. Advanced tech-
niques cost a lot of money; you
have to hire expensive equipmen[...]

Il portiere di notte
(The Night Porter)

The Night Porter emerged when
I did The Story of the Third Reich.
I interviewed women who had
surv[...]s the suffering. I
don’t know. The human psyche is
very complicated.

There was another woman, from[...]stand her friends and relatives.

The only thing of which she
accused the Nazis was that they
had made her perceive the depths
of human nature. We always think
of this as a positive thing, because
we look for the[...]cally
impossible for her to remain in the
company ofof the things that
really happened. War does not just
occur, it changes people. It plays
on the need of people to feel
important, to feel that they are
s[...]intain
that in each couple’s relationship
there is sado-masochism, which
can be developed to a maximum or
remain at a minimum. The ordi-
nary filmgoer unde[...]to see, things with which
they are familiar. And, if it is a
woman who has made the film,
and she has presen[...]nda and Robert Powell

during a break in filming of Beyond Good
and Evil.

accustomed, they get ve[...]and rave. They are very
conformist.

For example, if you make a film
about the war, you have to talk
a[...]not
enjoy giving a history lesson along
the lines of what they would expect
to hear in the schools, th[...]e things. When I want to say
something, I want to do so in a
different way — to the sound of
another drum. By doing things this
way, you come[...]ist left, yet
nobody had gone anywhere! It was
as if the Martians had come and
then gone away again in their
spaceships, back into the sky. You
ask yourself: how is this possible?

In fact, you were not allowed to
talk about the things the Nazis or
Fascists had done; everybody was
in agreement — from the Christian
Democrats to the Communists. All
of them had rolled a big rock over
it. And then you[...]n’t know what really
happened.

I did The Story of the Third
Reich exactly to demonstrate this,
to s[...]n-
cierge (porter), the person who
lives below us or across the road.
Maybe this person feels frustrated
in some way. So the moment he
can put on a black uniform and
punc[...]he Fascist oath, just as had
all the magistrates. So, what was
the poor, little anti-Fascist to do?

The reality was that very few
anti-Fasci[...]

Indubitably. The film was very
successful.

Al di la del bene e del
male (Beyond Good and
Evil)[...]particular interest in
Nietzsche?

From Nietzsche is born prac-
tically all modern challenging and
que[...]m Nietzsche.

Nietzsche’s relationship with
Lou is fascinating to relate. The
story was already modern: Lou
was the blonde creature of which
he had spoken, free and inde-
pendent. She no longer had that
1800 type of female behaviour;
more than a feminist, she was
a[...]ured

Above all, they are cool and
autonomous, as if they were young
men. This is my ideal of woman; I
am not interested in relating a
story ab[...]groaned. But does the woman
have to wait until it is done to her?

In the U.S. this question may not
a[...]er. They whistle, too,
but I don’t see what’s so bad about
that. They may not pinch your
bum in the U.S., but there is a
greater hatred of women among
the men. They all seem to be

homosexuals in the head, even if
they go on to marry. It isn’t like
that in Italy.

In Italy, it is often the woman
who doesn’t set off and take on
certain jobs. If she did, she
wouldn’t encounter any more
diffic[...]England, and there has
been an Israeli woman Head of
State, but never in the U.S. The
Americans all talk a lot but they
never actually do anything. They
are a bunch of fops.

So, I don’t believe that Italian
women have a more[...]pecially in the north, where I
come from. My town is full of big-
business women, and they get
more respect th[...]ng said this, one must
remember that in the south of Italy
men are capable of killing a
woman if she has a lover. But you
have to understand the context. It
is part of a game. I am not saying
that you should kill — on the con-
trary —— but it is important to see
the thing as a whole.

Germaine[...]tive preconceptions, in order
to speak critically of it. But once
she got there, she understood a lot
of things, much of which was con-
trary to what she had originally
t[...]nnoying that a man
pinches me on the burn”, and of
course that is perfectly right. It is
an awful, masculine, roosterish
habit. But it has[...])

In The Skin I wanted to talk
about that period of the American
occupation of Naples. I think that
everything we know about that era
is distorted.

Malaparte [author of La pelle],
like everybody else, was a Fascist
and then became a Communist.
But in many things he is much
better than many others.

But apart from the phenomenon
that is Naples, it interested me
greatly to present Fascism to the
people as it was.

I also wanted to show that it is
always the women and the children
who put things[...]heir opinions never counted.

Ma1aparte’s point of view is
excellent: the population, which is
never asked if it wants the war or
not, is always the one which pays.
Sure, there are lots of other stories
I could have done, but it was
impor[...]portray history
as it really happened, not as it is
depicted in the textbooks. This is
far more educational.

In fact, I should now do The
Skin 2, because of what went on in
Naples after the earthquake, and[...]ore than
under the American occupation in
Naples. So why should we be scan-
dalized over what happened then,
when today it is worse?

Do you always collaborate on a
screenplay?

If I were offered a screenplay
which I liked very much, I would

do it. But that hasn’t happened
yet.

So far, I have always done films
based on stories written by me or

with a collaborator or, as in the
case of The Skin, based on a story
taken from a book, but[...]es are more important
than the dialogue . . .

It is always better to tell every-
thing you can without words. The
value and relevance of the image is
always more important and more
interesting, given that cinema is
not literature.

Of course, dialogue can be very
beautiful, and can be also
extremely important. But I believe
it is better that a scene has as little
dialogue as possible. Naturally, if
you are making a film about a trial
then there has to be a lot of
dialogue. But the photography, the
costumes, etc., are all very
important.

In the case of The Skin, for
example, we had to reconstruct the[...]Top to bottom: Lou (Dominique Sanda)
"on top” of Friedrich Nietzsche (Erland
Josephson), as Paul Ree (Robert Powell)
watches — Beyond Good and Evil; images
of the American occupation of Naples in
the 19405. The Skin.

av

aid side by side, as I am sure many of their authors would
like to be, film star biograp[...]r generally had to
make it on the stage before he or we could expect his life to
be celebrated between hard covers. So, luminaries of Broadway and
Shaftesbury Avenue, from Tallulah Ba[...]hanged all that. Not to have the enthralling saga of your life take its

place on the shelf with all those other lives has become a tacit admission

of not having made it. Mere decent reticence in the face of a dull life
stops no one, nor does even merer unimportance.

For the flood of star biographies and, worse, those written allege[...]omentum through the past
decade and shows no sign of abatement. Furthermore, they are getting
longer (the first fruits of Stewart Granger’s anecdotage‘ run to more
than 400 pages) and, a still more disquieting sign, there is a new trend
towards stopping mid-career. Presumab[...]ames Mason2 and the unspeakable Shelley Winters3, is
meant to leave us breathless with anticipation for Volume Two. This is
indeed making a little go a long way, since the off—screen lives of

9?

reason, you know . . .

Film stars are so much a phenomenon of a
packaging process, whereby some astute
producer recognizes a saleable commodity,
ensures that it is handsomely gift-wrapped and
employs highly-skilled minions to market it,
that sometimes it is hard to know what there is
to any given star apart from a seductive
physical presence. This presence is, of course,
infinitely more important on the screen than on
the stage, which is at once more exposed to the
consumer and more tac[...]ver else they may bring to their
roles in the way of, say, intelligence, under-
standing, depth of feeling or experience is
much harder to assess and to attribute.

This being so, it is perhaps not surprising that
on the page, as disti[...]ublishing Ltd, 1981.

shrewdly selecting the best of 50 takes, or Gregg
Toland catching the upturned face in a way that
softens the hard egoism.

On the basis of the nearly 20 volumes with
which I have frittered[...]tars
because they are interesting people.”4 One of
the chief recurring elements of these works is
certainly egoism. Clearly, even to get noticed to
the point of being offered any role in a film
takes a degree of persistence allied crucially to a
powerfully egoi[...]he
power and right to choose their roles — that is,
to be a star — it is equally clear that an
immense egoism, and egotism[...]estlessly for what was best”: best for the film
of course too, but essentially best for Bette.

To know you are a film star is, presumably,
to know that millions of people around the
world want to watch you both being recog-
nizably “yourself” and doing something that is
called film acting. It is a heady thought no
doubt, and to the head, no dou[...]not, unsustained by
families, education, religion or any other of the
decentralizing structures of their society, they
are encouraged by those with[...]r own
publicity, to believe themselves the centre of
their personal universes. With so many lives
dependent on whether their latest film is pulling
in the customers, small wonder it is that many
of them give co-workers, spouses and others
hell if their wishes are not fulfilled. To be as
universal an icon as a film star is makes prepos-
terous demands on the sanity, balance and
humanity of the often otherwise—unremarkable
human being just beneath the glamorous
surface.

“Night of the few large
stars”

It may be that the publishing bonanza of the
1970s (not just star lives, of course, but every
aspect of cinema) is a product of a more or less
starless age. Now that there are so few
authentic stars left, the reading public is
perhaps doubly fascinated with the big names
of the past, expecting that they must have big
lives attached to them. For, whatever it is that
makes a star, the public knows one when it sees
one.‘ At the moment there aren’t many to see:
this is Walt Whitman’s “night of the few large
stars.”

