Cinema Papers no. 37 April 1982 (2025)

OCR

recorder has completed the
film/Video circle. Film conversion to tape has
b[...]ited for a quality tape—to—film conversion.

The major feature of the CTR—3 is the
high resolution three—tube display system with
its associated dichroic optics. This assures the
elimination of the raster line structure without
any sacrifice to resolution. When this is
combined with the quality of Eastmancolor
film from Kodak, the color saturation and
color balance are perfect.

The impact of all this is the coming
together of the film and video laboratories.
Now a job can be shot on film, have all the
optical and titles done on tape and be released
on film.

The potential is unlimited and the time
saving enormous. At Videolab we are proud
to be the first to introduce it to Australia.”

Peter Bowlas;
General Manager, Videolab.
(A Division of the Colorfilm Group)

{ Kodak Motion Picture[...]

. . . You’[...]ii‘ L_ / A couple of years ago
, -- V I ';-I ' the wctorian Film Corporation opened
the Melbourne Film Studio.
To begin with, it was not[...]e, but what a relief to
be able to work free from the weather, flight paths
and the neighbourhood dog.

fime saved.

Money saved.

A[...]Burstall or Geoff Burrowes.

On April ’| 1982, the \/EC. will open Phase 2.
Together with the existing sound stage, it will be
the best plug—in production complex in this oountry[...]ully equipped kitchen where your caterer can
have the moming tea scones hot before you've
rolled the first shot.

The Wctorian Film Corporation underwrites this
projec[...]that won't break
your budget. Book early

before the new financial year scramble.
Call the Wctorian Film Corporation on

(03) 329 703[...]

Meet tomorrow's deadlin[...]

New Gevacolor 682 ap[...]Head Office, P. O. Box 48,
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Features

The Quarter
Obituary

Fred Harden
Production Survey[...]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 for this magazine. neither the Editors nor
the Publishers accept any liability for loss or damag[...]may not be
reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of the copyright owner. Cinema Papers is
publishe[...]

The Australian Writers’ Guild’s 15th
Annual Awgie[...]ced on March 4 in
Adelaide. Peter Welch reports:

The awards were presented by the
State Minister for the Arts, Murray Hill,
and the guest of honor, Professor
Manning Clark, A.C., to writers in 13
categories, with the winner for an Origi-
nal Work for the Stage. Flon Elisha for
Einstein, also winning the major Awgie
Award for Outstanding Work.

The awards were announced after
the dinner in the opulent Victorian sur-
roundings of Edmund Wright House
with the Musica de Camera Quartet
(harpsichord, two recorders and viola
da gamba) playing baroque music
throughout the evening.

Master of ceremonies was Adelaide
playw[...]ge, whose latest
work, Percy and Rose, centred on the
relationship of Australian composer
Percy Grainge[...]ng Dennis Olsen and Daphne
Grey, was premiered at the 1982
Adelaide Festival of Arts.

Names of the winners in each cate-
gory, together with brief b[...]credits (where known), follow:

Original Work for the Stage and winner
of the major Awgie Award: Ron
Elisha, Einstein.

Einstein is Ron's second produced
play. It was presented by the Mel-
bourne Theatre Company in 1981 and
has just completed a season at the

Category:

Children's Roger Dunn
Adaptation

Doc[...]and, A.C.T., Western Aus-
tralia, New Zealand and the Lyric
Theatre, London. Faber and Faber
(London) have made an offer to publish
the play.

Ron E|isha’s other produced play
was In Duty Bound, presented by the
Melbourne Theatre Company in two
seasons in 1979-[...]IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Major changes to the Australian Film
Awards were recently announced by
the organizing body, the Australian
Film Institute. The industry has not ac-
cepted them quietly. Scott Murray
reports:

The AFI could have had little idea
what shock waves it would send
through the film industry with its
announcement of the rules governing
the 1982 Awards. The controversy
centres on changes to the judging of
feature film entries by the introduction
of a pre-selection jury.

The Issues

In 1976, the then executive director
David Roe abandoned the long-held

So You're Getting a
Divorce

No Names No Pack
Drill

Two Men Running

The Sullivan;
(episodes 907/8)

Winter oi Our
Dr[...]m professionals viewed each film
before voting in the category or cate-
gories of their expertise (e.g.[...]o voted with AF!
members (full and associate) for the
Best Film Award.

Some years later, the procedure was
changed and all voters had to be
members of the AFI, which now has an
open membership.

This year, with no forewarning, the
judging system was changed again.
Due to what the AF! feared would be an
avalanche of entries (35 being the
figure quoted), it decided to pre-select
the features down to a “manageable”
level. The proposal was that a "com-
mittee of eminent film[...]a
pre-selection procedure does not
in itself mean the final number of
films up for voting will be less than
the number of features entered. Of
course, some films[...]lect them
out. But what if one of those films
had the best sound editing in
years: the jury would be obliged to
nominate that film for c[...]Has written documentaries for
several years with the
Tasmanian Film Corporation
and Film Australia. Writing Pals,
a children's television series for
the TFC.

Dorothy Hewitt Golden Valley Chapel Perilous. Man from
Mukinupin. Her latest play is in
the Perth Festival.

Bob Herbet

Elizabeth Jolley

Adapted from his stage play
which was produced by the
Sydney Theatre Company in
1980.

A radio writer f[...]Among her other radio credits
are: Night Fleport, The
Performance. Shepard on the
Roof and Woman in a
Lampshade.

David was co-writer of the
feature film Breaker Moran!
and directed the television
series A Town Like Alice.

Luis Ba[...]Writer of screenplays for My
Brilliant Career and The
Getting of Wisdom, plus the
television series Water Under
the Bridge.

Previous writing credits include
Case, a[...]uited, starring Steve
Speers.

Wrote and directed the feature
film Month to Mouth, directed
Dimboola and has just finished
directing the feature Far East,
starring Bryan Brown.

Monte Miller Award tor an Unproduced Script by an Associate of the Guild: Shared by Julia Britton for her stage play[...]and Christopher Kennedy for his original teleplay The End of the Course.

(iii) There is also the problem, seen at
many past Awards, of landsliding
one film at the expense of others.
Because one film is so superior to
the rest in many ways, there is a
tendency among vote[...]lil-
poli (in 1981), however deser-
vedly, sweeps the pool. This has
happened in open voting, and it is[...]set.

(iv) Perhaps most important, how-
ever, is thethe old film
board argument: if a person is
talented[...]judgments.
Even if a jury can be found, there
is the question of prejudice. Will it
favor mainstream c[...]s?
Would, for instance, last year's
Wrong Side of the Road make it
past a pre-selection jury? If it
didn't, it would be the AFl's —- and
the industry's — loss, to say
nothing of the filmmaker's.

In short, the arguments against a
pre-selection seem overwhelming. The
only argument in its defence is that the
number of films to be screened will be
unmanageable. But it is a false
argument.

The closing date for finished prints
is, as of writing, May 21. This was the
date all producers and industry people
have been working to, and the one on
the application forms.

The number of films eligible for entry
appears to be[...]a major
release (three weeks or more). This
means the maximum number of films
needing a screening is 23. In 1977, the
AFI showed 20 films.‘ Screening three
more film[...]ions. At
present, too many AFI members wait
until the Awards screenings before
seeing a film (free). Su[...]on-
ment — at a cinema with a paying
audience.

The Furore

When the 1982 application forms
were mailed and news of the changes
reached the industry, there was a
sudden, almost violent, rea[...]IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

The untimely death of assistant
director Chris Maudson, 36, from a
brain tumor saddened the Australian
feature film industry. Chris had worked
on some 12 feature films‘ in the
capacity of assistant director, special-
izing in the difficult area of organizing
actors for their appearance before the
cameras. His special quality was to give
actors the feeling that he cared about
them as people, and t[...]ut them at ease
as they prepared to appear before the
cameras.

Chris was the link between the often
slow progress on the set and the impa-
tient performers psyched up and ready
to do[...]en getting irritable
about waiting. But Chris was the kind of
person with whom it was very difficult to[...]ny makeshift green rooms of
yet more delays, even the emotional
grandstanders found it hard to vent
their spleen on him and the production
he represented.

Chris was likewise given the often
onerous task of ringing the production
office and giving producers and
production managers the news that the
day’s shooting was going into over-
time. His voice had a slight stammer, a
disarming weapon that brought the
news about the complicated shot that
was just about to be completed and the
couple of quick close-ups to follow up
in no time at all and wrap up the day.
Even when you knew he was talking
about thre[...]Lombard, and went on to give me plot
summaries of the likes of Easy Living
and Born Yesterday.

The last job Chris worked on was
casting for the forthcoming television
series on the Whitlam years. His know-
ledge of actors and cinema gave Chris
the perfect qualifications for the job of
casting, and I believe that had he lived
Chris would have found this to be his
perfect position in the film industry.

About 400 people attended Chris’

1. Chris Maudson‘s credits: The Tres-
passers, Newsfront, A Town Like Alice,
Long[...]k,
Hoodwink, Fighting Back, Touch and Go.
Barney, The Chain Reaction and Stir.

funeral. The line-up included directors
Phil Noyce, Gill Armst[...]illiams and Melody
Cooper.

Bryan Brown delivered the funeral
oration, which began:

"In December 1976,[...]nnan, and
was introduced to 161 Victoria St.
Over the next five years, I partici-
pated in countless di[...]re today, I know, share a
similar experience.

“The hospitality and camaraderie
existing at Chris and[...]ss director
through a bad stretch.

“To walk up the stairs and be
faced by Chris sitting at the table
always beaming and saying ‘Hi’
made you[...]enthusiasm to be around people
never waned."

On the set of Far East, work stopped
and cast and crew stood on the roof of
the ageing Supreme Studios where
associate producer J[...]ce for Chris.

I believe Chris Maudson maintained
the balance between actors and tech-
nicians better than anyone else in the
industry. I appreciate the contribution
that he made to my three features and I
wish so much that we had him on the
next one. Chris is survived by his 10-
year-old daughter Samantha, who has

appeared in many of the films he
""°"‘°d °”~ — David Elfick
Bill Bain

For many, Upstairs, Downstairs and
The Duchess of Duke Street typify
excellence in British television drama.
The leading director for both series was
Bill Bain, a[...]ain
soon turned to acting and then direc-
tion at the Australian Broadcasting
Commission, where he handled child-
ren's programs, sheep dog trials and

The Quarter

A R Y

the occasional light drama. in 1962, he
moved to Brit[...]pers W1 for
ATV. This was followed by episodes of
The Avengers, csllan, Public Eye, The
Rivals of Sherlock Holmes and Enemy
at the Door.

He had also directed the feature
What Became of Jack and Jill and
several television plays, including The
Importance of Being Earnest, Pretty
Polly, The Listener and Fathsr’s Help.

Bain returned briefly to Australia in
1978 to work at the Australian Film and
Television School. His role w[...]inter-
view in Cinema Papers‘ he said:

"One of the nice things about the
AFTS is that all the people I know in
the industry would have liked to
come here. We all ha[...]fire and are still pretending we know
more about the technical side than
we do. So I think that the more of us
who can make a contribution to this
place the better.

“Maybe I am idealistic, but I came

out gladly to do this job. I believe in

the potential talent this country has,
though what it[...]lace like this
where people can make mistakes on

the quiet and not have them thrown .

up on the television or film screen for

all of us to think[...]awful.’ "

Bill Bain was unquestionably one of
the world's finest television directors.
His episodes of Upstairs, Downstairs
and Callan stand with the best tele-
vision drama ever produced.

One of the pleasures, in fact. of a
series like Upstairs, Do[...]particular episode
was directed by Bill Bain. If the show
evoked genuine emotion without being
sentimental, if it managed to turn the
simplest linking scenes into magically-
charged moments, then Bain was
probably the director.

“One's concern is always to find the
reality of a script, to sniff out what the
dangers are likely to be. One must
ride very care[...]o go soggy on you . . .
“It is also a caring on the part of the
people who are working on a
program. If you do so[...]if you can
get a caringness going — a love for
the thing itself — then you will trans-
mit[...]

I just started writin[...]ch. So I jot
down things people say, and they
lay the seed for the scenes.

Once I have the rough arch-
itecture for a few scenes, I begin to
evolve a plot to accommodate the

Main photograph: Jo Kennedy as Jackie
Mullens[...]cLean and director Gillian Armstrong
make some on-the-spot script alterations.

Scott Murray talks[...]ing a flat with
someone you d0n’t like.

I see the character, then I hear
the character, and what I hear is the
spur to write. Most things are funny
simply becau[...]t for
her that Billy Wilder used a varia-
tion of the same gag in Some Like
It Hot.

CINEMA PAPE[...]