I remember reading in th[...]Newman, etc., and one
woman — Streisand). This is a black night
indeed when you think of how many stars
glittered on the mid-’40s payroll of any one of

4. Michael Freedland, Gregory Peck, W. H. Allen, 1980,
p. 59.

5. Charles Higham, Bette: A Biography of Bette Davis,
New English Library, 1981, . 160.

6[...]w exactly who was to get a standing
ovation: that is, Eleanor Powell and Audrey Hepburn

but not Cyd Charisse of the glorious legs. Stardom, like
Blood, will out.[...]nd the urge
to literary embalmment? An urge, that is,
showed by interested parties such as publishers,[...]themselves.

The reasons for the declining number of stars
are complex. It is not that we, the cinema-going
public, now feel ourselves above the idea of
stars. It seems to me that the public still reaches
out to any actor who is even half—way towards
Coward’s “star quality” — towards the likes of
Jane Fonda, Warren Beatty or, as the suc-
cess of On Golden Pond suggests, towards
unarguable and e[...]atharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda.
But the passing of the studio system, that very
nursery of the stars; the precariousness of the
film actor’s life when he must negotiate each
new role as part of a business deal; a decreasing
willingness of newer actors to share their
private lives (even a diluted or sugared version)
with their public; an increasingly sophisticated
awareness of films among articulate sectors of
the public which both make a cult of old stars
and decry the need for contemporary one[...].
We are no longer “visited all night by troops of
stars”: in these tough times we are lucky if our
film has one star supported by Ben Johnson.[...]who didn’t marry
at all and Mae West“ who may or may not have
done so, most of the biographed girls and boys
here have notched u[...]onda] said
abruptly, ‘and I’m goddamn ashamed of it.’ ”9
In most of the other volumes, the casting-off of
the old and the taking-on of the new are
presented as part of some restless quest for
truth in human relations.[...]t mean to be
striking a moral pose about this — is markedly
at odds with the usual cant offered abou[...]hole I prefer Susan Hayward’s
direct account” of why she wanted to be rid of
Jess Barker, “The son of a bitch hit me”, to the
tasteful evasion of Freedland’s account of
Gregory and Greta Peck’s break-up:

“. . . the sad-looking surroundings [of their

French villa] only seemed to echo the state of

their relationship together. It took very little[...]. 125.)

I don’t mean to underestimate the sort of
pressures that stardom, with all its demands for
ego maintenance and repair, must make on
relationship; nor do I want to suggest that it is
easy to write about a succession of liaisons,
with and without ‘the benefit of formal cere-
monies. Inevitably notions of romantic
commitment get somewhat tarnished by the
time the fifth or, in Elizabeth Taylor’s case, the
seventh marriage is reached.

The (auto-) biographers are caught in
something of a bind here: on the one hand, they

may wish to present their subjects as a moral"

mixture of Little Nell and Mother Theresa of
Calcutta; on the other, they are aware that a
breath —— or better, a gust — of scandal will

7. Kenneth Barrow, Flora, Heinemann[...]1982, p. x.
10. Christopher P. Anderson, A Star, Is a Star, Is a Star!
lT9h8e2Life and Loves of Susan Hayward, Robson Books,

CINEMA PAPER[...]

The point of this is to suggest that very rarely
indeed does a star emerge from one of these
biographical skirmishes with his or her image
unsullied. Honesty will frequently be u[...]lacious may lose respect
even as sales thrive. It is not just a matter of
sexual behaviour; revealing other aspects of the
private lives of stars rarely makes one think
better of them. Claire Bloom is one exception:
she writes“ with unaffected hone[...]that, she
believes, played a part in her career. So, too, is
Flora Robson who emerges, miraculously,
from Kenn[...]pas-
sionate.

The fact that the off-screen lives of so many
stars seem not to be particularly interestin[...]ads biographers into whipping up
a spurious sense of drama where none exists.
For women stars this usu[...]oward Hughes; the men, faintly afraid
that theirs is an effeminate profession, dwell on
manly experiences like motor—racing or flying.
Again and again, one feels how much more
satisfactory these Lives would be if they
devoted themselves more whole-heartedly to
t[...]us
enough for us to want to read about them: that
is, their work in films. Instead of the current
stress on their sexual appetites and adventures,
instead of white-washing their marital histories,
from which[...]l that would be worth knowing about
the processes of filmmaking.

“It is the stars, the stars
above us govern our
conditions ’ ’

Top: Bette Davis (right of centre) in Herman J. Mankiewicz’ All About
Eve.[...]te. ’\ . . ;
Hollywood certainly, the influence Of stars 111 Below.‘ Ward Bond, Henry Fonda and Ti[...]ntine.

Productions were built around the talents of , A . - — = V ~ — _, ~ ,_ ,,
particular sta[...];g{;;,,,,,;,,,,

on a star for a film’s success or failure, the
more powerful became that star’s wishes in the
making of the film. If stars could not sell a bad
or unattractive film to the public (cf. Gable and
Pa[...]r!), they
undoubtedly increased the pulling power of
many average-to-good films. Considering, too,
the[...]in movies after the Christmas Holiday
fiasco), it is not surprising that so much studio
effort and star ego went into[...]

persona of brisk New Englander, dispensing
crisp honesty and[...]reat, positive attribute
she persistently reveals is energy, but that is
certainly made unattractive by the ruthlessness,[...]e men in her
life though there were brief periods of
happiness with husbands 2 and 4 (Arthur
Farnswort[...]the result that
she got more than her fair share of juicy roles
and the power to dictate in what cond[...]age at the time in
choosing roles like Mildred in Of Human
Bondage, or Leslie Crosbie in The Letter, or
Baby Jane, as well as the perception to assess
their potential in terms of her capacities to act
them and make the public ac[...]stice
to the films and makes something compulsive
of the way Davis’ energies worked towards
making so many of them memorable. He is
quite astute at identifying the highlights -
Jezebel, Now Voyager, All About Eve, among
others — even if his assessments of them are
unilluminating. There is surely more to Now
Voyager than “. . . of course, a camp classic, a
masterpiece of schmaltz”. Higham (and Joel
Greenberg) did bett[...]comments on
the conditions surrounding the making of the
films and, discussing Now Voyager, he claims:[...]nsidered in relation to several scenes.

The book is full of nasty side-swipes at
Davis’ consorts and colleagues: at Farnsworth,
with his “aura of fake self-confidence, mascu-
line security, stren[...]s to have liked very few men
and fought with most of her male co-stars. Her
closest friends were young[...]itzgerald, whose careers
she encouraged, and some of her best perfor-
mances were opposite strong actr[...]could
draw her full fire —- either on—screen or off.

Possibly a terrible woman, Davis is
indubitably a great star. She frequently took
unp[...]hing playable in
them, grabbed them by the scruff of the neck,
belted them and everyone concerned into[...]ll-temper, unco-opera-
tiveness, little affection or respect for most of
her colleagues, she continues to command
public r[...]h that
image has often worked on us, in the guise of,
variously, Mildred, Regina Giddons or Margo
Channing.

hile Bette Davis was ruling the[...]“coast-to-coast bestseller”, The Secret
Life of Tyrone Power”, despite its salacious
packaging which draws attention to Power’s
sexual ambidexterity, is in fact a surprisingly
humane account of the man and a sometimes
shrewd appraisal of the career. If Power’s
sexual life caused him a good deal of torment,
his star career was rarely satisfying in the way
that he wanted. Coming from several genera-
tions of acting Powers, he always seemed to be
after a success which eluded him — that is, as a
serious actor on stage and screen.

Power e[...]e in his pre-World War 2 films, films like
Lloyds of London, Suez and In Old Chicago
opposite beauties[...]demption had to be delivered with a genuine
sense of inspiration, since the camera held him
mercilessl[...]as
“pretentious, simplistic claptrap”.

There is something touching in the story of
this agreeab1e—sounding man whose private life[...]tisfied him, even when
it was satisfying millions of cinemagoers.
Tyrone Power has not worn well and 30 or so
years after he rarely looks convincing: apart
fro[...]probably wears best
in the swashbucklers he grew so tired of, worst
in his more high-minded pieces (vide his display
of tortured conscience in Anatole Litvak’s This
Ab[...]wishes to spare
us the more sensational passages of Power’s life
nor does he wallow in them.

“An[...]wering who knows what urge
towards the setting up of idols, are essentially a
phenomenon of 1930s and ’40s Hollywood.
Brando and Monroe had[...]s now sentimentally
known as the Golden Years. It is hard to
imagine anyone as modestly talented as Ty[...]’70s and
holding on to star status till the end of the

12. Hector Arce, The Secret Life of Tyrone Power,
Bantam Books, 1980.

century. But, with the backing ofis scarcely possible now that the
studios are gone,[...]d in 1958, just at the stage when the
maintenance of a star career was getting
tougher as the studios[...]ssibly a more sophisticated public awareness.
But if the studios carefully nurtured their
valuable star properties, the latter often seemed
to have little sense of creative direction when
they left — or were turned loose by — the
studios “which con[...]etained his star status until his
death a quarter of a century after Power’s,
clinching it with his 1981 Oscar for On Golden
Pond. It is hard to believe Power could have
retained his position that long had he lived. It is
not just that Fonda was a “better” actor —[...]out, he was never firmly held in the
stranglehold of a long-term contract with any
one studio, and he[...]g the
right to appear on stage.

Teichmann, a man of the theatre, tends to
stress the plays — Mr Rob[...]need any more expression on your face than
you’d use in everyday life.’ ”

And Teichmann adds:[...]’s not even acting.

Quiet, calm, even in anger or desperation,

whether comedy or drama Fonda uses as

little facial mobility as po[...]ery early on “Fonda fell easily into the
rhythm of film-making”, believing it to be
largely a dire[...]wo-dimensional figures to be used in the
exposing of raw stock to its best advantage” (p.
102).

Considering how much more perceptive
Teichmann is about acting than most of the
stars’ biographers, it is disappointing that he
doesn’t give more detail[...]The early meetings with John
Ford and the making of Young Mr Lincoln and
The Grapes of Wrath rate about four pages
altogether, while My[...]Fort Apache are skimmed
over, while The Best Man is not there at all;
there is a little more on Sidney Lumet’s 12
Angry Men, which Fonda also produced. “I
don’t think if you took a stick and beat him he

13[...]

could do anything false, he’s incapable. As a
performer, as a man, he’s pure”, Sidney Lumet
claimed, and if it sounds an extravagant claim it
is perhaps not far from the public’s view of
Fonda. He has always seemed like one’s ideal
of the American liberal; according to Teich-
mann, there is more than a little correspon-
dence between the s[...]rder to know
and harder still to live with. There is honesty in
his approach to some of life’s major issues; and
in some of his chief relationships a stubborn
integrity emer[...]arney Greenwald.

f Henry Fonda made a career out of

persuading us to take him seriously,

whether in a humid jury room or

bringing order to the wild West, that

other wil[...]to take nothing seriously — especially
not sex or men, and especially not any of the
virtues held dear by middle America. Fergus
C[...]down to size, but it does. “She had spent most
of the twentieth century inventing herself”,
Cashin writes, and if she did not invent sex,
“She . . . saw the humour in it and probably no
one before or since has had more fun on what
she called the ‘linen battlefield’ ” (Time
magazine).

And yet, if Cashin is to be trusted, the real-
life truth is a good deal less amusing and less
glittering than[...]ar career
might have suggested. In fact, Mae West is a
somewhat sad story of a creature who purveyed
lubricity in public, firs[...]facts are shrouded in mystery, starting with
date of birth (1893 or 1888? — not that it can
have mattered to anyone in over half a
century), including the marriage (or was it?) to
Frank Wallace in 1911, whether or not, if it
happened, it was ever consummated, and
indeed most of her private life.

West’s 19305 films are now camp classics, a
status that has nothing to do with their quality,
which, apart from the choice one-liners, is
generally atrocious. However, in the ’30s the
one-liners came thick and fast, many of them
Mae’s own invention we are told, and she
q[...]”, was the immortal, “Goodness had
nothing to do with it, dearie.” From that
moment, Cashin tell[...]ung Cary Grant, established
her as a major star.

If none of the remaining six films she did in
the ’30s was[...]happy
occasion (“They were, in turn, suspicious of
each other, hostile, then indifferent”, says
Ca[...]curiously immiscible.

It was, however, a triumph of subtlety, wit
and taste, compared with the last two films of
her career: Mike Sarne’s Myra Breckinridge
(1970), a Hollywood sex farce from below the
bottom of the barrel, and Ken Hughes’ bizarre

532 — De[...]eft: publicity still for Henry Hathaway’:
Spawn of the North (book caption reads: “If you had
smelled that seal, you wouldn’t look to[...]Sextette ( 1978), in which she plays the bride of a

young English aristocrat. But it is absurd to.

talk of Sarne or Hughes as if they were the
authors of those films which defined new
nadirs. Mae West was invincibly the author of
her own films, as she was of the trashy, funny,
finally mysterious drama of her life. There was
probably much less, in several senses, than met
the eye. The best is there in those ’30s gags
(“Between two evils,[...]e”) and Cashin does well to
quote a good number of them. For the rest, he
is left with an enigma: a star who became the
target of a ferocious purity campaign, a woman
whose privat[...]king sex seriously was
DOROTHY LAMOUR. By the
end ofof stardom was in the next decade when
she made 29 f[...]pely but as blessed with
a nicely deflating sense of humor that worked
to best effect in the six Road[...]fe are now presented for inspec-
tion in a volume of artless maunderings
entitled My Side of the Road, “as told to Dick
McInnes”.“‘
On[...]but there just aren’t
200 pages in her life. It is almost as if she is
aware of this too as she tries conscientiously to
whip up[...]st: “Being
practical, my first thought [grammar is not her
major strength] was how could I get to
Ho[...]in
films anyway.” (Actually, this points to one of
the weaknesses of all these books: we know
they all made it, so that suspense is at a
premium. This being so, most of them need
more unusual — or better-observed — lives to
offset the daunting lack of narrative interest.)
Dorothy -— it would seem u[...]Dorothy Lamour (as told to Dick Mclnnes), My Side of
the Road, Robson Books, 1981.

Higgins talked to fellow jury[...]hool students and
the industry proper.

What sort of films did you make at
UCLA?

I made two: O[...]

Then I thought, this is a bit grue-
some, why not make a joke of it?
So it became a fake suicide. And
that is how the whole idea came to
me; it all sprang from a desire to
use that piece of equipment. Much
later I realized that it develope[...]aude representing the
introvert—extrovert sides of my
own character.

Anyway, Ed Lewis showed my
scr[...]yself. Now, in that post-
Easy Rider period a lot of new-
comers had been given the chance
to direct, but they had mostly

failed. So Evans, though he
wanted the script, was not at all
keen for me to direct. However, he
gave me, or rather Paramount
gave me, $7000 to do a director’s
test.

Ed, who was making a film a[...]or
me to use the Bob & Carol & Ted &
Alice set to do the test. It was
amazingly economical; Daniel
Fap[...]he result was that they
liked it, but not enough. So
eventually I relented about direct-
ing it myself[...]n it, too. Then, fate took a
hand. It was the end of 1971 and
The Godfather was supposed to be
the stu[...]tres. But Francis
[Coppola] hadn’t finished it. So
Harold and Maude became a last-
minute replacement: this little film
of ours in those big cinemas up
against all the top releases of the
season. We were swamped. It was
a major failure; total disaster. And
I, of course, was persona non
grata.

But it became a s[...]in trouble. I finally got an
offer from a couple of friends,
Tom Miller and Eddie Milkis, who
ran a television film company.
They had sold a “Movie of the
Week” to ABC on the strength of
a title, The Devil’s Daughter. But
they had no script. So I wrote one
for them, Jeannot Swarcz directed
it[...]otten starred in it. It was just a
job.

Then out of the blue I received a
letter from Paris, from J e[...]ccess there, that he
had loved it and had thought of
turning it into a play for the
veteran French act[...]ors Bud Cort and Ruth

Gordon during the shooting of Harold and
Maude. Right and below right: Harold a[...]Maude was looking better; it had
become something of a cult film
internationally. I still wanted to
direct films, and I had figured the
way to do that was to find pro-
ducers who would support me. So
I contacted Tom and Eddie with an
idea for a script, which was Silver
Streak, in the hope that if, by using
another director, we could make a
succe[...]ld have
a chance to direct the next one.
And that is what happened. We
offered Silver Streak to Para-[...]because Tom and Eddie were tele-
vision people. So we took it to
Fox, and Frank Yablans agreed to
do it with Arthur Hiller directing.

Later we offere[...]said, “We don’t use
first-time directors”, so we went
back to Paramount, which

approved it because of the success
of Silver Streak.

were )’0ll.happy with the job
Arthur Hiller did on “Silver
Streak”?

_ Arthur is a very sweet man. He
15 not Hal Ashby, but he is a good
commercial director. Seeing the
film now, I think the climax, the
train crash, is terrific, but I find
the early scenes kind of slow. He

Yes. Goldie Hawn is a joy to
work with, very natural and totally
understanding of the comedic way
I like to work, which is to base a
situation on honesty and reality,
and t[...]s style was very different — a
television style of‘ establishing a
rapport with the audience on the
other side of the television camera.
Of course, you don’t do that in
movies; you let the camera come in
and di[...]At that time he
had no real respect for the craft of
acting. But he did a very good job.

Dudley Moore, of course, was
terrific, too. I like actors and I li[...]in
hearing people laugh. People ask
me what part of the process I like
most: writing, directing or post-
production. For me the best part is
when the piece is finished and you
sit in the theatre and hear the audi-
ence laugh.

I am also personally optimistic; I[...]ay existence. Comedy comes
very naturally to me.

Do you find writing easy?

I would not say “easy”. It is get-
ting easier because I am more
experienced and more conscious of
what the processes are. Writers
have to create an[...]live in it, and at the same time
report on it. It is a very schizo-
phrenic state.

In the early days,[...]when I couldn’t get into
that meditative state, or whatever
it is, which enables you to create;
now when that state doesn’t come I
just consider it part of the process
and don’t get too disturbed. I used
to beat myself up! Now I think

that to write anything is a kind of
miracle.