Inspiration comes from the
oddest quarters. One night in
London I went to a perfect produc-
tion of Chekhov’s Cherry Orchard
at the Riverside and he immed-
iately becamc my favorite[...]chard and their entire way of life
reminded me of the real pub people
I knew. They lost their pub, and the
loss of true location left them
ghost-like.

I can remember when the first
Australian films came out in
London, somebody said to me,
“The thing about you Australians is
you should stick t[...]culture at one end, Carlton
‘alternative’ at the other.

Perhaps our sense of isolation
gives us a morbid strain, but the
work seldom has the patches of
levity the Russians bring to their
morbid books or plays —[...]arts, which is bleak and sad, but
funny! That’s the thing: whenever
tragic things are happening in li[...]lack
comedy.

Given that many Australian films of
the early 1970s were comedies, why
did they stop being made? “Star-
struck” is the first comic film in a
while, except for “The Club” . . .

Well, to me, Don’s Party is one
of the best Australian films ever. In
that one David Wil[...]ting in Australia under-
valued?

Yes, because of the pretensions I
have been banging on about. The
Australian public has a highly
developed sense ofcomedy. We are
the only country which takes it
from all over the world, on tele-
vision. And yet the powers which
run entertainment (and that
includes the government) accord it
the kind of status you would give
junk food.

It happens in every arm of the
media. A great Aussie writer, Ross
Campbell, just died. He labored for
many years doing columns for the
Packer press. He wrote real things,
like the humiliation a father feels
when his kiddie says,[...]PAPERS

aspiring to seriousness just don’t
have the brains to attach value to
real talent like that. It doesn’t hide
behind a cause, but has the con-
fidence to be itself; it isn’t phoney.

But comedy will once again gain
prestige, as it had in the 1930s, with
columnists like Dorothy Parker
and Ro[...]here also, became a
very lowly-prized commodity. The
1970s brought back more apprecia-
tion for the craftsman. I’m glad.
Australia has a bit of money in
the kitty, so it tried to buy ‘art’ and
‘cultur[...]t is a very rare work. I suppose
Alvin Purple and the early comedies
were sort of awful; there was
some great stuff in the Barry
McKenzie films, but it was more
spot burlesque comedy. And the
public loved them.

I respect the real public, not the
culture vultures, because they dare
to like what[...]that fostered him, was it? In
developing talent, the culture

Australians seem compelled to
act out the role of ‘the artist’;
French-style. And the industry
itself hangs naive labels. For
instance,[...]truck? She is far too serious. She
could not have the sense of humor
to do Starstruck.” Can’t you b[...]nse of comedy?
People could not comprehend that
a woman (and I emphasise the sex)

O

S wphen Maelean

only $5 for a ticket. People in the
industry are concerned with their
future . . .

I[...]you are still rolling it, so
why be conservative? The basic
principle of rolling it is against that.
An[...]or
heightened quality about it, par-
ticularly in the pub scenes, which are
perhaps closer to most people’s
sense of reality than the pop culture
scenes. Was that the sort of style
you were going for?

Yes. That sub-[...]bout a dis-
appearing species. I am talking
about the Australians who had a
sniff of the Depression. They have a

,_p

,4)‘: ~.

.
.,- .[...]ight: Robbie and Jackie sing “Body and
Soul" in the Harbour View Hotel. Righr:
Angus, in the schoolroom, sings “Starsrruck".
Above: Jackie leads Angus, disguised as a
kangaroo to hide his youth, to the Lizard
Lounge. Starstruck.

could be serious a[...]a sense of humor.

As for myself, I have suffered the
reverse of that; because I might
crack a few gags[...]n think I’m not serious
about my work. That’s the Aus-
tralian culture climate, love. _

I find the Australian public is far
more adventurous than the people
who develop talent.

But the public has less at risk -

different point of vie[...]ey
are disappearing; we have been so
colonized by the U.S.

Starstruck is an odd form of
Americana syphoned through the
caustic Australian eye. Star-
struck’s form was created by many
American films before it. It is the
type of film which falls somewhere
between realit[...]her than real life. And Gill
Armstrong has struck the right note
here, whereby the people are
heightened, are leaning towards
caricature, but nevertheless
demand to be taken seriously. The
characters disengage themselves
from their backgrounds.

I relate Edna Everage to this, the
fine line between character and
caricature. Edna started out as a
satirical character within the
dramatic framework of Moonee
Ponds. As the years went by, people
began to think of Edna as a real
person.

This is tied to the sense of reality
Australian women bring to trans-[...]ing 20 years for a
basically female audience from the
suburbs, and they go and watch
these guys sort of[...]White went on to despair about a
certain type of woman who stifles
that wonderful feminine part to ape
the worst kind of male qualities.
They are often very[...]strong and tough, like
Pearl (Margo Lee) who runs the
pub in Starstruck. Edna is an
extreme of that type —— “Aus-
tra1ia’s answer to the Jewish
momma”, as Barry Humphries
billed himsel[...]r sad,
almost tragic, figure . . .

Sad?

Look at the way she is used by Lou
(Dennis Miller) . . .

I c[...]n given that, she still has to
accept him robbing the safe . . .

Oh, she is not prepared to accept
tha[...]used to covering for
men, in one way or another.

The heightened realism of the pop
sequences touches on styles used in
pop clips: for example, the ‘I Don’t
Like Mondays’ clip of The Boom-
town Rats. Was that a deliberate
influence?

The Starstruck theme song takes
place in a schoolroom[...]gus (Ross O’Donovan) goes to
school and much of the potential
audience will, too. The schoolroom
as a setting for pop might seem an
overworked location, but it is all
relative to the amount of time kids

- actually have to spend in[...]k that an audience will
bring to “Starstruck” the expecta-
tion of being thrilled in the way, say,
a~Devo clip thrills them?

Those thrill[...]ng. You
can use cutting to communicate
rhythm for the length of a clip, but
you have to use it sparingl[...].

But I think any of those songs
could lift from the film. This is how
I think an audience responds to[...]f musicals on television.
First, they get to like the song.
Second, they get to like someone in
the clip. They get to thinking about
maybe buying the record. Then
they want to go to Grease or what-
ever so they can see John and Olivia
do the songs bigger and louder than
on television.

So, with “Starstruck”, you have to
get people hooked on the music
first . . .

Absolutely. We have to get that

music out there and expose people
to the clips. Their response to the

CINEMA PAPERS April — I13

How involved were you in the choice
of musical numbers? Did you include
directives in the script?

Instinct told me where to place
them. When the songs were
obviously necessary to the plot, I
wrote them in first go. But I also
went over the script afterwards and
wrote in “song” in the sections
which would gain energy from the
mere infusion of a song. Even a
dramatic script can be likened to a
popular song in structure: there is
the opening chorus, the bridge, the
melody, the climax. It is the bridge
that most often lets a song down —
and a[...], which always
worried me and sent me running for
the popcorn. The only one like that
which really works is The Band-
wagon, largely because of the con-
ception of writers Adolf Green and
Betty Comden.

A Star Is Born was the first
musical I believed. Every musical
number ha[...]“No, let’s
just do what we feel like.” Take the
scene in the bar where Jackie (Jo
Kennedy) just starts singing “It’s
Not Enough”. I had always wanted
a ballad in the bar, because Ijust
loved it when Judy Garland was
jamming with the musos in her
film, and the James Mason charac-
ter comes in and sees her. Th[...]our girl
start singing. I think it works well,
in the end.

Did “A Star Is Born” influence the
structure of the film?

It would be great if Jackie
walked up and[...]Norman Main.” No, I do not think
it influenced the structure, just the
feeling.

I took the advice that writers get:
if you want to write a book, write
the kind of book that you would
want to read. But peo[...]want to look
dumb. I thought I would get down
to the kind of film I really love —
and it was A Star[...]ally blew me out. I
reasoned that if I could keep the
magic of that film with me while I
wrote Starstruck it would keep me
going.

So, Jackie became the Judy
Garland character on the way up.
The pub background became the
Norman Main character: the

In A Star Is Born Norman dies
and in Starstruck, which is a much
more simplistic piece, Jackie saves
the pub. That is the pantomime
aspect of it. I think pantomime fits
the form by the very nature of pop
music. I thought Breaking Glas[...]serious.

“Starstruck” reminds me greatly of
the pop musicals of the 1960s . . .

We are in the midst of a 1960s
revival, but it is more subtle t[...]uck, I
was working in London on a Fox
short about the mod revival. So I
set Starstruck in the 1960s mod
style, which was a mistake because
you should always remember
fashion is a wheel and the wheel
turns too quickly for films. David
Elfick [co-producer] then came up
with the shrewd and tough notion
that the period setting might be
seen as a crutch for the film. Aus-
tralians tend to art direct their films
rather than give them a good story.
So David thought the script had to
be made contemporary.

There is a feeling to Starstruck I
connect with British style pieces of
the 1960s: Smashing Time,
Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treat-
ment, Here We Go Round The Mul-
berry Bush.

I had dinner with Diana Melley,
and she mentioned that her
husband George wrote the dread-
ful Smashing Time, “which looked
so old-[...]we teenagers in Me]-
bourne loved it, because of the
time-gap between us and London.”
We all went an[...]ossiness which
Australia still feels. Relative to the
rest of the world, we have more to
be optimistic about. Those films
had a kind of screwball fun which
suited the Australian sensibility,
and, even if they maybe weren’t the
greatest films in the world, Aus-
tralians were quick to pick up the
satire.

Look at Can’t Stop The Music.
That film did no business anywhere
in the world whatsoever. It is a
terrible film, but it is pure anarchy
and a big joke on The Gang’s All
Here and all those Twentieth
Century-Fox musicals. Aus-
tralians, apart from the clever sell
that Alan Carr gave it here, got the
joke, whereas the Americans did
not have the sense of humor to get
it. We got the joke about the Here
We Go Round the Mulberry Bush-
type of films better than anybody.[...]attuned sense of humor. That

Given that at times the film gets into

. . . . . r ‘
alcoholic on the slide down whose comes from being a Comblrlatlon[...]nglish, who are Top: Jackie and Robbie, leader of The sendmg up mummy groups _e'g"

another era. That pub became a thethe pool _
person to me. tence, one way or ano[...]

What about the scene where Jackie
is disappointed because her go[...]at?” Given Jackie’s obvious dis-
appointment, the line has the ring of
trying to play fair . . .

Almost every woman, however
sophisticated, instinctively does not
like finding out that the man of
her affections is gay. That person
being gay cuts her out on the sexual
level, which is a very large level to
be c[...]eady been done. But I did not
quite keep track of the re-writes,
and the actor playing the part, John
O’May, who had seen an earlier
draft[...]e.”

It was one of those situations
where I did the re-write to accom-
modate a different situation. When
it was a period script, the kids went
to The Purple Onion, which was a
famous club in Sydney,[...]ho
looks exactly like Pearl.

There is a scene in the dressing room

of a television station where Jack[...]Sybylla speech in “My Brilliant
Career”. But the disaster of the
show teaches her the importance of
other people in her life. Were you
commenting on the problems of per-
sonal independence?

Starstruck[...]d girls and boys
are usually pretty selfish.

But the structure does lead people to
assume she has been[...]was ‘right’ for
her character as presented to the
public.

Performers rarely know what is

Stephen MafLean

good for them. Mae West is one of
the few in the history of show-
business who knew everything
abo[...]Jackie did not have it for
herself; she just had the ambition.

You will find that relationship
through the history of show-
business from time immemorial,
a[...]ser, Judy Garland has her
thug.

Basically, I saw the script as a
love story between Angus and
Jackie, a kind of Les enfants
terribles. The way the film played is
different, because, quite naturall[...]with which to hang on to her.

Gill came up with the idea that
Angus should mature at the end
and find his own girl; he is about to
go off[...]hl”, because I thought of
Saturday Night Fever, the story of
which I loathed. John Travolta
treats all the girls like slobs, then
we are supposed to believe he has
opted for ‘maturity’ at the end
because he aspires to a half-assed,
middle-cl[...]rectors are very suspicious of
writers and expect the worst from
them. But I am not by nature a
writer[...]every point you
win you lose one.

Gill came into the piece quite
late, but she hardly changed the
script. She did fix a hole, however,
and add the finishing touch of
Angus meeting the gum—chewing
girl.

l. Australian Pent[...]

“I was the only person who’d
associate with the producers.”
Sorry it’s an old gag.

Initially[...]usic break-
downs, had lunch with publishers,
put the net out. I’d talk to the Art

116 — April CINEMA PAPERS

Above: Jackie and The Wombats steal the
show at the New Year’s Eve concert. Right.’
Jackie goes t[...]wrote his stuff in short,
staccato sentences — the Jewish
kind of talking. Ross O’Donovan
naturall[...]is first part; I would have
liked to have adapted the lines to
him.

But when you hit upon a director,[...]dience did you have
in mind?

From nine to 18. If the film
takes, it may then wash into the
broader audience that in the old
days used to trot along and see My
Fair Lady.[...]w.

What projects are you working on?

I am doing The Lee Gordon
Story about the eccentric Amer-
ican promoter who sort of colon-
ized Australia during the 1950s.
But that is tough; I haven’t for-
mulate[...]writing a script I call
“Eddie and Katoots”. The two
leads are a kid, because I like
writing about them, and an over-
the-hill model who suddenly has to
do something with her life because
the beauty ideal has changed to 16-
year-olds like Br[...]onnected to, Intermission, by
Anne Baxter. She is the actress who
won a few Oscars, then went “B”.
It is basically a love story, about
her four years spent in the Austra-
lian bush. Harry M. Miller now
owns the rights to it.

I saw Anne Baxter in New York
and talked to her about it. I think it
could be one of the few genuine
opportunities one has to show Aus-
tralia to the American perspective.
Our tie with the U.S. on every level,
intrigues and disturb[...]

Monkey Grip[...]on, for producer Patricia Lovell, and is based
on the no vel by Helen Garner.

Noni Hazlehurst a[...]

The thing that was the turning
point in my life, that brought it all
tog[...]chool, and was about
to go on to university, when the
ABC offered me a part in a tele-
vision serial th[...]part series
for children, which was later sold to
the BBC, which repeated it a couple
of years ago. As[...]getting love-letters from 18-year-
old boys.

Did the opera provide you with the
inspiration to go on to “Band-
stand”?

I did not actually sing in the

opera. The ABC used to do operas
with actors miming opera singers’
voices. It was Hansel and Gretel.
the full Humperdinck opera.
Marilyn Richardson was my[...]h led to
me being offered a recording
contract at the same time as Billy
Thorpe. He recorded Poison Ivy[...]ning for actors?

I am all for it. I did not have the
regulation two years at the
National Institute of Dramatic
Artists (NIDA), bu[...]itzpatrick and
Judy Morris. I fluked some work at
the Old Tote and found myself with
the same actors and workshops and
classes that they had, for in those
days the NIDA students used to be
understudies for all the produc-
tions at the Old Tote.

Kate Fitzpatrick always reminds
me that the first time she went on
stage she was my understudy. I had
lost my voice when I was doing
Peter Pan in the daytime, and The

Interviewed by Tom Ryan

School Mistress at n[...]didn’t you just mime her voice?

Because it was the same day that
a broken rope made me fall five
metres to the floor. That was awful,
but it gave me one of my better ad
libs. I dragged myself to my feet
and told the world, “Even fairy dust
isn’t foolproof.”

Do you have a preference for stage
work over the other areas of
performance?

No, because film is[...]front of an audience. I sang for
25,000 people at the Myer Music
Bowl earlier this year — it was
wonderful. You don’t often get
that, but the 1700 at Her Majesty’s
for They're Playing Our S[...]udiences that responses
vary so much, even though the
performance remains constant. I
think that is a c[...]You can hear every gasp and sigh
— you can feel the tensions. Don’t
tell me I am imagining it.

No.[...]imarily bred in theatre,
how important for you is the limita-
tion on rehearsal time in television?

Tr[...]n a very regimented way. We
started rehearsals on the Monday,
and went through to Saturday from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. On the
Saturday we rehearsed all day, and
then the audience came in and we
recorded it that night.[...]dozens of
Homicides, Division 4s and
Matlocks in the early stages of my
career, I have develope[...]

imagine people who have only had
the luxury of working on film, or in
subsidized thea[...]aining ground.‘

I haven’t done a soapie like The
Restless Years or The Young
Doctors, but I have heard that they
can be[...]es down.
because I have such a lot of respect
for the people who work behind the
scenes on them. But that 15 not
the kind of work I want to go into
now.

Can you iden[...]ing seems to occur between
heavy jobs. But one of the biggest
influences on me was Judi Dench,
who is just about my favorite
actress, playing Perdita in The
Winter's Tale. It was in 1970. in a
performance by the Royal Shake-
speare Company, for whom she had
also played Viola in Twelfth Night.
Despite the fact that I had been an
actress for eight years,[...]merge it
completely, like Alec Guinness
does. But the example that Judi
Dench set provided a great turn[...]No. I never want to either,
because to me one of the best things
about my work is doing as many
differ[...]characters in a year,
rather than being stuck in the one.

Your ability to take and make a

It is the usual obvious things that
you learn at drama scho[...]g; I am very ordered
that way.

How important are the lines as they
have been written?

I would rather[...]ne sound good. I see
a bad script as a challenge. The
script is something you can get
around, I think,[...]und a
script if you can act.

Do you ever dislike the characters
you play, or do you always have to
fi[...]lot of drama teachers say you
should try to like the person you’re
playing. That is often difficult,[...]Lady Macbeth loved her
husband very much, and any
woman who did that must have
something right about her.[...]others up
in a crisis . . .

I don’t know about the tuck-shop
mothers. A tuck-shop mother at
school u[...]as
cute as a hatful of razor blades.”

Outside the tuck-shop and your
pram, though, I think my first[...]nd of neurosis
that seems to hover around many of
the characters you play, like Joan in
“Trial by Mar[...].

I think with Joan it is more a
psychosis. But the character I have

been playing for two years Il0W[...]love with a
sailor who makes her pregnant; it is
the 1930s and the poor girl has to
get an abortion. She has such an[...]category of characters you seem to
play: that of the victim. Like thethe kind of
hostility a woman (or a man, too)
can feel towards her baby. I foun[...]to a baby. It was
a great ordeal.

I really love the wife in Petersen.
I styled her on someone very cl[...]character rang very true to
me. Yet, I still have the occasional
woman coming up and saying I
have done a great damage to the
cause of feminism by playing a
woman who is downtrodden like
that. I think that is ver[...]appropriate to those roles?

Probably, yes —— the “vulner-
able‘, lovable thing”. I think I a[...]that too. They
wanted people to like her but, if the
woman had been a bit less sym-
pathetic, the character balance
would have been off. If she had[...]ll; I am just
sitting down.

I think that is what the appeal
was. I know that the scene in the
first series in the restaurant where I
beat up the waiter is very funny:
suddenly two grown men who[...]ona seems too aggressive for
that, too strong for the malw you
would have to play opposite?

Really’? That’s great! I am told
that one of the most appealing
things about me is that I am so
bo[...]o play Viola in Twelfth
Night, which of course is the one
where she is disguised as a boy.

I guess I h[...]hing vivacious and brilliant,
and I am not that.

The press is not all that bad, but I
still get idiot[...]eat not to

care whether people like you. That
is the best way to deal with the
press when you are an actor, I
think, because then it will never get
in the way of your work.

But the press has been, in one sense,
very kind to you .[...]have had,
every time I have been misquoted.

But the articles that were written
about you while you we[...]ink
maybe he is brighter than you’d
thought. On the other hand, more
soberingly, comes the thought that
perhaps he is wrong, after all.

The advertising industry generally
seems to find your[...]t of your control?

Not altogether. I always have the
power to say no, and I do knock
back a couple of[...]g seems interesting to me, I will

do it — like the Mad Max 2
advertisement. I think they asked
me to[...]ements. In fact, I hate
them. But I don’t think the Mad
Max 2 one will do me any harm. I
defy anyone to take me to the
Trade Practices people and claim
that what I said was misleading.

So, it is the product that controls
your choice here . . .

Yes[...]ver voice)”.
I said, “Why did you put this in the
script?” and they said, “We
thought you wouldn’t be available.
We were told at the last minute you
were, and that was the script we
were going to use.”

We had just started recording,
when they stopped the tape and
said, “No, no, no! That’s not it.”[...]you mean —
that’s not it? This is it. This is the
Jacki Weaver voice.” We got by,
but what they w[...]ou must come under a lot of pres-
sure to promote the film you are
in . . .

Yes. It is really hard work —

harder than making the actual film.
You really have to be pleasan[...]

the time. You press a button and
then you become a charming,
interesting person. That is the best
sort of publicity the film can get,
and you want the film to do well
because it means more work for
yo[...]are just com-
pletely incapable of doing so.

On the other hand, the press
often uses situations like that to get
at y[...]e of days every so often
when I want to get under the
blankets and just stay there, but
generally speak[...]n one day
recently and every one of them
broached the subject of my
personal life. If you are in a suff[...]een an interviewer myself.
For a year I worked on the Wil-
lesee program, and learned a lot
from that a[...]e they thought I
would be a good interviewer, but
the only way they could have
known that was because I[...]ter-
views, I think. But I got a lot of flak
from the press for that too, because

a lot of them jealou[...]knew that I had to be light and,
because most of the people I inter-
viewed were charming, pleasant
and agreeable and I was giving
them the same sort of feedback, it
made for an interesting[...]scussion. There were areas

Dolly (Jacki Weaver), the brothel madame,
and Piggatt (Michael Long), the puritan cop.
Squizzy Taylor, directed by Kevin Do[...]cut it
all out.

Do you find any problems being a
woman in what is still essentially a
male industry?

No[...], say, a businesswoman in
advertising, my being a woman
might well hold me back. But in my
particular wor[...]that I did so little in it. I
did lots more than the release print
shows.

A lot of my stuff hit the floor,
and Peter Weir, who is such a kind
soul, said to me, “The reason your
stuff isn’t there is not because it[...]ful place.
That is a film I most enjoyed just
for the atmosphere, just for being in
It.

I like working[...]s
good, too. I have a favorite story
connected to the opening scene in
Petersen, which people who have[...]ed to lay music over it.
He was calling down from the
camera encouraging me: “All right
darlin[...]

iGeneral Franco’s Falangist army

defeated the Republican armies,

ending the Spanish Civil War and
beginning nearly 40 years o[...]ways had a history of
repressive government, with the establishment of
the infamous tribunal of the Spanish Inquisition
in 1480, a body which functioned spasmodically
into the 1800s, after its initial burst of purges,
eliminating religious heretics and generally
seeing to the morals of the country.

Likewise, the Junta Superior de Censura
Cinematografica (Suprem[...]ps even before Franco came to power,
served after the victory as a way of supervising
the morals and attitudes of the country. It recog-
nized the potential power of the nascent film
industry and set to work to use it as a vehicle to
consolidate the victory by producing national-
istic, reactionary and propagandist cinema.
Typical of films produced at the time was Raza
(Race), made in 1940, directed by Jose Luis
Saenz de Heredia (who was to become the chief
director for the Franquist regime) and written by
Franco under a p[...]this period, many intellectuals and
artists fled the country, rather than stay and try
to work under i[...]s. Saura was one
of those who grew up under them. The years of
the Republic from 1931-1936 had seen the rapid
growth of the Spanish film inclustrv. with the

-at

duction of the first talkies.
Censorship laws and other prohibit[...]nmental bodies under

Franco were responsible for the cessation of this
growth, the stagnation of any creativity and
guaranteed empty[...]ilm-
makers obliged to make films that glorified the
Franquist state, but, as Germany had strong
comme[...]n and many theatres

- were German-controlled, in the early years after
the Fascist victory they could not afford to be
critical of the Fuhrer either.

A typically repressive government move was
the blacklist drawn up in 1940, which listed
North American actors who had openly
supported the Republic during the war. Their
names could not be used or mentioned publicly.
Ironically, included on the list was Charles
Chaplin, to whom Saura was later[...]l-
dine Chaplin, was to become his ‘muse’ and thethe script had to be

shown by the filmmaker to a board of

censors which could refuse permis-
sion to make the film on the basis of it, or carve
large chunks out of it. Filmmakers virtually
became hirelings of the state.

The first films produced in Allied countries
were not[...]ional languages
such as Basque were not allowed.) The plots of
foreign films were subject to dramatic changes.
The married couple in John Ford’s Mo ambo
was given a brother and sister relations ip to
excuse the wife’s illicit affaire with another man.

Comme[...]bbing
licences were given to Spanish producers on the

126 — April CINEMA PAPERS

F
er, Fernando {[...]’ Mama
Carlos Saura 5
man Gomez).

basis of the quality of their own films, meaning
those which most gratified the regime. Not to be
left out, in 1950 the Catholic Church created its
own National Board of[...]white.
Red was accorded to those that would place the
viewer in danger of mortal sin.

It was not until the Spanish government
recognized the importance of creating a more
internationally cre[...]rk. Spain received its firstjolt to
its esteem in the eyes of the rest of the world
when it was refused admission to the United
Nations in 1946. However, films whose produc-
tion was encouraged by the Government, with a
view to overseas release and i[...]Spain and only
found overseas markets.