How did you come to do “9 to 5”?

I was approached by Jane
Fonda, wh[...]d working
on it, I went to Cleveland to a
meeting of an organization of
office workers. I asked, as a dis-
cussion point, if any of them had
ever thought of killing their boss.
Suddenly everyone started laugh-
ing; they came up with some of the
most gruesome schemes which they
had conceived in moments of
severe stress. And I knew then that
was the key o[...]s.

They are three very different kinds
of actresses . . .

Yes indeed. Jane is very deter-
mined, but also surprisingly girlish[...]as much as
I could for her.

Lily’s background is improviza-
tional, so there was yet another
contrast. I also wrote with[...]al and
originally the stage director was
going to do the film version, but he
was fired — as was the[...]d Dolly Parton,
scouted locations and built sets, so

Colin Higgins

Considering how expensive it is to
do a musical, which means you
have to aim for the widest possible
audience, the film is surprisingly
bawdy, not only in its nudity but
in[...]. . .

I think it should be naughty, in
the sense of sex being fun. In some
parts of the U.S., newspapers
wouldn’t even print ads using the
word “whorehouse”. But if you
are making a film with “whore—
house” i[...]-stopping
solo by Charles Durning as the
Governor of Texas . . .

I cast Charles. He is a very
accomplished actor, but he had
started out[...]uble. But he worked
and sweated.

I am very proud of that
sequence. We did it on location in
Austin; it is not a set. And there is
no process photography involved
in the moments wh[...]e did that in the way
that Buster Keaton did some of his
great stunts, by measuring out the
distances[...]ly, we were rained
out the day before we shot it, so we
had a whole day in which to
rehearse in the Ca[...]lly operator, choreographer and
actor — happy.

Do you think there is a problem
with the ending of the film?

Well, we did go through various
ideas[...]not entirely satisfied with
the ending; maybe it is not shot
quite right. But I have seen audi-

ences applaud when he sweeps her
off her feet.

I really meant the device of

reprising shots seen earlier in the
film . . .[...]nd why some
people don’t like it, but for me it is
fine.

I think the conventions of
musicals are difficult to take these
days; young[...]ed MGM musical with two
big stars doing what they do best.
It is a slight story about a simple
relationship: boy has girl, boy
loses girl, boy gets girl. It is very
simplified entertainment and has
been very successful, but if I did
another musical I would try to do

Top left: Dulcie Mae (Lois Nettleton) is in
love with Sheriff Ea’ Ear (Burt Reynolds),
but he is in love with Miss Mona (Dolly
Parton), bottom lef[...]e Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

it better. It is interesting to specu-
late what it might have been like if
the film had been cast closer to the
original sta[...]have been
interesting.

Now that “Whorehouse” is a big
success, presumably you can pick
and choose[...]you say, get finance
easily now. I would like to do some
smaller films, and I would like to
do one in Australia, because of my
background there and also because
I am very im[...]ou
have. I would very much like to
work with some of them. And I

the Australian accent delight-
u .[...]e

comedies?

projects

Probably. I have a couple of
projects that are not comedies per
se, but I thin[...]ting a laugh in the first ten
minutes, whether it is there or not.
I approve of that. *

} ‘ .
I

I .

.' ‘I

.. .
-3
H8
.5‘ D
‘. I

C.

\— '

: , ' 7':‘ '
I ‘[...]

The third edition of the Australian Motion Picture
Yearbook has been t[...]d look at what has
been happening in all sections of the Australian film scene
over the past year, inc[...]rectory have
been contacted to check the accuracy of entries, and many

new categories have been added.

A new series of profiles has been compiled and will
highlight the careers of director Peter Weir, composer

Brian May and actor Mel Gibson.

A new feature in the 1983 edition is an extensive
editorial section with articles on aspects of Australian and
international cinema, including fi[...]RE
YEARBOOK

effects, censorship, and a survey of the impact our films

are having on U.S. audience[...]ferencefor anyone with an

interest —— vested or altruistic — in the

continuingfilm renaissanc[...]tional

“The Australian Motion Picture Yearbook is a
great asset to the film industry in this count[...]earbook. it covers
almost every conceivable facet of the film
industry and the publisher's claim that it is ‘the
only comprehensive yellow page guide to the film
industry’ is irrefutable. "
The Australian

T I?eactions to th[...]d in Australian films, whether

i'n the industry or whojust enjoys watching them,

will find plenty[...]Sydney Sun-Herald

“This signifcantpublication is valuable not only
to professionals but everyone i[...]ou on your Australian
Motion Picture Yearbook. it is a splendidly
useful publication to us, and l’m[...]h
Hayden Price Productions

“Indispensable tool of the trade."
Elizabeth Riddell

Theatre Australia[...]3"U)u;u ]1,.A\.|“_
n mum

"The 1981 version of the Australian Motion
Picture Yearbook is not only bigger, it’s better —
as glossy on t[...]he past two years,
and always find it to be full of interesting and
useful information and facts. It is easy to read
and the format is set out in such a way that
information is easy to find. I consider the
Yearbook to be an asset to the office. "
Bill Gooley
Colorfilm
“ another[...]

llll D0(lllllllllARl' t

fifi

Documentary films occupy a special
place in the history and development of
Australian filmmaking. From the pioneering
efforts of Baldwin Spencer to Damien
Parer’s Academy Award[...]been acclaimed world-wide.

The documentary film is also the
mainstay of the Australian film industry.
More time, more mo[...]ry than any other film form —
features, shorts orof
documentary filmmaking in Australia, and
the state of the art today.

m¢....__=;a,,=:.. ......,..,_...

The History of the Documentary:

A World View
International landmarks, key figures, major movements.

The Development of the Documentary

in Australia

A general history of the evolution of the documentary
film in Australia, highlighting k[...]nd
events.

Documentary Producers

An examination of the various types of documentaries
made in Australia, and who produces them. A study of
government and independent production. The aims
behind the production of documentaries, and the various
film forms adopte[...]e the desired ends. This part
surveys the sources of finance for documentary film here
and abroad.

g[...]and ratings.

'

Making a Documentary

A series of case studies examining the making of
documentaries. Examples include large budget
docu[...]examines, in detail, the steps in the
production of the documentary, and features interviews
with the[...]Documentary: Themes
and Concerns

An examination of the themes, preoccupations and film
forms used by[...]rectors.

Repositories and Preservation

A survey of the practices surrounding the storage and
preservation of documentary films in Australia.
Comparisons of procedures here and abroad.

The Future

A look at the future for documentary films. The impact
of new technology as it affects production, distribu[...]ard look at the marketplace and
the changing role of the documentary.

Producers and Directors Checklist

A checklist of documentary producers and directors
currently wor[...]on

Reference information for those dealing with, or
interested in, the documentary film. This section will
include listings of documentary buyers, distributors,
librarie[...]

memories of programmes long since wiped from the tapes.
The book covers every facet of television programming —— light entertainment[...]ow on’ the local electricity store.
The quality of the early programmes was at best unpredictable, b[...]bourne Olympics, Chuck Faulkner reading the news, or even the test pattern.’

At first imported series were the order of the day. Only Graham Kennedy and Bob Dyer
could challenge the ratings of the westerns and situation comedies from America[...]came The Mavis Bramston Show. With the popularity of that rude and irreverent
show, Australian televis[...]/,‘.,, p”m."_‘W“m

Against the Wind, Sale of the Century have achieved ratings that are by world standards

remarkable.

AUSTRALIAN TV is an entertainment, a delight, and a commemoration of a lively,

fast—growing industry.

In November[...]m was a
resounding success.

Tape recordings made of the
proceedings have been transcribed
and edited[...]Television Production and Distribution

Financing of Theatrical Films
h/Ia_7or Studios

Financing of Theatrical Films
Independent Studios

0 Presale of Rights

Presale of Territory
A/[ulti-National and Other Co-Productio[...]eles
Chairman, Filmarketeers Ltd (U. S.)

Barbara D, Boyle
Executive Vice«President, and Chief Opera[...]265 stills, including 55 in full color, this book is an
invaluable record for all those interes[...]

..,,
5 ‘E
.1"
~m
Q
I-.
n
"1

" *3

,‘“If.*/nil «'19!
t'I.’ia"..

T YE 0
ll VIN[...]vice journalist, arrives in Jakarta during a time of political
upheaval. There he is befriended by an enigmatic Australian
Asian, Bill[...]y becomes increasingly involved with the politics of the
country and with Jill Bryant (Sigourney Weave[...]diverge, Guy must choose between them.

The Year of Living Dangerously is directed by Peter Weir, from a
screenplay by Davi[...]cations in The Philippines andAustralia, the film is
Weir’s fifth feature and his second collaborati[...]and Condon (Paul Sonkkilla);
an Indonesian woman is given money by Kwan; Kumar and Hamilton.

IASS Ill ,

lass of 1984 is the kind of film that immediately draws protests
from those w[...]ing
social unrest and in visualizing violence. It is true that the film’s
Lincoln High is a dingily—depressed school, that its central gang
is sometimes a variation on Alex and his Clockwork Droogs,

and that some of the final killings, especially the circular-saw s[...]mingly gruesome. But a case can be made for Class of 1984.

he film presents Perry King as Mr
Norris,[...]ts
sadistic eruptions are not far away.

As Class of 1984 proceeds, the gang is shown
to be more and more psychotic; while they pose,
vandalize and brutalize, the audience is forced
to identify more and more with the teacher[...]en the gang
rapes and abducts his wife, one feels so much
revulsion and disgust that there is little problem
in joining the teacher emotionally[...]gut consent to what we see.

By the time the gang is dead and the bloodied
teacher rescues his wife, I[...]d the horren-
dous denouement. I had no intention of
massacring anyone, but there had been a real
cath[...]h frustration, anger and
rage, and their eruption is compelling. Further-

542 — December CINEMA PAP[...]attacks a black student. Mark L. Lester’s
Class of 1984.

more, the purging of this rage by visual violence
is very strong.

Mark L. Lester’s films have usual[...]espectable

Fingers suggest what bodies can do. Class of 1984.

film, has been shown on television. In a

Monthly Film Bulletin review of Truckstop

Women, Tony Rayns wrote:
“Truckstop Women carves its way jovially
through a great deal of B—feature territory,
investing the contemporary girl gang
exploiter with strong reminiscences of ’Fifties
_Westerns and small gangster movies, so that
its appeal is at once nostalgic and very up—to—

-Lester is an exploiter. He knows what creates

strong emoti[...]ement and what keeps
his audience stirred.

ester is linked with the B—budget genre

films, which, i[...]e

in for reappraisal. Without denying

their use of stereotypes and cliche, one

can acknowledge their power, and that
they take for granted an appreciation of genres
and their conventions.

The filmmakers know that if they suggest a
convention vividly enough, the aud[...]ove with it. Cliches may be truths told too
often or too tritely, but they are truths nonethe-
less. S[...]are
authentic devices which have been over—used orof automatic response which
governs how they continu[...]identify the convention that
gives them a feeling of instant superiority to the
film. But even in the act of looking down on a
convention, a critical audience acknowledges
that the stereotypes do their work, something
which the astute director (or exploitive director,
depending whether you are for or against him)
can presume.

Lester chooses impact[...]an by speeches and reflection,
although this film is not without its rhetorical
regrets about contempo[...]before intellectual response. A
moment’s recall of his previous films highlights
this. Steel Arena and Stunts relied on the visual
impact of speed, risks, danger and deaths to

The gang prepares to rape the wife of the school teacher.
Class of 1984.

communicate how stuntmen ticked, especially
in action. Stunts had the pluses of a murder
mystery and love story to gain a larger[...](which villain Peter Stegman [Timothy
van Patten] is watching on television in Class of
1984) were action stories of tough women (and
men) with their own codes of behaviour apart

from the law in an exploitive, ugly world.

Lester is also a film-buff director. Allusions
or quotations can delight as well as serve as
quick[...](both pro and con) to other films. Watching
Class of 1984, one is compelled (even without
the hints of the advertisers) to remember Black-
board Jungle[...]kids assemble for classes in a style
reminiscent of Grease (with an ironic twist as the
drug-high boy[...]ars
and Stripes -from the school flagpole). There is
an underpass gang confrontation echoing West
Side Story. The psychotic gang is a bizarre
variation on The Warriors, The Wanderer[...]e compositions and lighting suggest Peter
Stegman is an American Alex and possibilities
of a Clockwork Orange future world. Circular-
saws s[...]es in
the multiple murder genre. The lone crusade of
the teacher with his private vigilanteism echoes[...]High
and its problems.

ut exactly what audience is Lester

aiming at? The information offered at

the opening of the film is tongue-in-

cheek grim. One is told of 200,000 inci-

dents of violence in high schools and
that the story is based on fact. But, Lester
reassures the audience, schools are not like
Lincoln High — yet! There is the ominous
choice of 1984 as the year of the title.

The U.S., with its often spectacular[...]who enjoys closed circuit television surveillance
of the school corridors and the ability to send
secu[...]e law
requires incontrovertible evidence by sight or
action before charges can be laid against the
gang members. From this point of view, society,
as well as its assailants, is sick. The only sane
way of self—protection or justice is in violence.

This is the language of the right and of moral
majorities. But because a large group in power
upholds a view, it is a fallacy to assume that all

The terror continues: Mrs and Mr Norris (Perry King).
Class of 1984.

who voice sentiments that sound similar[...]political stances. It might be
argued that Norris is pursuing decency within
the law and a sense of justice rather than
wanting to be a member of a private law-
enforcement agency. This is further endorsed by
the ironic comment at the end of the film that
the hero is not charged for his killing of the gang
because the same incontrovertible evidence

Class of 1984

cannot be found to bring against him. The line is
that no one saw anyone actually do anything
and so charges cannot be proven.

The film, though seemingly action-exploitive
material of the drive—in type, does not appear to
be cateri[...]ychotic.

Bikies interviewed after a 1979 preview of
Mad Max told television reporters that they did
n[...]lm because it was unrealistic in
its presentation of bikie groups. Similarly,
members of gangs are not likely to identify with
Stegman’s[...]teenager, like the
victim teenagers in the film, is probably not
interested in seeing this kind of film anyway.

r1 catering for the adult audience,[...]s acceptable targets. It parodies the

widow, who is blind to the behaviour of the

rotten son she has spoilt, and the inert prin-

cipal. It is critical of, but kinder to, the
police, whose hands are tied because of the law
and its protection of hoodlums.

On the other hand, the adults who are[...]teach any more. The film
appeals to the middle—of-the—road professional
who identifies with work, is committed to
people and who is frustrated by bureaucrats and
boors. The film, then, could even be accused of
sentimentalism in its presumptions about who
are[...]t, just as Death Wish appeals to the
preservation of lifestyle and values as we know
and want them, so this film is definitely on the
side of the establishment in terms of education,
personal growth, culture and tradition. The
American High School (Lincoln, of course) is
defaced, degraded by the bureaucrats and the
boor[...]e the music for the class to work on, in
the hope of recognition by the city’s symphony
authorities. The group that causes havoc in the
school is made up of only five individuals
(though they recruit a 14-y[...]ack —— and the audience sides with him. Class
of 1984.

man and a would—be call girl). The principal
comments explicitly that it is the disruptive
minority that gets so much attention.

But by focusing on the pleasant hero
battling for what he thinks is best, Lester is able
to communicate anger to his adult audience and
make them share the rage. The gang is insolent,

Concluded on p. 587

CINEMA PAP[...]

° .: _ who is looking» to a standard ofSo

ungl '5 .

'[...]

periodicals”. PETER cowug
INTERNATIONAL F[...]mes Eziblnders Back Issues
6 1 2 18 (to the price of each
Zone Issues issues iuuec (each) (each) copy,[...].30 $19.00 $1.20
gldtllgahll (Surface) (Surface) (Su rlace) (Surface) (Surface) (Surface)
n
$48.90 $88[...]9.00 $1 .20
Europe (Surface) (Surface) (Surface) (Su riace) (Surface) (Surface)
Africa
Sh America $53.[...]OTE. A “Surface Air Lift" (air speeded) service is available to Britain. Germany, Greece, Italy and[...]olume 7 contains 512 lavishly-

illustrated pages of

EII".IE£)Ii‘~.II37

Ezibinders for Cinema
Pa[...]numbers can
be added to the binder
independently, or
detached if desired. This
new binder will
accommodate 12 copi[...]iews
Production surveys and reports
from the sets of local and
international production
Box-off[...]

John Duigan on Winter of
Our Dreams. Government
and the Film industry. Tax[...]Robert Altman. Galiipoii.
Roadgames. Grendel.

1 or 2 copies $4 each
3 or 4 copies $3 each (save $1 per copy)
5 or 6 copies $2 each (save $2 per copy)
7 or more copies $1.80 each (save $2.20 per copy)

Ove[...]sues number 4, 6, 7, 8, 30, 31, 34 and
35 are out of print.

OR DE R FOR M

is 5&6 "{5pé?S Overseas rates In 5

Subscriptions Please enter a subscription for 6 issues ($18)D 12 issues ($32) D 18 issues ($46) D

Please start D renew D my subscription with the next issue. If a renewal,
please state Record No. (Details) E De[...]:

Company:

Address:

Country:

Telephone:

Gift If you wish to make a subscription to Cinema Papersa[...]sue.

Subscriptions

D Gift subscription from (name of sender) ........................................................................ ..

- Order Information:
offlce use only Delivery method: First Issue No.: A[...]Alphabetic:

V 29 Overseas rates p. 5

1 or 2 copies $4 each

3 or 4 copies $3 each (save $1 per copy)

5 or 6 copies $2 each (save $2 per copy)

7 or more copies $1.80 each (save $2.20 per copy)

To[...]your missing issues, and fill out the
form below. if you would like multiple copies of any one issue, indicate the number you
require in[...]if"ij
12 3 5 910111213141516171819202122232425
El D E) l_— 1-) l7 l—l Fl V El

26 27 28 29 32 33[...]Overseas rates p. 5

Please send me bound volumes of D 3 (issues 9-12) B 4 (issues 13-16)

D 7 (issues 25-30) at $30 per volume.
Volume 5 (issues 17-20) and Volume 6 (issues 21-24) out of print.