Spain saw the establishment of its first official
school for film studies in 1947: the IIEC (Insti-
tuto Investigaciones y Experimentaciones
Cinematografica), which became in 1962 the
EOC (Escuela Oficial de Cinematografica). Its
existence meant that for the first time students
of film could be exposed to foreign films. It was
at the Italian Cinema Week, held in Madrid in
1949. that they had their first taste of neo-
realism, via the Italian films shown there.

arlos Saura graduated from the IIEC
six years after its establishment, in
1952.[...]owes
something to his exposure to neo-
realism at the college. A year before,
three films appeared which also showed the
influence of neo-realism in Spanish film, as
introduced at the college. They were Surcos
(Furrows) by J. A. Niev[...]ignificant as it was
his approval of it which had the relatively
progressive Garcia Escudero removed fr[...]ion as Under-Secretary for Cinema.

His return to the position from 1963-67 saw a

new liberalism creep back into the film industry,
when he created a new category for subsidy, that
of “special interest” which replaced the old cate-
gory of “national interest”. He also formed the
experimental art cinemas where such films could
b[...]class-
ified from 1A to 3. A film’s position on the scale
usually reflected its “national” intere[...]to it.

Saura’s first feature film, Los golfos (The

Hooligans), made in 1959 and generally con-
sidered to be the first of the New Wave of
Spanish Cinema, thus beginning Saura’s career
as one of the first Spanish auteur directors, was
originally cl[...]med his position as Under-
Secretary in 1963 that the film could be released.

The film concerns a group of young delin-
quents and[...]attempts to get
money. It is typical of films of the period in its
use of youth as a way of expressing ideas that

otherwise would not have got past the censors. *
This was the first of many feature films Saura

was to make,[...]ura on a per-
sonal level: those of childhood and the oneiric

ama Turns One Hundred was

Saura’s entry in the 1979 San

Sebastian Film Festival in

Spain. It was also a highly-

acclaimed entrant in the 1981

Melbourne and Sydney film festivals. The film

was made four years after Franco’s death and

many filmmakers were enjoying the new

freedom that the change of leadership allowed,

making politically-explicit films such as El

deputao (The Congressman) by Eloy de la

.Iglesias, which deals with the persecution

A suffered by a member of the Socialist-Marxist

‘ party from Fascist party m[...]ed about his aims in making Mama
to a reporter at the San Sebastian Festival and
stated that after maki[...]rger,
something that could be geared more towards
the outside”.' He decided to pick up the charac-
ters of a previous film Anna y los lobos (Anna
and the Wolves, 1972) and “see what had
happened to them”? In it he worked with the
same producer, Elias Querejeta,_photographer
Teo[...]oncerned with making a political
allegory through the characters as in dealing

1. Program of 1979 San Sebastian Film Festival.
2. Ibid.

with the characters as individuals with separate
and private worlds. Anna (Geraldine Chaplin),
of Anna and the Wolves, was the British
governess for the children of a once—wealthy
Spanish family which[...]n. She returns to
that family with her husband on the occasion of
the Mama’s (Rafaela Aparicio) 100th birthday.

Through setting up this situation, Saura pro-
vides for the occurrence of the elements of
memory and reminiscence in the film, partic-
ularly through Anna, for whom the occasion is
very sentimental, and the Mama, for whom life
in general is laced with sentiment. Anna fondly
remembers the young women as children, for
whom she was governess, and responds to them
accordingly. She also remembers the now
deceased Jose and his military museum,
crammed with uniforms and guns, a more
external reference to the passing of Franco’s
military regime. The reality is that Natalia
(Amparo Munoz) has become a beautiful
seductress, who lasciviously accepts the joint
offered her by Anna’s husband Antonio
(Norman Briski), when, soon after his arrival, he
contemplates the strangeness of the situation he
has walked into.

olitically, Natalia represents the new

liberalism of Spain and greater ’

sexual[...]she becomes a A

vehicle for escape and fantasy, the importance of

which, during childhood and in adu[...]her mother, Luchi (Charo Soriano), plots

against the Mama and anticipates her death with
relish. She blatantly asks the Mama at dinner

what she plans to do with the house and the "

estate after her death. Already she and Luchi are
mentally subdividing the land with an eye to
selling it to developers.

A scene which highlights the natures of the
two revolves around the family’s “memory “
box”, a trunk where ol[...]rs and
parades in front of Antonio, consolidating the

effect of his seduction the night before. Her 5»
sister instead struts in a[...]ick in a feisty manner.

Juan (Jose Vivo), one of the Mama’s sons and
Luchi’s husband, has left the household since the

time of Anna and the Wolves, with Amelia the E
cook. His departure is also reflective of the ‘

loosening of marital ties after Franco’s death
and the rush to the divorce courts which ensued.
His affaire with Amelia, especially as she is not
introduced in the film, is another reference to
adult fantasy worlds and the outlet they provide
from domesticity. Antonio’s[...]ne it
when he cannot sleep and Anna keeps pulling the
blankets away from him, grunting contentedly in ,
her sleep. This scene accentuates the eroticism V,

and exotic element of the scene which follows.

With Juan’s departure, and loses death, there
is only one son at home: the pathetic Fernando if
(Fernando Fernan Gomez), who[...]orld 9

of unrealized fantasy. Anna’s return to the house
evokes that period of time for Fernando and the
two eras fuse together in his mind. He recalls hi[...]ying are always used to represent a
yearning for the impossible and it is Fernando 3,
who, in some of the most humorous scenes in 7

Concluded on p.[...]

No, I don’t th[...]e I

. conducted a children’s perfor-

mance of thethe Minneapolis
Symphony Orchestra asked me to
conduct a whole season. I thought

The awqrd-winning_ actor-writer-director talks about[...]for that.

However, in parenthesis, I did
conduct the Philharmonia Orches-
tra in a film, and the first violin
Peter Usrinov as Hercule Poir[...]

The first violin’s comment is a
guarded compliment,[...]rt of tactical excite-
ment; it does not give you the strat-
egic pleasure of writing something
which i[...]er regarded myself as a
professional director, in the sense
that I know how to deal with
actors. I know[...]ut I
do not have a very developed visual
sense in the case of moving
pictures. I know what can be done,[...]t once. You always betray
where you came from and the film
director is rather like a cabinet
minister:[...]may
have grown to directing, but they
never lose the traces of where they
have come from.

I suppose my path has been a
more literary one and therefore, in
the last analysis, I trust a verbal
imagination more[...]emely rigorous because we
were all on board ship. The role of a
captain of a ship and that of a
directo[...]here are we
going now?”, they were asking me
as the skipper as much as the
director. Also, their visual imagina-
tion was automatically stunted by
the narrow possibilities which were
imposed by the fact that we were on
the ship. In other words, if Bach
were suddenly given[...]ot
know where to begin because he did
not live in the same time as Tchai-
kovsky. But if he were reduce[...]have more to contribute as an actor
because I am the type of which
ihere is not a tremendous amount
ab[...]ough I do other things. And I
would hate to spend the rest of my
time doing nothing but Poirot. At
the same time, I hope I have a
wider range than that. I have
played King Lear twice in the last
two years with some success.

As for writing, I am always
drawn towards the theatre or to
pure literature, more than to films
for roughly the same reasons,
although I have written screen-
pla[...]re important than
he is given credit for, just as the
teacher is much more important in
society than he[...]ted your first film,
“School for Secrets”, at the age of
25, and in a film industry that must
be one of the most precarious in the
world. I am interested in how, at 25,
you got to[...]r late to ask me. I felt I had
practically missed the bus when 24
arrived and nothing happened.

School[...]e, an Italian who had played
an important part in the British
film industry. He was an ebullient

man w[...]School for Secrets, which was
a big success, for the Air Ministry
really. They wanted to have some-
thing about radar which was on the
same lines as In Which We Serve
or The Way Ahead.

They were such extraordinary
days tha[...]pped shooting for a
day to allow me to get out of the
army. I had to go to Olympia and
get a nasty suit[...]ing civvy street. I had to have a
medical and all the things you do
when you get out of the army. And
they actually stopped shooting for a
da[...]ivate. It was a
very peculiar situation, but then the
military is very odd. I hated every
minute of it,[...]rically funny
in retrospect, even if atrocious at
the time.

It is surprising you have not direc-
ted more films. The three films you
did direct in the 19405, “School for
Secrets”, “Vice Versa”[...]d you limit yourself in this way?

Because I felt the British film
industry was barking up the wrong
tree. They were trying to get advice
from the U.S. — or from Ameri-
cans — on how to break into the
American market. This meant they
got hold[...]

I opposed the tendency of trying
to enter the American market with
an amorphous, hybrid product[...]leave
Rome. Stanley Kubrick’: Spartacus. Right:
The Ringmaster (Peter Ustinov) and Lola
Montes (Marti[...]dy had been trying to
speak American in order for the
people in Peoria to understand. The
Beatles proved that when they
broke into the U.S. market. They
did not make any compromise on[...]ree more or

less ‘sandal and toga’ films in the
1960s: “Quo Vadis” for Mervyn

130 — April CINEMA PAPERS

9

LeRoy, “The Egyptian’ for
Michael Curtiz, and “Spartacus”
for Stanley Kubrick . . .

I think the Americans are the
only people who can do ancient
Roman films for the simple reason
they are like the ancient Romans. If
you go into the Chase National
Bank to get a loan you are taken
into a room with columns of gor-
gonzola and, in the middle of all
this, a furled flag and an eagle
behind him, his feet on the table,
the bank manager is saying, “Why
don’t we go home and continue this
conversation by the atrium and
kick this idea around.” It is the
mixture of extreme relaxation and
formality and m[...]adis said: “Why don’t you
bring Priscilla and the kids over for
the weekend?”, but that is pre-
cisely what a Roman[...]aid in my book that at that
moment he had none of the virtues
but also none of the vices of youth.
One did not know how old he was.[...]very
much.

As for LeRoy, I was able to tell
him the other day that the French
had just had a retrospective of his
films at the Cinematheque in Paris
and that several eminent Fr[...]ost an insult to have
himself loaded with style.

The crowning film of your career,
and indeed almost the crowning
experience of films in its decade,
was M[...]”.
What can you say about working
with Ophuls?

The first night of the film was an
absolute disaster: the film broke
twice. But Ophuls rather enjoyed it.
H[...]e it

seemed almost too good to be true.

I wrote the obituary for The
Guardian on Ophuls and in it I said
he was a man of such perversity
that he was capable of making the
smallest wristwatch in the world
and then hanging it on a cathedral
so that passers-by could see the
time. He was a mischievous and
delightful man. I[...]hat film and he
did not like it because he loved the
incredible intimacy — I mean
almost embarrassing intimacy ——
of thethe other, so there
was no possibility of only doing[...]ehind my head. I had to
move my head according to the
direction of her eyes so she could
see the board. I asked her to make a
slight gesture when[...]ished
talking because I could not recog-
nize it [the way she spoke].

One day, Ophuls had me do a
four-and-a-half minute take. I was
the ringmaster and had to shout as
all sorts of horses and things and a
dwarf moved past. In the middle of
one of the many takes I suddenly

got hoarse, and I sent the dwarf for
a glass of water. He was surprised
as it was not in text, but he went
away and got it. At the end, Ophuls
came to me with a slightly res[...]

The glittering occasion of the London
Film Festival's 25th jubilee brought a
singular honor to the Australian cinema:
Gallipoli was chosen for the gala open-
ing, in the presence of the Prince and
Princess of Wales, five weeks before the
film was to open in London's West End.

British critics, predictably bemused by
the sprinting sequences, keep compar-
ing Gallipoli t[...]hariots
of Fire, but it is closer to All Quiet on the
Western Front. Of course, the script
takes the easy (though historically ac-
curate) option of blaming the British
commander for the battle‘s tragedy; had
he been less stupid, the Anzacs may
have survived, and won. The ethics of
winning — that is, the ethics of war — are
never even questioned.

With the period setting, the attitudes of
the period dominate the film's emotional
world. But Gallipoii leaves a memory of
Russell Boyd's fine camerawork flatter-
ing the handsome horses and men,
flashing smiles and sunny skies; and of
one heart-rending moment as the
soldiers festoon the sandbags along their
trench with personal possessions which,
at the sound of the attack, sldnly _ rn into
treasured mementoes of the dead.

Peter Weir's London Film Festival
triumph[...]kemore’s disarmingly candid
Personal History of the Australian Surf,
where he establishes himself as the
perennial “straight poofter”; Gillian
Armstro[...]er,
which was paired off with my favorite film
of the year, David Bradbury’s Public
Enemy Number One[...]t, Cinema Papers, No. 32,
p. 142).