49 Ez Overseas rates p. 5

Please send me D copies of Cinema Papers’ Ezibinder at $15 a binder[...]

£45381/82 Please send me E] copies of the 1981/82 Yearbook at $19.95 a copy (Foreign: $30 surface:
airmail).

Please send me E] copies ofof The New Australian Cinema at $14.95 a copy (Forei[...]iiralian E" V} The First 25 Years

Please send me D copies of Australian TV: The First 25 Years at $14.95 a cop[...]E fixpo €ii;l:§~ . epe.
Please send me D copies of the Film Expo Seminar Report at $25 a copy[...]

The continuing improvement in the quality of theatre
sound equipment, with the installation of stereo sound and
Dolby noise reduction systems, h[...]roved sound
systems are also increasing the range of subtleties that a
producer and director can call[...]ces
demands on the operators.

Julian Ellingworth is the chief mixer at Atlab and it was at
the opening of its new mixing theatre that Ian Wilson was
able to interview him and follow this double theme of craft
and technology. Ellingworth begins by discu[...]n-
turers. It was about three young children,
one of whom was played by the 12-year-
old Sonia Hoffman[...], and bits and pieces
like that. Then camera time of retrench-
ments and I was the first to go, being[...]needed a sound
recordist; one day I said, “This is it. I'll
take this Nagra and record sound.” So I
went to record on the Cinesound sound
stage, with Lloyd Shields on camera, for
an episode of Memoirs. I forget which
episode it was but it was[...].

I became a freelance recordist on the
strength of that. In the famous words of
Peter Fenton [mixer at United Sound], I
had a Nag[...]l around
Australia.

However, I got heartily sick of standing
around or sitting on camera cases waiting
for the lights to be set up or for people to
make up their minds about which way the
eye line should be! I became so bored I
decided I would try studio work and do the

Julian Ellingworth, during a sound mix.

x[...]sat
around.

I was at Film Australia for a total of 10
years; I left shortly after my long service
leave, so I guess I was mixing for about
eight years.

Duri[...]new,
exciting and a lot easier. You were able to
do things that you would get frustrated
trying to do when recording from 16mm.

Then I got bogged down[...]fects for
three months and I got the shits again. So
I went back to Film Australia and worked
there fo[...]p the new mixing theatre. Armed
with my knowledge of United Sound, I
designed the mixing console.

The[...]cost a fortune, and ergonometrically was
my idea of how a console should be laid
out. Because I had w[...]gured I was an
expert!

It was designed about six or seven
years ago and now is actually out-of-date
for stereo films, though it has been doing
t[...]ard before, they said
“Sure!” It wasn't a lot of money, just
enough for an around-the-world ticket[...]ywood and
London. I picked up an enormous amount

of information and a lot of tricks about how
the rest of the world operates.

Did they welcome you?

Yes. I was not allowed into a couple of
films because the directors were a bit
‘anti’[...]I was able to see quite a few

films. I saw them do The Muppet
Movie which I felt should have been done

in about one quarter of the time.
I watched Bill Barney, who won the
Academy for Raiders of the Lost Ark,

CINEMA PAPERS December —— 545

So I saw a lot of top people. It was
interesting to compare what they did and
what they had to put up with, with what we
do.

What were the differences?

Some of the studios, which will remain
nameless, tended to have two and three
guys sitting behind the panel and, if some-
thing went wrong, they just tended to
“go[...]a few minutes.
They would then wait until a tribe of thou-
sands walked in and they then all had an
argument. They would then go away and
do things, and two hours later the mix
would start a[...]cient hierarchy?

Yes. Certainly there were a lot of guys
behind the panel. I watched them on one
film[...]t it
was right but they should get somebody
else. So they went and got another mix in
the music studio and hauled it over and
sunk it up.

The number of people who became
involved seemed to me to be a b[...]he reel and gone on with some-
thing else instead of farting around for four
hours.

How do you stop that happening in
Australia?

Well that is exactly what we don’t do
here. If there is a debate going on, we
would go on to something el[...]ly throw down
the gauntlet and say, “Yes, I can do it. I’m
the man to bring it to this country.”[...]o than I had before.

However, there wasn't a lot of work
happening at United Sound when I came
back. So I went and spoke to Ron Bray at
Atlab. Eventually[...]get-
ting going and we figured United Sound
would do something eventually. It was just
a matter of where we did it and how.

We had a few problems building the
ideal studio because of space limitations.
There was talk about moving th[...]gh we are out at
Epping, at least the whole thing is under
one roof.

The project started to take shap[...]room to work in. There was
the normal frustration of people saying it
would be that much better with a[...]o be absolutely
retro-fitted, which can be nasty. If you say
that is no good because this has to be
here, then a whole box of controls has to
be bolted on the side, which is not the way
to 90.

To my knowledge, Neve does a[...]e in custom design consoles, but
neither the rate of exchange nor the
delivery schedule was favorable.[...]Quad-Eight in
Hollywood, where most film studios, or all
the ones I saw, had custom-built Quad-
Eights[...]ght an off-the-shelf
design and modified sections of it to
perform in the way we wanted. It still fitt[...]1982

just giving us faders and equalizers, which
is all that would have been useful to us. I
thought,[...]st redesignate things and
get them to rewire some of the modules.

Surely, that is the reason for having a
custom-built desk . . .

Well, the Americans wouldn't entertain
that sort of console unless it was for a
smaller studio. There[...]hey have
huge buttons and you go to recorder 1, 2
or 3. Our console does look like a music
board to most people. You can still assign
to any of 24 outputs.

Do you have three or four people on the
panel?

Three or four usually, but we are looking
at two plus our computer. I could very
easily demonstrate how it is the third.

Stuffs up the union!

The Quad-Eight[...]sound theatre.

for a week and we reworked it so that it
had left centre and right centre surround[...]nd say, “For a film modification,
what you need is this.” I said,

“But, all this part of the board is going to

waste. If you want to change all those

buttons to somethin[...]and we got every-
thing we wanted in the confines of the
board.

The only thing we have as an add-on
are pan pots, which slide along the front or
can be unplugged and given to somebody
else sitting out the front. There is just no
room on the board.

What I was worried ab[...]acceptance has not been large
in Hollywood: a lot of mixers over there,
whom I revere, are older than[...]in some cases, and would not enter-
tain the idea of PFtOMs, boots and format-
ting, and floppy discs. That is just not their
game. They have been into mixing sound
and I really don’t see why they should
have to, or how they would be able to,
adapt to it. I am having difficulty and I am
only 37.

Do you have to program the computer
yourself or is it existing software?

The software is supplied on floppy disc
and the computer itself h[...]s. You put two identical discs in
and the program is formatted.

One way of using it is to put more tracks

than one man could possibly handle, say
24, and mix a group of them, say 12. The
computer will keep playing them[...]r 12, and the computer
will be the mixer. It will do what it is told
without answering back, it will remember
those fader movements and will do it as
many times as you like.

What about equaliz[...]xes
I have done, there has not been a huge
amount of equalization. I don't usually
equalize the dialog[...]x and then the
final mix.

When you have a couple of four-tracks
already pre-mixed for stereo, and dia[...]aders, run the computer and ride the
whole thing. If someone wants to change
something, saying “That[...]bring this in earlier”, you can
update that bit of information. The whole
thing is then on the disc and you can then
go straight into record.

In effect, it is replacing your memory,
freeing you from writing a[...]hour to get it right.

In Melbourne, where there is no decent
dubbing set-up, the sound is trans-

ferred at one place and mixed at
another. What do you think about the

said, "Thank you but l’m mixing this film!”

Do you think there is anything positive
about having a sound supervisor?

What there should be is a pre-
production conference with the location
re[...]hat will be an advantage and
what will be a waste of time. This is useful
because you can suggest that they should
g[...]ial stages,
which the Dolby people say you should
do. We have decided that is a waste of
time because it means that the dubbing
editor has[...]you are going to re-transfer all the sound
later or encode it in Dolby first or what-
ever. But I don't think the sound recordist
needs to be at the mix.

However, we do need to involve the
music people more because we[...]ing mixer says, “What are you
talking about? It is World War 3 and we
are going to have effects.” But we are
getting better.

In terms of the optical transfer of the
Dolby track, there are fewer complications
th[...]track. For
years, mono tracks have been a matter of
listen to the mix but, if it needs a bit of mid-
lift or a bit of compression, don’t tell the
mixer because he is going to go off the
deep end and say transfer the film flat. He
is going to get flak from the producer who
will say it doesn’t sound any good and it is
not loud enough.

There has been a certain little protec-
tion racket going on for years, here and
overseas. If you talk to people at. Glen
Glen, say, they will[...]good and to hell with what the mixer says.

That is what you have to do with mono
tracks: if you play it in your optical transfer
suite and it sounds too wide-range, too
dull or the music is too loud, you have to
compress it for the optical. You can't tell
them that the film is no good, because in
the studio it sounded fantastic.