Gratifyingly, the best of the films New
Zealand showed at Cannes, smash
Palace[...]g liked it.

In common with every other festival,
the London Film Festival receives agreat
deal of crit[...]blished directors’? Well,
there is a section of the Festival devoted
to New Directors. Too many films which
reflect the taste of the middle-class,
middle-aged Establishment? Answer:[...]ough avant-garde works? Well, try
to separate all the British and all the
American films into mainstream and in-
dependent cinema, and keep one‘s
fingers crossed that enough of the in-
dependents should turn out to be avant-
garde as well.

Above all, never let it be said that the
Festival neglects the Third World. This
year it had six films from Afri[...]hese, Trances, directed by Ahmed El
Maanouni, was the most praised — and
12 from Asia. After all, they make more
films in Asia than in the rest of the world
put together, and with two new films by

LO[...]s D. H. Lawrence in C /rrislopher Miles’/ilm of the writer's life, Priest of Love.

Mrinal Sen, a[...]were six
films from Latin America — never mind
the quality, just feel the revolutionary fer-
vor.

Of course, the Controversy section
consists of films difficult t[...]rue. It may be a practical
way of labelling, like the “Miscellaneous"
drawer of any filing clerk. And[...]do with atom
bombs is necessarily controversial: The
Day After Trinity, by John Else, about the
work of J. Robert Oppenheimer and his
team, is history by now. But then, Shuji
Terayama’s The Fruits of Passion,
perhaps because a semi-Western[...]under
Controversy. To accommodate such

films as The Fruits of Passion, Mauro
Bolognini‘s The Lady of the Camellias,
Bertrand Blier’s Beau pere or Frank
Perry’s Mommie Dearest, the London
Film Festival will need to invent yet
anot[...]Moneyspinnersl

British — Best of. . . ?

When the London Film Festival began,
its avowed aim was to bring the best
foreign films, particularly winners from
international festivals, to London. But
when the British cinema Iurched from
crisis to crisis, the Festival has increas-
ingly accepted the provision of a show-
case for new British films as its duty and
included them in the program, whether
they reached the highest international
standards or not.

Some Bri[...]h have broken
through international barriers; but the
only feature film of this class had already
been seen at Cannes: Ken Loach’s
Looks and Smiles. But neither the critical
esteem it achieved in Cannes, nor its

s[...]vision — Adrina, directed
by Bill Forsyth, with the supernatural
element so dear to BBC-Scotland, and[...]eenplay — Looks and Smiles too is
going back on the shelf, awaiting its
television broadcast.

Two fi[...]shown at
Edinburgh in August. They were aided by
the BFI Production Board, whose
finances are on a much smaller scale
than the Australian Film Commission's;
the result is that their films look as if they
were made to order for the “alternative
festival circuit" of Edinburgh, Ma[...]cated time-
structure to avoid that bugbear of “the
bourgeois cinema", plain linear
narrative. Noneth[...]rawing parallels between
Irish rule in Ulster and the male domina-
tion endured by lrish women.

There[...]stly location shooting (in more than
one sense of the word) in Belfast, and,
towards the end, the family relationships
emerge with increasing sensitivity. But it
has many faults as well, which all stem
from the script. The photography is more
than competent throughout, and some of
the acting catches the-mood, as well as
the intonation, of militantly lrish speech
patterns.[...]ject in a conventional, almost
soap-opera format. The heroine, a
British-born colored girl, starts with the
morality and expectations of middle-
class Britis[...]these attitudes and aspirations are not
shared by the young men of her world.
Firstly, circumstances fo[...]f slight faults, Burning an illu-
sion brings out the relevant emotional
and social issues without overt comment
or proselytizing.

The British premiere given special
prominence, by being chosen to close
the Festival, was Priest of Love, directed
by Christo[...]H. Lawrence. As
with so many British productions, the
cast of established theatrical stars (Ian
McKellen, Janet Suzman, Penelope
Keith) do their utmost, but the script has
a numbing banality, in spite of the juicy
literary scandals of Lawrence's life, and
the direction has all the verve of a
metronome.

As shown in Ken Russell's Women in
Love, Lawrence is the one writer whose
works can sustain an imag[...]

The documentaries, however, were of
a remarkably high standard. Even
though it may have been better suited
under the heading of Controversy, The
Animals Fllm, written and directed by
Victor Schonfeld, is outstanding in every
way. It covers one of the most debated is-
sues in Britain: the treatment accorded
by people to the other animals. The film
first shows the misuse of animals as pets.
then their abuse in factory farming, their
torture in laboratory experiments, and
the deliberate encouragement of cruelty
in such tradi[...]sing. Well-
structured and thoroughly researched,
the film is as good as its footage, some of
it shot in secret, possibly allows. While it
may help the Animal Liberation Front,
whose campaign the film supports, it is
also good cinema.

Another documentary. So That You
Can Live, made by the Cinema Action
collective, follows the life of a Welsh
family through five years of econ[...]cal change. Another dimension
is added by linking the family’s attitudes
to those of the 19th Century Welsh work-
ing class, and the Evening institute and
Worker's Library movement which
characterized the previous generations.
In spite of occasionally confusing
flashbacks, and its rather random inter-
cutting of the general with the intimate,
So That You Can Live is a remarkable
experiment, testing to the limit the
honesty possible in a documentary, and
accepting the process of filmmaking as a
factor of change in the family's life.

A last-minute addition came from Lutz
Becker, whose The Double-headed
Eagle, shown in 1973, established him as
one of the major figures in the historic
documentary. (Becker had also co-
operat[...]search,
collage, edit and provide with a commen-

The history of a Welsh family through five years of e[...]PAPERS

tary. Becker’s basic technique is still the
same: he uses the original, contem-
porary newsreels and propaganda films
to show events; but junking the original
soundtracks. Instead, he adds commen-
ta[...]ed to show
hindsight, as well as music, to deepen
the meaning of his images.

In Lion of Judah, he uses the
recordings that an anthropologist friend
made of Ethiopian folk music in the
1960s. Musso|ini's campaign to annex
Ethiopia in[...]s an at-
tempted genocide of unmitigated cruelty.
The newsreels showing the Italian ad-
vance are actually seen from the point of
view of their victims, and fascinating
f[...]from Haile
Selassie's private records illustrates the
Emperor’s brave but doomed resistance.

The most moving moment of the dis-
cussion, and possibly of the entire
Festival, came when a member of the
audience thanked Lutz Becker for the
compassion and dignity his film dis-
played towards the people of Ethiopia.

Even apart from Becker's co-[...]in each Festival section.
Volker Sch|ondorff’s The Forgery,
another last-minute addition, aroused
the most interest: it examines a German
journalist's confusion in the civil war of
Lebanon —— it hardly matters whether a
few years ago, or in the present.

Among the New Directors section,
Percy Adlon’s Celeste, w[...]y Sohrab Shahid Saless, came on video
only. It is the most visually ambitious of
Saless’ films so far[...]Reinhard Hauff‘s Endstatlon lrelhelt lost
even the pun of the title in the translation
(in English, it is called Slow Attack) and
the sub-titles lack the subtlety of
dialogue which, in German, establishes
the complex characters. The London

.*‘t“

One of the finds of Cannes I 981: Percy AIdon’s Celeste.[...]t with an above-average
popular thriller, without the philosophical
undertones.

The Controversy section also included
Frank Ripploh's[...]rte (No Mercy No Future) by Helma
Sanders-Brahms: the latter won the BFI
Film Award for 1981 as “the most original
and imaginative film introduced by the
National Film Theatre during the year”.
This is the first time since the Award’s in-
auguration that it was won by a woman.
The jury described Die beruhrte as

“a daring, imaginative and moving

portrait of a schizophrenic woman,

which questions society's definitions of
madnes[...]er-
standing".

Multiple Choices

In keeping with the London Film
Festival tradition, most foreign film[...]be happier to
choose more than one film, but, all the
same, it adds a pleasant, personal note
to be res[...]efore,
during and after its screening — and for
the director, should he choose to come.

Had I seen Miklos Jancso‘s The
Tyrant’s Heart, I may have chosen it, if[...]

Apart From The Films

All in all, the Festival should not be
criticized for any of its[...]ism should be (or
must be) directed at its venue. The
National Film Theatre is far too small for
a festival for the 10 million inhabitants of
London: not only its auditoria, but the
foyers, bars and other facilities all
become squalid half-way through the
day.

The present system of a few (eight, to
be precise) forays into Leicester Square
on Sunday mornings, or up the stairs to
the Queen Elizabeth Hall, may relieve the
congestion a little, but without adding
giamor. A[...]itional publicity to
justify some investment from the film
industry or the distributors; a larger
theatre would make it- possible to
accommodate the larger public which is
frustrated by the present system of
preferential booking for British Film
institute members.

Then, there may be room in the NFT —
even if only in the smaller NFT-2 — for
press conferences. Now, dir[...]nd that their only contact with
their audience or the press is limited to a
discussion after the screening. This is
sometimes cut to 10 or even fi[...]saying: "We must leave now,
but you can continue the discussion in
the foyer” - that is, in the middle of
hundreds trying to get in or out, queue[...]t an
audience reaction to a new work. So,
even if the idea of moving to the heart of
London continues to meet resistance, it[...]l.

Even if two hours were set aside each
day, in the smaller of the two theatres, it
would only mean a reduction of 1[...]not seem
to be an irredeemable loss; and perhaps
the Festival would be less like a factory

with films[...]on day and night shifts.
Mari Kuttna

Animation

The Festival's Animation section
continued its tradit[...]n admirable and
numerically limited selection of "the best
of" world and British output. Forty films
we[...]l and deceptively
simple Canadian film History of the
World in Three Minutes Flat — proving
that it i[...]winner at Ottawa 1980, Mills‘ mad-cap
rush from the Beginning to the End was
warmly received by the audience
attending the gala opening of Peter
Weir’s Gailipoli.

At the 1980 Zagreb Festival the inter-
national Association of Animated Film-
mak[...]greed on a redefinition
of “animation" — from the old “frame-by-
frame" to “the creation of moving images
through the manipulation of all varieties
of techniques apart[...]date such new techniques as com-
puter animation. The 11 films in the world
program, selected from entries in the
1981 Annecy Festival, included a Polish
film which offended animation purists
and inspired the Annecy Jury to award it
the Grand Prix: Zbigniew Rybczynski‘s
eight-minute Tango. it pushes ASlFA's
definition to the limits.

Flybczynski uses individual photo-
graph[...]to create pixiliated, but
not quite, live-action. The film opens on a
room. A ball bounces through the
window and a boy climbs through to
retrieve it. A woman enters cradling a
baby, then sits at the table and nurses it.
As she stands and leaves, a[...]side door carrying a package. While
he is placing the package on top of the
wardrobe, the bail bounces through the
window and the boy climbs through to
retrieve it. When the man leaves by
another door, a thief lurking at the
window steals the package. As he is
leaving, the woman cradling the baby
returns until some 36 characters
crowd into the room, wordiessiy perform
some private motion, then leave — only
to return almost immediately and repeat
the same action exactly: a naked woman
dressing; a man replacing a light globe is
electr[...]ts and
flexes his muscles; a couple makes love
on the bed; a baby's nappy is changed;
an old woman rests for a moment.

A rhythmic tango melody by Janusz
Hajduk provides the metre for this
superb, surreal dance of everyday life.
The State-room scene in A Night at the
Opera is similar; but Tango is not played
for laughs.

At the Zagreb Festival, the emerging
Josko Marusic, from the Zagreb Film
Studio, won second prize for Fisheye.[...]ife
in a tower block. Little figures scurry
about the cross-section of the building —
the main communication channels being
the lift and the sewer.

The activities are depressingiy routine
and occasionally repetitive, like the
naked girl lying on the bed waiting for a
man who peels away layer upon layer of
clothing. Some are blissfully ironic, like
the man who deviously conceals his
money in an open w[...]ggle of
chortling thieves pitter-patter away with
the painting. And some are tinged with
despair: a tenant who fails to wake up is
rushed away in a coffin by the squad; a
character paces in a room and bleeds
into the toilet; a man threatens to jump
and does so; a child searches for its
mother. Toward evening the workers

return and pack into the lift. At night, all
except one sit isolated in their rooms
watching the same television program.
The loner locks himself in the lift’ and

screams.
Two films touched upon the subject of

I 981 London Film Festival

the aged. The first, from The
Netherlands, was Paul Driessen‘s dis-
passionate and fataiistic Het treinhuisje
(Home on the Rails), a black comedy
about two pensioners taking tea in a
room. Every hour, when the cuckoo
strikes, their routine is interrupted by a
frantic thumping on the door. The
woman opens it and a squirrel leaps in
and flattens itself against the wall. When
the opposite door is opened, a train roars
through the house. Driessen‘s finely-
lined figures, cool pastel colors and wry
humor are contrasted with the lumpy
characters, some running gags with the
cuckoo clock and a mute tragedy when
the old man lies across the rails after his
sackfui of gold has been stolen by claim-
jumpers.

The second film, Birgitta Jansson’s
Semesterhemmet (The Summer Camp),
won public and critics’ prizes at Annecy
and was the Festival program’s sole clay
animation film. it[...]’s eye for character is
sensitively realized in the figurines‘
modelling, movement and gesture, and
is charmingly enhanced by the idea of
providing her characters with actual
voices recorded at a Swedish summer
camp in 1980.

Although the Festival was not provided
with a subtitled print, the documentary
technique is sufficiently atmospheric to
raise the issue of verisimiiitude — an
issue which is succinctly and plausibly
resolved.

Ferenc Rofusz’s A legy (The Fly), from
Hungary's renowned Pannonia Film
Studi[...]d subjectively and
drenched in golden monochrome, the
artwork effectively simulating wide-angle
distortion, it is about a fly which senses
the approach of autumn and, seeking
refuge, buzzes in[...]ly an irritated and unseen
human pursuer launches the fly on a
frantic bid for escape and survival.

The film excited spontaneous
applause and won the Best Film Award at
Ottawa 1980, then went on to win the
Oscar for the Best Animated Short Film
of 1981. While these are[...]and engagingiy
witty.

Compared with these films, the six
selections from North America were
mostly par[...]lgic. in
George Griffin's Flying Fur, a strike by
the mice at ACME Film Productions

Simulated wide-angle distortion: Ferenc Rofuszk The Fly.

CINEMA PAPERS April — 133

provokes a chase by their colleagues, the
cats. The film unintentionally captures
the drift of the North American entries
since, as a homage, it uses the
soundtrack of the 1944 Hanna-Barbera
cartoon for MGM Putting on the Dog.
The other American entry, Barrie Nel-
son's Opens Wedneedey, wasn't any
more promising. it turns on the idea of a
theatre producer rehearsing his cast of[...]heard of Stanis-
lavsi<y or Woody Allen?” from the
theatre's interfering cleaning lady.

Opens Wednesday was awarded the
jury prize at Ottawa '80 and the Grand
Prix at the 1981 ASlFA Festival in New
York.

The four Canadian entries were better.
Winning a Special Jury Prize at Annecy,
Frederic Back's Crac is the story of a
handcrafted rocking chair from the
moment the carpenter fells a tree (hence
the onomatopoeic title) in a small
farming community[...]elds
and lifestyles. to its last resting place in
the city's Museum of Modern Art where it
is used by one of the attendants. The set-
piece rural wedding reception, where the
blue-shadowed revellers swirl to
Quebecoise folk music. is joyfully
repeated in the darkened museum. The
rocking chair is once again the centre of
attraction and it whirls the sterile
abstracts back to a richer, more un-
equi[...]ast Sing, from
international Ftocketship Ltd, won the
prize for a Film for Children at Annecy.
Burrowed away behind the razor-sharp
lines and flat color areas of conventional
cartooning is a surreal behind-the-
scenes look at showbusiness. Toledo
Mung Beast, half-man half-cephalopod.
lazily performs the laid-back Willie
Mabon blues number, "|'m Mad", o[...]chicken roasts a chicken
over a candle, Black Ear the Dog sits
frozen with his scotch and a poodle leaps
about blowing a cool sax. When Toledo
finishes and tosses the question, “What
do you think'?", the room does a Dali by
obligingly melting.

Crac and Sing Beast Sing
demonstrate the Capabilities of Canada's
emerging independent animation
industry, though the National Film Board
continued to reinforce its so[...]with two superbly-crafted films. Sheldon
Cohen's The Sweater, from a story by
Roch Carrier, is a charming reminisc-
ence about how, in the winter of 1946 in
the small Quebec community of Ste
Justine, a 10-year-[...]ite and blue French
Canadian hockey sweater, with the
famous Number 9 on the back, becomes
threadbare and his mother buys a new
one by mail-order. When the sweater
arrives, the boy finds it is not the familiar
French Canadian Number 9, but the blue
of the rival Toronto Maple Leaf team. He
throws a tantrum, to little avail. The boy is
doomed to go down to the village rink in
his new Toronto Maple Leaf sweater and
be rejected by all his friends wearing the
French Canadian Number 9. The village
curate pronounces him a rebel and
sends him to church to repent. “I asked
God", recalls the older and wiser
narrator, "to send a hundred mill[...]o eat up my Toronto Maple Leaf
sweater."

Clearly the best of the North American
entries, however, was Clorinda War[...]after her sudden death by two fellow
animators at the NFB, Lina Gagnon and
Suzanne Gervais. it is a fil[...]an
image — a landscape at sunrise, a man
and a woman, the birth of a child —
before dissolving in a melange of
rippling line and soft hues, thus unfolding
the idea of perpetual creation. Merging
with these tr[...]t Annecy and, together with
Tango and A legy, was the highlight of
London's World Program.

The influence of the peace movement
and the concern of the Committee for
Nuclear Disarmament were evident in the
Festival's British Program. Ofthe 15 films
and 13[...]ned to an
audience composed largely of members
of the local industry, four films were
pessimistic about the present, while
another four dealt specifically with the
coming holocaust. And. while British
animation co[...]resourceful and
competent work by newcomers. For the
first time for two years, however, the
work of Bob Godfrey (Dream Doll in 1979
and Instant Sex in 1980) was sadly
absent.

Russell J. Brooke's The Comic Story
is an oblique and light-hearted frame[...]istract him with a few
transmogrification tricks. The boy is

oblivious to their antics (including a
di[...]Ian Moo- Young.

change into a bat, succeeding the
second time only after colliding with a
tombstone wicket) because the comic
characters are more horrifically
compelling[...]ch was first.

Sheila Graber's Face to Face takes the
idea of metamorphosis into more familiar
territory. Using the simple technique of
animating a paint and crayon[...]James’ After Beardsley, with
artwork ghosted in the artist's style
suggesting how he would have postered
the modern world, including The Bomb.
if he hadn't died of consumption at the
age of 25, and the Brothers Quaij's Ein
brudermord (A Fratricide), a[...]wed as two insects, would have won
pens down.

As the opening titles came up for the
latter film, one scornful member of the
suddenly restless audience cried out,
"What is a German film doing in a British
Animation Festival?''

The four films which presented a
nuclear Armageddon a[...]gence was regrettable. They were
introduced with the well-known "The
Babel Fish” episode from Douglas
Adams’ Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the
Galaxy, animated by Rod Lord, for the
BBC. it was followed by Pretend You'll
Survive, a[...]r
removed from World War I propaganda
films about the ravaging Hun, it achieved
image overkill as it fo[...]television screen. “It could
happen today", but the day passes
uneventfully: "lt didn't happen today.[...]f street cries and civil unrest, she
emerges from the ruins of her home to
find the landscape devastated, her
body ravaged by radiation and the air
swarming with bloated flies. "Don‘t
Pretend to Protest" warns the grim end-
title.

Robin Whiteman's sequential and
pessimistic The Way of the Fool
presented, but hardly developed, a novel
idea: Tarot cards for the nuclear age.
Moving from Creator/inventor —

through such opposites as The
Cycle/The Wheel, Revelation/Explosion
and The Star/The Blast — to Whole-
ness/Extinction, each card depicted a
rapid, multicolored pattern of images:
from the sea and the land, to missiles
and The Bomb.

The best of the peace films, however,
was John Hales’ Dilemma,[...]with a pessimism about man's
destiny bordering on the grotesque,
Dilemma is a grand parade of familiar[...]ting to reveal
tableaux of apocalyptic potential. The
mask of Tutankhamun becomes an
Egyptian war chari[...]egions, an Aztec idol
becomes an army — as does the bene-
ficent image of the Buddha, and
Leonardo da Vinci's contribution
included designs for military machines.

Although the intent behind succeeding
civilizations’ resort[...]eir development
rather than sinisterly bellicose, the game
was always up. But now the development
of microchip technology provides
impr[...]ersions, in a cosmic and
technological version of the survival of
the fittest. Frequently these images
revert to the bland. changeless icon of
man. lmpassive throughout history,
blinded by today's media, ignorant about
the consequences of conventional and
nuclear armament[...]t as
secure as a light globe target for a rifle.

The remaining films were a jumble of
varying styles a[...]included Nick Lever’s orthodox
John Barleycorn, the song with pictures;
Stuart Wynn Jones‘ elaborat[...]uxuriantly around an onrushing
vanishing point to the soothing strains of
Pachelbel's “Canon"; Neil T[...]action day-
dreaming youth's ‘brass’ band — the
notes being cleverly improvized by
Vivian Fisher'[...]xed; John J.
Miller's accomplished cartoon Act V, the
Graveyard Scene from Hamlet,
characterized[...]

Overall, the 13 commercials demon-
strated the British industry's search for a
narrative format[...]irtation with musical interpretations.
And, while the work of Richard Taylor
and Vera Linnecar was abse[...]their
successes at Ottawa '80. Dunbar was
awarded the Grand Prix for Ubu and
Vestor received a Special[...]ovided
two more commercials for Alka Seltzer,
and the prolific lan Moo-Young
presented his Magoo-like N[...]s by Eric Goldberg.
Nairn Arena Cushion Floor and the anti-
smoking Nick-0-Teen, and the lyrical
Tempest ad for Shell by Russell Hall.

The final film on the British program.
Richard Wolff's Still Life, is a bright and
ingeniously-scripted satire on the life and
aesthetics of the egocentric Scottish
artist Lawrence Angus MacConI,
renowned for his dining and vehicle
pictures. Lawrence, the narrator Gary
Bond tells us, tried most schools o[...]'s work. With a script as
taut and witty as this, the visuals become
complementary: "ln one moment he
became older. One moment. Older." The
moments in this intelligent and hilarious
spoof of the art world and films on art are
rich and many.

Jazz

The Jazz Program consisted of shorts
and feature-length documentaries,
mostly from the U.S. The Festival
audience was touched, not only by the
music and the cloying sense of nostalgia,
but also with gratitude for the concern of
sympathetic filmmakers who managed to[...]ork on
August 6, 1931, that many people
remember. The drink —- and his music.
The tone he achieved was difficult for his
contempora[...]else". As Louis
Armstrong was to say later on in -the
1930s, "Ain't none of them play like him

at."
y Armstrong's comment still stands and
forms the subtitle to Bix, a labor of love by
CBC-TV produc[...]four years, in her spare time, she criss-
crossed the U.S. visiting anyone who

4
Di.

Jazz cornetis[...]unded a
portrait as we will possibly ever have of
the jazz musician who, along with
Armstrong, was the heart of jazz in
the 1920s. She has also collated an
enviable collecti[...]es",
“Riverboat Shuffle" and “Tiger Rag” by
The Wolverines; “Davenport Blues" by
Bix and his Rh[...]he provides some
cool and lingering seascapes for the
recording of Bix playing his piano
composition "In a Mist", it is a reminder
of the theme throughout — that Bix
Beiderbecke was a p[...]explains.
talked through his music "straight from
the heart and told you what he was
thinking”.

Berm[...]enjoyable and timely, and it sets in high
relief the realization that Bix Beider-
becke, the “born genius” who opened up
new avenues of harmony and melody for
jazz, died at the age of 28.

Fortunately for the audience at Sun
Ra: A Joyful Noise, frozen aghast like
their compatriots in The Producers,
director Robert Mugge surfaced to give[...]Here, in 60 kaleidoscopic minutes,
Mugge provides the gaudy, robe-
apparelied Sun Ra every opportunity[...]th an
audience he couldn't care is there or not.

The experience is not altogether
incomprehensible, at least in the short
term. As a jazz iconoclast this key-
boardi[...]band members and Sun Ra's
lectures straight into the camera: “One
day a voice from another dimension[...]ition
because they don't know what they're
doing. The people who do know what
they're doing haven't pro[...]a reality”, '‘I want people to become
part of the magic myth and the magic
touch of the mythocracy — not
theocracy, or any of your othe[...]n
technique is saved by its subject's
enthusiasm. The bebop singer's commit-
ment to her music and her[...]6, but only managed to complete it
shortly before the Festival: two of those
intervening years were spe[...]with Carter with material
filmed in a concert at the Cranston
Auditorium.