With stereo it is slightly different. You
are mixing through, a much tighter-
controlled Dolby system and, by the time
you do your two track transfer to
magnetic, it is limited. There is no way you
can exceed certain boundaries. When yo[...]traight across and you
can't tamper with it. That is the first time
that has ever happened!

Do you see any improvement in sight
for 16mm optical[...]cable
television release, which would solve
some of their problems. There are limita-

tions, of course, because of the speed of
16mm. It is more difficult to resolve the
tighter waveform on 16mm. There is no
way to solve the non-standard print
problems:[...]professionals to get in on it. Now
the same thing is happening with 8mm:
they want 8mm optical tracks[...]films, but they
are probably going to take a hell of a lot
longer than we will. I guess we are more
enthusiastic, particularly now that stereo
Dolby is here. We just have to prove that
we can make film[...]soundtrack for Abra Cadabra, the
world's first 3-D animated feature film with
Dolby Stereo sound, is being recorded at
AAV-Australia in Melbourne, aft[...]by noise reduction and stereo to
complement the 3-D pictures”, says the
film’s sound engineer, AA[...]own to
three front channels and one rear
channel, so as to create a surround-sound
feeling.”

Abra Cadabra stars the voices of John
Farnham, Jacki Weaver, Hayes Gordon,
Jim Smi[...]e Movie, The
Man From Snowy River, The Clinic, We
of the Never Never, Kitty and the
Bagman and Goodbye[...]cus their atten-
tion on the new video techniques of tape,
cassettes and disc, there is a vague
assumption in the air that film has been
left in the role of the horse after the inven-
tion of the internal combustion engine.
This assumption,[...]has no
commercial equal as the originating
means of recording visual images. It is
easier to use a film camera in most situa-
tions; editing is cheaper; and the result is
invariably better (it is not without reason
that the largest buyers of color negative
film in Britain are television broadcast
companies).

But it is not only a matter of film being
the ideal image-recording medium. Print
standards must also be maintained if the
quality is to be appreciated by the film-
goer, and this traditionally has been a
problem.

The principal raw materials of the film
laboratory are film stock, light, chemis[...]o obtain a high
quality product, existing methods of bulk
printing release copies have not over-
come some serious quality and logistic
problems. It is therefore interesting to note
a revolutionary method of improving print
quality.

The most common technique in large
laboratories is the “looping system"

which is simply to take two reels or parts,
splice them into an endless loop sup-
ported on elevators, and print and
process, say, 100 or 200 prints of the
same reel(s) before moving on to other
reels.[...]etween printing and processing succes-
sive parts of the same copy.

Rank Film Laboratories, through its
Fl & D Group, has found a method of over-
coming this and other deficiencies in bulk[...]ers;

0 eliminating stock joins requiring
removal of frames or strengthening by
backing tape;

0 minimizing handling and simplifying
movement of negatives; and

O reducing or eliminating accumulations
of particular matter, especially at the
beginning and end of reels.

Achieving this required an expenditure
of $1,600,000, the invention of new equip-
ment and the creation of a total system
whereby a complete film of up to two
hours and 25 minutes (4000 m) could be[...]t was needed to handle
the cleaning and rewinding of negative or
positive film rolls of feature length. The
specially designed equipment cleans
negative or positive film rolls of any
length; negatives are spliced together on
the[...]a true-and-hard roll which
needs no side supports or flanges.

To cope with both the size and weight of
these 4000 m lengths, purpose-built
trolleys transport up to four of these rolls
simultaneously between the different[...]sing.

New Products and Processes

The process is as follows: the negative
is examined, cleaned at a speed of more
than 100m per minute to remove all
minute particular matter, and then timing
and cueing information is compiled by
computer prior to printing.

Raw stoc[...]ming invisible on
projection). Because this stage is
separate from the printing machine cycle,
it mean[...]ting are
all computerized; the microcomputer that
is used contains its own diagnostic pro-
grams to identify and display any elec-
tronic or mechanical problems.

After the printed roll is completed, it is
transported to the processing machine
and, using a modular film winder, is fed
into the developing machine as a whole
copy.

As the developed print comes off the
developing machine it is viewed, checked,
broken down into double reels an[...]Flank
claims real benefits from the effective use
of laboratory resources. Unlike looping
methods whic[...]the
last reel has been processed, the Rank
system is capable of integrating large and
small print runs without difficulty, thereby
allowing the earliest possible delivery of
part orders.

Rank Film Laboratories presented th[...]in itself, this system will not change the
future of cinema exhibition, it is con-
sidered a positive step fonrvard. Ar[...]

Now available! High quality Super 8 or
Regular 8 transfers to video tape.

A § Q
0 Redu[...]to Super-8mm
O Super-8mm to Super-8mm Duplication D
0 Blow-ups Super-8mm to 16mm

0 Magnetic Striping[...]F" L”
. . with MEL GIBSON - MARK LEE
0 Ca rt H d ge Load | n g Screenplay by DAVID WILLIAMSON o Fr[...]Melbournerepresentative.

:- ..
PETER WElR'S FILM OF

Dusty: Dusty ProdslKestrel Films, Aust[...]M.
Teuber, W. Germany, 990.00 rn, German Embassy

so That You can Live (16mm): Cinema Action, Britain,[...]16mm) (a): RKO, U.S., 1012.00 m,
National Library of Australia, S(i-I-)), V(i-l-j), Ofadult
theme)

Th[...]m institute, O(adult
concepts)

Legendary Weapons Of China: Shaw Bros, Hong
Kong, 2962.44 rn, Joe Siu[...]onika Voss: Laura/Tangol

Films examined in terms of the Customs (Cinematograph Figns) Regulations and[...]Prods P/L, L(f-m-/'), O(emotional
stress)

House Of Shadows (untitled): Not shown, Spain,
2715.57 m,[...]stitute, L(l-m-)'),
O(adult concepts)

The Plains Of Heaven (16mm): Seon Films, Australia,
855.66 rn,[...]Reel Films, O(adult concepts)

Filmways

1%

Who is The Killer: T. Chu, Taiwan, 2304.12 in, Golden
Re[...]80 m, Grand Film Corp. P/L, V(f-mg)

in The Realm Of The Senses (reconstructed English
language versio[...]s, O(sexual violence)

The Knockouts (videotape): D. Stark, U.S., 53 mins,
intercontinental Video P/L[...]m-g)

Teenage Sex Kitten (reconstructed version) (d): Super
Bitch Prods, U.S., 164580 in, AZ. Assoc.[...]re-coded V(f-m-g)
after 60 seconds were removed. Soofof Review”
(c) Previously shown on January 1978 Li[...]an Lavarima — A Tribute To Bukbuk (16mm):
Inst. of PNG Studios Film Unit, PNG, 1481.00 rn,
Commonwea[...]ecs)

Reason for deletions: O(sexua/ exploitation of a minor)
The Pussycat Ranch (reconstructed versio[...]("For Restricted Exhibition") and “Films
Board of Review".

Films Board of Review

Chopstix (reconstructed pre—censor cut[...]register by the Film
Censorship Board.

Decision of the board: Uphold the decision of the Film
Censorship Board.

Concluded on p[...]

Its a film that passes with flying So ifyou’ve got the creative
colours as far[...]

Synopsis: A suspense thriller horror film of a
night watchman who spends his last shift in a
d[...]two
men are insane, three men are dead and
there is blood everywhere.

ELDORADO PARK[...]ardrobe. Christine Johnson
Standby props ..Christ|na Pozzan
Publicity. .'Jennie Crowley
Catering Krist[...]er 16

Synopsis: A contemporary comedy. The
story of a young urban "bushranger"
fighting for survival[...]r
affections on the egotistical Jonathon Crow.
it is. however. only through her ebullient
and warm-hea[...]nd emerges from obsession to
a real consciousness of sexuality and love.

GETTING ON[...]. . . . . . . . ..35mm
Shooting stock .Eastmanco|or

Syn opsls: The story of four ageing classical
musicians who by accident b[...]style they have only read about, now they re
pan of it.

CINEMA PAPERS December — 55]

MOLLY

Prod.[...]enzie ( .
Synopsis: A gentle comedy about the end of
the world.

OUTPOST
.... ..Don Sharp
Bern[...]zy comedy set in Sydney in
1942. At the beginning of the year the
Americans were welcome saviours. By[...].. ..Bob Ellis,

Maurice Murphy
Based on the book of

verse by .... .. ...C. J. Dennis
Prod. desi[...]: A romantic comedy based on C.
J. Dennis’ book of verse in which a rough-
tough Australian is unafraid of sentimental
feelings.

SILVER CITY

Limelight Pro[...].35mm
Shooting stock. ..Eastmancoior
Synopsis: it is 1949. A young woman, Nina,
arrives in Australia from Europe. She is all
alone in the world. She finds herself in a
huge migrant camp, Silver City. She is drawn
to a young fellow Pole, Julian, but he is
married and has a child. They have a secret
love affaire, while experiencing the culture
shock of late-1940s Australia.

STREET STORY
..Heien Boyd[...]nny and Maddy, a boy and girl
from opposite sides of the track. Strangers
who find something as innocent and
inspiring as love in a world that is rapidly
going to hell.

STRIKEBOU[...]ps . , e miners in the small
South Gippsland town of Korumburra
barricaded themselves in the main shaft of
the Sunbeam colliery. demanding better pay
and conditions. Their story is that of the
Australian Labor Movement in the 1930s.

THE WINDS OF JARRAH

Prod. company ................. ..Fi|m Corporation
of Western Australia
Producers ............................ ..Mark Egerton,

Film Corporation
of Western Australia

Director ....... .. ....Mark E[...]es.

Synopsis: Will Abra Cadabra thwart the
plans of rotten B. L. Z'Bubb and nasty Klaw,
the Rat King, to control all of the known and
unknown universe? Of course he will, with
the help of beautiful Primrose Buttercup.
Mr. Pig and Zodiac[...]BUDDIES

Prod. company. ..... ..J D Prods
Producer.. .John Dingwall
Director... ..Arc[...], Bushwackers Band (Band).

Synopsis: A re—make of the film made in
1947 starring Chips Rafferty, Bush
Christmas is an adventure involving a group

oilteenagers in pursuit of two would-be horse
thieves.

CAREFUL, HE MIGHT HE[...]AND
PRODUCTION
COMPANIES

To ensure the accuracy of your
entry, please contact the editor of
this column and ask for copies of
our Production Survey blank, on
which the details ofofor by their agents.
Cinema Papers cannot, therefore.
accept responsibility for the
correctness of any entry.[...]tie).

Synopsis: Set in Sydney in the 1930s, this is
the poignant story of a small boy caught up
in a bitter custody battle[...]........ .. ...Jo Weeks
Prod_ucer’s assistant ..Di Holmes
Casting ............ .. Alison Barr[...]

I ....PeterWest
ruce Haswell

Stunts co-ordina or
Still photography.

Best boy.. .Matt Slattery
Pub[...]ple
the tug-boat, Platypus, and put her owner
out of business, are thwaned by young deck-

hand, Jim Mason, who is anxious to clear
himself of suspicion of the sabotage.

PRISONERS
Prod. company . . . . .[...]r, Mark Lee, Ralph Cotterill.
Synopsis: The story of a strange love affairs
in a world of young outsiders living on the
edge.

THE SETTLEME[...]rtin), Lorna Lesley (Joycie), Tony Barry
(Crowe), Ka Wild (Mrs Crowe), Alan Cassell

(Lohan), Elaine C[...]use
in an abandoned mining shack on the
outskirts of a small country town in the
mid-'50s. The scandal[...]solve
to move them on, but the situation gets out of
hand.

AWAITING RELEASE

BROTHERS

Prod. comp[...]oy Harries-Jones
insurance/Completion
guarantors .Ha|liday & Nicholas

.. ...Bosie Vine-Miller[...]ill),

Synopsis: Two brothers escape the
massacre of five tellow Australian news-
men in Asia, but the[...]ealand town as they try to escape the holo-
caust of their nightmares.

THE[...]up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Kirsten Vessy,
Di Biggs

Wardrobe .. . . . . .. ..Rose Chong
Ward.[...]goes on in an Australian clinic for the
treatment of venereal disease.

Length . .
Gauge

THE DARK ROO[...]ing (Bob Henning).
Synopsis: A contemporary story of sexual
rivalry and obsession: of lost youth and
false manhood. A triangle w[...]

DOT AND SANTA CLAUS
(Further Adventures of Dot and the

Kangaroo)

Prod. company . . . . . .[...]oss Higgins.

Synopsis: The continuing adventures of Dot
and her search for the missing Joey. Dot
meet[...]e).

Synopsis: A psychological thriller, its plot is
a mystery of manipulation and double-
deaiing about the elegan[...]Christina Stirling, her urbane, successful
man—of-the-world husband, Peter, a
daunting, sensuous yo[...]. . . . . . . . . .. Julia Overton
Unit manager Di Nicholas
Prod. secretary ....Beiinda Mason
Prod.[...]or (Paul
Sloane).

Synopsis: A suburban community is bliss-
fully unaware that a killer stalks the str[...]se two ele-
ments come together to form the basis of
this mystery-thriller.

FIGHTING BACK

Prod. comp[...]y
Based on the novel by ....John Embling
Director of
photography . . . . . . . . . . . . .. John Seale[...]-ordlnator ...Carolynne Cunningham
Prod. manager .Su Armstrong
Location manager . . . .. ...Tony Wlnle[...]. secretary . . . . . . . . . . ..Gai Steele
W3’d"°b9, » R°byn Schuurmans Prod. accountant .. A[...]t construction ...Hans Theiie tan Gilmour
A55‘ 9d'l°l , - ~ - ~ ~ Cathy Sheehafi Camera operator[...]. . . ..June 1982

disturbed 13 year-old boy. Tom is written
off as a delinquent by most adults until[...]ut. Eddie
Coogan, his rival, has other ideas and, of
course, there's Tiger Kelly to contend with.[...]d),
Ian Nimmo (John).

Synopsis: "The iron tongue of midnight
hath to|I'd twelve. Lovers, to bed: "us almost
fairy t[...]able gross play hath
well beguiled The heavy gate of night.
sweet friends. to bed."

GOODBYE PA[...]

SYDNEY:

1 Giffnock Avenue,
Nor[...]Melbourne.Victoria.3051
Tel: 329 5155.

There_ is always
something new and
exciting at Sammies.

Th[...]rendon Street,
ARTARMON NSW 2064 Call Don Balfour or Oscar Scherl

Phone: (02) 439 6144 to impr[...]

John Burnis
Director of photography .....Dean Semler
Sound recordlst . .[...].
these two remarkable women ruled the
underworld of sly-grog shops. gambling
houses. prostitution and[...]woman. looking after
her sister's house while she is away on loca-
tion, is unaware that her sister and the care-
taker have been murdered. The murderer
returns to kill the woman. and so begins a
battle of wits.

MIDNITE SPARES[...]John Godden (Chris the Rat).
Synopsis: The story of young people. their
Sunshine City car ‘culture’. the motor
speedway and the criminal world of car-part
stealing.

MOVING[...]opsis: Two turbulent adolescent weeks
in the life of st teenage migrant ltalian boy
living in Melbourn[...]cept his ltalian
background. and start a new kind of life.

hopefully one more step towards matur[...]Shooting stock . . . . . . . . . . . . .Eastmanco|or

Cut: Aileen Britton (Miss Markham). Henri
Szeps[...]ldren.

NEXT OF KIN

Prod. companies . . . . . . . .. The Film Ho[...]lle Steel
.Photography . Don McAipine
Supervising so
recordlst . Kevin Kearney
Sound recordlst[...]

Synopsis: The story of a stylish Sydney
boutique owner and her husband.[...]e a perfect relationship.
However, their marriage is shattered when
he is accused of rape after a casual indis-
cretion one afternoon[...]world which has made
him an outcast.

THE PLAINS OF HEAVEN

Prod. company . . . . . . . . Seon F[...]lite relay
station on the Bogong High Plains, one of
Australia's most isolated and haunting land-
scapes. Each is obsessed in his own way,
and the film follows the working out of these
obsessions in the men's responses to the
vast and elemental landscape of the plains
of heaven.

THE RETURN OF CAPTAIN

INVINCIBLE
Producer Andrew Gaty[...]s Management
Assoc. producer . . . . . . .. Brian D. Burgess
Unit manager Warwick Ross
Prod. secret[...]. . .. Sue Faithful
Security . . . . . .. .Worma|d international
Equipment supplies . . Samueisons
i[...]Wendy Chapman
.....Peter Layard

Pro'd. assistants . . . . . . . . ..Sean Mcclory,

Fion[...]eter Sumner (Mr
Dimltros), Flon Haddrick (Speaker of Parlia-
ment), John Ewart (Minister for immigra-[...]hdown).
Synopsis: A young girl taking photographs
of her pet cockatoo is prevented from
leaving a lonely island by an ille[...]pread search, she manages to escape
with the help of a boy scout Sympathetic to
the immigrants problem[...]. . . . . . . .. Christopher Piowrlght

Director of animation... Athol Henry

Music . . . . . . . .[...]ick, Shane Porteous.
Synopsis: The poignant story of a young
child, orphaned by war, and her struggle to
survive. it is representative of the plight of
children In war-torn countries and acts as
the voice of all children against the suffer-
ing and hardships imposed by all wars.

A SLICE OF LIFE[...]ng man goes into hospital
for the routine removal of a cyst and finds
that he gets more than he[...]

th[...]rt Cameron.

THE YEAR OF
LIVING DANGEROUSLY
Prod. company . . . . . . . .[...]vice journalist, arrives in
Jakarta during a time of political upheaval.
There he is befriended by an enigmatic
Australian Asian, Bill[...]e
becomes increasingly Involved with the
politics of the country and with Jill Bryant,
an English Emba[...]e fil lishes the affec-
tionate and gentle nature of kangaroos. it
goes on to s eak of the kangaroo industry
and cruelty. onservationists talk of cruelty,
hunters admit to such vile acts, then we see
such acts on film. The meat and fur industry
is discussed and some debate entered into.
Richard Anderson (Oscar Goldman of the
American series The Bionic Woman and
The Six[...]... .. ..Post-production