Betty Carter reveals hersel[...]to “My Favourite Things", or
when she discusses the album she
recorded with Ray Charles to “The
Trolley Song". Gladly the cuts are
relatively unobtrusive, allowing Betty t[...]ators should be
helping black children learn from the
black singers of the '20s and '30s, and
the pride she has in her career —
"Today, it you’re a man, you've got a
‘job’. If you're a woman you're
‘independent’ . . . in the old days it was
just ‘working hard'."

Her reminiscences of the early days of
bebop in Detroit, hanging out with[...]Miles Davis and John
Coltrane, experimenting with the flatted
fifth and the scat, are as lively and as
anecdotal as if they w[...]ollowed up with
him appearing onstage with her at the
Cranston, tinkering on treble.

But Parkerson's film is clearly not a
biography, nor does it unravel the
"mysteries and innuendoes" about Betty
Carter whi[...]ger who, after a quarter of a
century of being in the vanguard of
bebop, can still say, ''I think i am[...]icago's Maxwell
St market, for more than 60 years the
venue for sidewalk blues musicians. The
color and sound of the musicians
emerges from black-and-white
photographs of the area when it was
established as a market by Russian and
Polish immigrants in the early 1900s.
Then, with film clips from the '50s, stills
and a roving camera, the film gradually
charts the change from the time when the
only music heard was the cash register to
today when Jim Brewer, Playboy
V[...]Little Pat
Rushing, Floyd Jones, Carrie Robinson,
The Clarksdale Blues Band and many
more can be found.

Much of the flavor of the '20s and the
years since is recalled by the crusty
raconteur and blues musician Blind
Arvella[...]d his eyes shot out
in 1930 in an argument over a woman)
remembering how Charlie Jackson, Big
Bill Broonz[...]aters among others have all
played on Maxwell St. The filmmakers
have also used clips from Gray's home
movies, taken on Maxwell St in the '50s,
and dedicated the film to him. Blind

Continued on p. 188

C[...]

1. /' E
loved

/' the the-

atre as a
child. We
had an English

teacher who[...]duce whatever Shake-
speare play we were doing
at the moment. I used to
direct those.

Then I did my Ar[...]had done acting
lessons at university and gone to the
Independent, but I found the
theatre more and more
claustrophobic and interior, so the
idea of making documentary films
became very exci[...]so interesting,
because it was much wider, out in
the open, and not that theatre
experience of going into musty
theatres in the daytime to rehearse,

Where did you start making[...]re was a place
that made documentary films
called the Commonwealth Film
Unit, and that I might get a jo[...]to 10 boys — and a girl
had just left, so I got the job.

It doesn’t seem acceptable now,
but when I first started doing it I
liked the adventurous life. It
seemed great, constantly fin[...]ituations that you
normally wouldn’t get into.

The other thing that appealed to
me about film was the combination
of visual and intellectual elements.[...]have
something to do with that as well. I
thought the theatre was wonderful
and I always really liked w[...]vision. I can watch television or
go to films all the time.

136 — April CINEMA PAPERS

xws

tr “xx[...]Your first films were all docu-
mentaries. . .

The trap with documentaries is
that when you find a good story you
want to make reality fit the story:
you try to rearrange reality,
consciously[...]rific to
make a film about. You then try
and make the people be what the
idea is, which is unfair to the
people. But it is also unfair to the
good story if you can’t do itjustice.
It seems[...]eedom and a lot
of footage, and you go in to find the
truth. But then the same thing
happens, because you get a.lot of
footage and start making up the
story in the editing. On the two
films I most enjoyed making, She’s

Meg Stewart.

W

My Sister and Slipway Dreaming. I
arranged the material to my own

vision. But you can't arrange[...]maybe three
people’s experiences — yours and
the two actors’ — and then create
something more than just the
script. It is not using people.

I don’t think all documentaries
do that, but that’s one of the
reasons I wanted to work in drama.

When did prod[...]on
“Happy Endings”?

We started rehearsals in the last
week in October and shooting in
November. My plan was to have it
finished by the end of last year, but
obviously we are a bit over that
now. I felt that if I didn’t shoot it
before the end of the year I wasn’t
going to make it. It has been goi[...]ly.
I have lots of other things to do.

Where did the idea for the film come
from?

It sort of started as a joke and
just expanded. I wrote the scene in
the middle to begin with, and then
wrote out from it. The scene is in a
motel room where two people
are wat[...]editing. In fact, I quite
often don’t start at the beginning.
As soon as I start using scisso[...]

Endings.

How do you feel about directing a
drama for the first time?

The work I did as a continuity
girl was useful becaus[...]on
a lot of dramas in one capacity or
another. So the actual form of it is
not too terrifying. The good thing is
you can get actors to do it again,
which you can’t in documentaries.
You coax actors in the same way
you coax people to give a good
interview[...]e able to communicate
with actors.

I found doing the test scenes with
the actors very stimulating and
demanding. When we we[...]What
does this line mean?” And I didn’t
write the script going into great
explanations of every lin[...]much between two
people — of how you can shift the
balance. Stephen would come out
on top in the dialogue in one scene,
but, if you added one more[...]a would come out

on top. Then it can change with the
performers — the intonation or the
strength of the actors changes it
again. The thing I was conscious of
in the script was trying to get that
balance between them.

The next thing I would want to
do as far as drama goes is write a
feature script, rather than direct
one. The difficult thing about
drama and films is that I don’t need
to be the general in feature
filmmaking. This means that I[...]ntrol
vast amounts of people. I can’t even
bear the notion of being a
ringmaster.

anything, and also money — but
the thing about directing that is
hard is I would want to be very
confident about my knowledge of
the script. I don’t think I would be
able to direct an episode of Cop
Shop at the moment, though if I
were shut in a room and told[...]I suppose I
probably could. I guess I could tell
the criminals how they should be
interpreting the role. I’d feel uneasy
about directing the action se-
quences or choreographing fights,
but I guess I would get someone in
to choreograph the fight for me. I
guess it would depend on whether I
liked the script and how confident I
felt about the characters.

Ifl had an ideal, if I were going
to[...]hn
Huston’s Fat City was my favorite

I can see the fascination of film.And then there areeven funny

saying, “Let’s shoot the procession
and let’s have three crews and a
helicopter” and all that stuff, but I
feel the good thing about drama is
that you can have a fir[...]eople. I have no
desire to shout at people and if the
first assistant is really good, he/she
can do all that. Then I can devote
my time to the actors and the
cameraperson.

But the responsibility always
comes back to the director, because
everybody wants to know, and yo[...]ike that means your whole life
is taken over, and the end product
may not be as you wanted it to be.

I[...]to be directing one feature film
after another. The other thing is, in
everything I have done, in radio
programs and in the sort of writing
that I would like to do, I draw on
living experiences. And if you are
working all the time, you can’t
have any living experiences. I
suppose you do [while making
films], but that gets back to the
unreality of theatre.

Do you see yourself direct[...]do
— I would always consider

films like I Walk the Line, with
Tuesday Weld and Gregory Peck,
films t[...]Lots of small films can be really
good. I do like the extravaganza
things, straight adventure if you
wa[...]77 Hal Porter Remembers Eve Langley
They Reckon a Woman’s World’s Just
It and a Bit

1978 Not Just the Object
Joining the Mouse Race

1979 The Thompsons

1982 Happy Endings

But a lot of films[...]ly
inspired by her. I wanted to make a
film using the sorts of things she
did; a documentary, but using[...]mething I would want to keep
doing. Perhaps it is the ultimate
sort of media exposure, which I
d[...]

During this time I started dire[...]"1fth—year medicine, I ran
drama workshops with the inmates
of Larundel Psychiatric Hospital. I
had the courage to try anything. By
8 a.m. I had to be in the operating
theatre assisting the anaesthetist.
My lunchtimes were spent per-
forming at schools and factories
with the Portable Players. At night,
I directed rehearsals[...]an active, if undirected, time.

How did you make the transition
from acting to writing?

I was always[...]to write
our own dialogue and this de-
mystified the written word for me.

This was the time you wrote ‘Dream
Girl’ . . . ?

Dream Gi[...]l archaeology. It
was workshopped successfully at
the National Playwrights’ Confer-
ence in 1977.

Ho[...]time
— a 200 ft (60 m) film which por-
trayed a woman’s thoughts by a
succession of jump cuts and
inc[...]though, even though I didn’t think
of moving the camera. The effect
was like one of those cartoon book-
lets which, when you flip the pages,
create a continuous movement.

Why did you go into film after medi-
cine, rather than the theatre?

I always loved film, but it was a
matter of not having the oppor-
tunity. Although I acted in several
films[...]first scriptwriting job.

How would you describe the kinds of
films you have made and the sort of
things you want to make?

Rivka Hartman a[...]n. There was only one other
professional actor in the entire cast
of hundreds. On A Most Attractive
Man[...]es, it is a witty black comedy.

How did you find the script for it?

Through a chance meeting with

the writer in Darling St, Balmain.

Did your theatre[...]ple had tried film directing?

to get funding for the project, but it
was the team of Gilly Coote and
myselfwhich finally got the film off
the ground.

Would you a ain direct another
_ B
person’s script?

Yes. I am looking for scripts at
the moment. On A Most Attractive
Man, I enjoyed inter[...]want to write, but I would
like to be involved in the writing
process. It would be ideal to work
on a d[...]When you say two or three writers,
do you mean on the same project?

Yes. Writing is the first stage in
filmmaking, which is a collabora-[...]e. This is especially true
of comedy.

What about the integrity of the
writer?

The work of the writer and
director overlap to some extent. It
is best for the integrity of the film
when director and writer have a
good understanding; but at some
stage the director takes over.

Directing film is totally d[...]der them-
selves filmmakers and be familiar
with the camera and understand the
reason for each shot. Dialogue in
film is more n[...]film buffs, and my
brother and I were regulars at the
local Saturday matinees. I thrived
on a diet of s[...]ntal trash and we would
always have a good sob at the
romantic parts. Now I love Fed-
erico Fellini’s La strada, Marcel
Carne’s Les enfants du paradis and
the Marx Brothers.

When I made Consolation Prize,
I studied the early silent comedies
of people like Buster Keato[...], who taught them
both about film, never achieved the
fame or the opportunity to direct.
They were total filmmakers[...]ve
influenced me. Billy Wilder is a
director with the greatest sense of

humor. His films like Some Like It
Hot and One Two Three are the
funniest of all.

Have you met any resistance as a
woman working in film?

Film is dominated by men, like
the rest of society. I have had
assessors patronize m[...]imbecile. In each case it happened
because I am a woman. In general,
women are better to work with.
Their[...]has trained
them to consider others, and that’s
the basis of working on a film.

Would you employ wom[...]case
as it comes.

Was it accidental that most of the
crew for “A Most Attractive Man”
were women?

Yes; we simply chose the best
people for the job. It’s true that
these turned out to be mostly

Charlie Chaplin. They had years of women, and I think the shoot bene-

Rivka Hartman

Rivka Hartman Filmography

[975 Fantasy Sequence

I978 The Battle of Mice and Frogs
1979 Consolation Prize

l98l A Most Attractive Man

fited from this. However, the
person who did our lighting, Paul
Tate, is fantas[...]director is a man, too.

What do you think about the films
Australians are making at the
moment?

I think it’s an exciting time for
Aust[...]ore contemporary stories about
real people set in the city — films
like Love Letters From Teralba
Road, Mouth To Mouth and Pure
S . . .. I love the Italian neo-realist
films like Bicycle Thieves, because
they are simple, emotional stories
of people in the city. I’d love to
make an Australian Midnight
C[...]x 3”, what would you say?

I’d say I’d read the script. *

Carole Skinner, Grigor Taylor a[...]

How do you feel about the por-
trayal of women in Australian films?

I don[...]y roles have shown women in
any depth. Very often the actresses
have nothing to get their teeth into.
I[...]e scripts written
by women. I think this could be the
answer. We could do some really
good things.

The[...]eve this.

Is there a common theme in your
work?

The subjects very much dictate
what I do. Until now, the docu-
mentaries I have done have been on
artists. I am totally influenced by
the artists I try to represent. In a
sense, this feature film I am doing
[Emma’s War] will be the same. It’s
dictated by the characters and

by the time they live in. There
is a certain mood I want to
the 19403, the war. I don’t want it
to be a heavy psychological drama.
I want it to be a film that portrays
the period and gives you some
insight into the characters of the
woman and her two children, and
what the war does to them.

You have written the script. Will
you direct it?

Yes. I wrote it with my husband,
Peter Smalley, and at the moment
it looks as though I will be pro-
ducing it, too. The producers I have
approached here have all been to[...]Australia [from
Britain] and I sent an outline to the
Australian Film Commission.
Steve Wallace and the other
assessors said they liked the idea
and gave me a little bit of money —
I think $300 — to develop the treat-
ment. I thought that was very
encouraging![...]w did you go about writing it?

When we discussed the project, I
had talked about the idea of using
improvizations with the actors. But
when I started the treatment, I real-
ized I was never really going to get
a script together if the whole thing
were only going to be set out as
guid[...]so I started.

A few months later I went back
to the AFC and the assessors (a
different lot, of course) thought the
script was lousy, more like a novel
than a script[...]o work on it together.

get, of

Last year I took the third draft to
London with me and showed it to
Al[...]nger,
without losing its integrity. I also
showed the draft to Sandy Lieber-
son who said he thought it[...]still with Warner
Bros?

Yes, but he is now with the Ladd
Company. He liked it, but he didn’t
think[...]eached an audience
anywhere, really.

I then took the draft to Greg
Coote at Roadshow and he said
much the same sort of thing: it was
too gentle, not dramat[...]At one point I thought, “God, we
are changing the whole concept of
the script and I will end up with this
psychological[...]to
do a Margarethe von Trotta—type
drama about the psychological dis-
turbances of two sisters. It’s meant
to be a film about the celebration of
life as seen by an adolescent, a film
which will try to point out, in a
subtle way, the stupidity of war.

Actually, I was able to take some
of the suggestions people made and
develop them without changing my
feeling for the script. We devel-
oped a sensory scene for the mother
which will give the actors a chance
to do interesting things. So I di[...].

Who have you thought of casting in
it?

I gave the script to Michele Faw-
don, who’s reading it. I want her to
play the part of the mother; it’s a
lovely part for her. She has to be a
lush and still retain the audience’s
sympathy. She is a warm, sensual
womanthe money
arriving in time?

Yes. I have people who will put
money in providing the AFC come
to the party. I’ll know in the next
couple of weeks where I stand
there.

It app[...]l be using a small
crew . . .

A very small crew; the absolute
minimum. I think that is going to
be bet[...]el-
lous directors. I worked with Jack
Clayton on The Innocents; I played
the part of Miss Jessel, the ghost.
One of the things he did when we
had a difficult scene — where he
had to do a close-up of me crying
— was to clear the set. There were
only Jack and Freddie Francis, the
lighting cameraman, and about
eight people instea[...]ended being cut,
anyway. Truman Capote, who
wrote the script along with John
Mortimer and Jack, thought all the
close-ups of the ghost were too

~ ».".‘i§

Michele Faw[...]

I had very good training in New
York at.the Theatre Studio with
Curt Conway and Lonnie Chap-[...]n things
that are going to worry me — keep-
ing the camera fluid and so on —
but once I start the first scene and
am into it, anything that looks
w[...]u have someone to handle
production things during the shoot?

Yes, I am going to have a very
good produ[...]ll be
directing, but I’ll have a lot to do
with the art direction, too. I have a
definite idea about the look of the
film. I.’ll have a design co-ordinator
working with me and looking for
props and everything, but the
overall decisions about the look of
the film will be mine. Brian Probyn
will be doing som[...], velvety look, or a strong
decorative look where the patterns
the shadows make will be

emphasized.

How long will the shoot be?

Four weeks, with four weeks’
pre-pro[...]s —— a lot of it is
being shot in a valley in the Blue
Mountains — so we don’t want to
carry heavy equipment anyway.

What will you do with the film when
it is finished?

The script at the moment is with
Roadshow, but I really see it more
as an art-house type film, maybe
showing somewhere like the Dendy
in Sydney. I don’t see with that
kind of budget it is going to be the
sort of film that Warners would be
interested in distributing. It
depends . . . if the acting really
takes off and it moves people, then[...]me why I haven’t
done a short film first. Well, the
answer is that it is so difficult to get
them sho[...]g a feature length, one
can at least have a go on the market
place.

How did the 85-minute length
arrive?

Well, I was aiming at 9[...], depending on how much
time we devote to filming the land-
scape, which is an important part of
the film. It was originally con-
ceived as an hour—long film, but I
couldn’t achieve the slow kind of
dramatic build-up I wanted at that
l[...]udget films?

Yes. I feel that quite strongly. I

The fashion parade in L”/ylie Jessop 's Flamingo Park.

Filmography : C lytie Jessop

1970 The Stolen Child

1977 David Boyd: Return to Sfumato[...]irectors like Jack
Clayton, I was always aware of the
horrible waste of money; it just
didn’t seem ne[...]te good to try and
stick to low budgets. A lot of the
world’s greatest directors made
their best films on low budgets. The
flops usually occur when they have
too much mone[...]phic —
Panavision, Steadicam, Dolby
sound . . . the works — then I
would love to have a go at some-[...]ve to do a
really expensive thriller —- not for
the money, but just to be able to use
this marvellous[...]t about “Flam-
ingo Park”, particularly about the
way you have sold it?

Columbia-EMI-Warner paid
3000 pounds ($5100) for the rights
for three years. That was just for
the British rights, but compared to
what Roadshow pai[...]lian rights —
it seemed very good for a short.

The AFC had loaned me the
money for the 35mm blow-up and
Roadshow and Columbia-EMI-
Warner used the 35mm negative.
Columbia-EMI-Warner must have
spent four times as much as I spent
making the film on the 100 prints
they had done. I wanted the film to
be seen by as wide an audience as
possibl[...]ose sales, although in retrospect I
don’t think the money paid was
adequate. It has also been sold to[...]tion”! l’ve had a lot of
print sales locally: the National
Gallery in Canberra, the Art Gal-
lery of New South Wales and the
State film libraries have all bought
it. i[...]

to the second
3 Edition

". . . an invaluable referen[...]with an interest — vested or altruistic —
in the continuing film renaissance down
under . . .”

VARIETY

“The most useful reference book for me
in the past year . . .”
Flay Stanley SCREEN INTERNATIONAL

“The Australian Motion Picture Yearbook
is a great asset to the film industry in
this country. We at Kodak find it
invaluable as a reference aid for the
i"dU5"Y-” David Wells
Manager
Motion Picture an[...]arkets Division
KODAK

“. . . one has to admire the detail and
effort which has gone into the yearbook.
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

“Anyone interested in Australian films,
whether in the industry or who just
enjoys watching them, will find plenty to
interest him in this book.”

THE SUN-HERALD (Sydney)

“This significant publicat[...]s but everyone

interested in Australian film.”
THE HERALD (Melbourne)

“May I congratulate you on[...]us, and
I'm sure to most people in, and outside,
the business.”

Mike Walsh HAYDEN PRICE
PRODUCTIONS

“The 1981 version of the Australian
Motion Picture Yearbook is not only
bigger, it’s better — as glossy on the
outside as too many Australian films try
to be an[...]ent as
many more Australian films ought to be

M

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

“l have been receiving the Cinema
Papers Motion Picture Yearbook for the
past two years, and always find it to be
full of[...]ful 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 good effort from the Cinema
Papers team, and essential as a desk-top
r[...]body interested in our

feature film industry.”
THE ADELAIDE ADVERTISER

“An indispensable reference for anyone
working in or dealing with the Australian
film industry.”
David White
BROOKS W[...]rehensive directory of show-biz
Australian style, the Motion Picture
Yearbook is an indispensable guide — an
encyclopaedia of one of the most
progressive and exciting film industries

to emerge this century."
CLEO

The Third (1985) Edition

The Third Edition of the Motion Picture Yearbook will be totally revised
and updated.

As in the past, all entrants will be contacted to check the accuracy of
entries, and many new categories will be added to the Yellow Pages

directory and film personnel checklists.

The Yearbook will again take a detailed look at what’s been happening in all
sections of the Australian film scene over the past year, including financing,
distribution and[...]s of profiles is also underway and will highlight the careers of
director Peter Weir, composer Brian Ma[...]derson and actor Mel Gibson.

A new attraction in the 1983 edition will be an extensive editorial secti[...]film financing, special effects, and a survey of the impact
our films are having in the U.S.

specifications

Size 85 (240 x 18[...]

the State of

the TI

ue to its visual nature and its roots,
one has to face the fact that cinema
is a contemporary artform. What[...]popular artform: like
all artforms of today, for the first
time in the history of western man, it belongs
to the people rather than being the sole prop-

erty of the monk, recluse, dilettante, idiot king
or the church.

rt was never of great interest to the
masses, and certainly wasn’t enter-
taining when it was a tool to present
them with icons for worship in the
golden age of Christianity, or when
paintings were commissioned to inflate the
importance of officialdom through portraiture.
Before the 18005, art had only been the property
of the people when artists made personal state-
ments or observations, which seemed to be the
privilege of the Dutch painters from Hierony-
mous Bosch through B[...]d within religious or
monarchic requirements: for the glorification of
man in the eyes of man, or man in the eyes ofhis
gods. The social/political illustrators of the 17th
and 18th centuries in Britain prove an excep[...]Rowlandson,
Gillray), but art was not freed from the hold of
the cogniscenti until the mid—l9th Century.

Conversely, art cannot exist[...]own; it must be broadcast, shared and discussed.
The man sitting alone in a room of his house,
gigglin[...]made public. Consequently, it is worth a look at
the state of the arts in general — at a few
prevalent attitudes to it, and its relationship with
the rest of the outside world. It seems to be
pretty difficult for film to be accepted as an art-
form — the subject is badly taught at schools,
and only considered from the point of view of
criticism (after the event), or as a potential
trade. Peter Wollen makes this point in his book
Signs and Meanings in the Cinema (1969):

“. .. universities still contin[...]of immediacy
and failing in energy, paralysed by the
enormity of the challenge that has been
thrown down (at the feet of aesthetics by
cinema).”

Yet it remains[...]e messages that people leave behind
when they go. The theoretical study of film is no
more complicated than the study of painting or
music — the premises are the same as they
always have been —— and, as the photographer

CINEMA PAPERS April — 143

All the arts in the 20th Century are open
slather for anyone. Every a[...]ork that has developed since World War 2 has
been the result of innovation, experimentation,
writing an[...]s to
principles and strictures that are as old as the
hills that some of the earliest western pictures
were carved into.

The creative world is richer and busier than
ever. Dozens of objects are tossed into orbit
around the earth each year. There are people
walking about with synthetic organs inside them,
but the artist acts like a gourmet standing in an
exotic[...]buy for
his supper; whereas, in fact, we now have the
entire history of mankind, and his leftovers (or[...]roductions to a supermarket, and they will be
out the door as fast as electric drills in the week
before Father’s Day. The image is well
established —— very obviously,[...]e -
and it is uncontroversial. Why?

ut how about the commissioning,
designing and erection of that bright
yellow sculpture for the city square in
Melbourne? The piece is actually
called Vault, referring to the curved,
leaping pieces and the enclosed vault below
them. The piece was commissioned (by the city
council that was uprooted only shortly before
the sculpture was uprooted) to grace the bare
floor of the new city square. The reaction by the

press and public was strikingly similar to that of

a pack of hyenas, accustomed to having the vast
wastes of a desert to itself, coming across
an archaeology expedition encamped for the
night, setting upon them and eating every last
soul. Melbourne’s citizens ate all the more
ravenously when that “moral whore” and
champion of free thought and speech, the press,
disclosed the price that had been paid for the
sculpture.

The piece in question had to suffer the
indignity of being used as a graffiti board and to
wear its popular and bigoted title of the “yellow
peril”, before being moved to a small park by
the Yarra.

The council which ordered the piece from
Donald Swan must surely have approved the
design and costing of this inanimate object on
which so many people have vented their
aggression against the Asians and asserted their
determination not to look at anything that exists
without apparent function; yet the council did
not defend its democratic decision to com-
mission the work. Despite the fact that Vault is
by modern standards a conserva[...]cclaim for it
until he is safely dead and buried, the rarity of
the piece then increasing its value out of all pro-
portion to its worth.

I saw the commissioning, erection, dis-
mantling and resiti[...]ost perfect example of that
artform. I recognized the concept of collective
artworks (as a filmmaker must), and that the
function and duty of the artist is to reflect and
demonstrate the state of society of the time. I

144 — April CINEMA PAPERS

had not[...], and attempts are made to

this kind of genius.

The poet Paul Eluard had something to say on
this subject when he described the work of the
Marquis de Sade:

“Written almost entirely in prison, the work

seems to be for ever in disgrace and banned.

The price that must be paid for its appearance

in the light of day is the disappearance of a

world where stupidity and cow[...]. , v.

Above: Blue Boy — supermarket sales by the hundred. Below:
Vault, now in its new home of Batman Park.

rationalize the new as being a progression of its
precursor. Howe[...]genuinely new inventions or

discoveries, while the issues
under discussion remain the same: how can I
ensure eternal life?; the good-evil dialogue; what
is life?; who am I?; wha[...]ls that
have derived from innovative movements of the
past are easily recognized when directly referred
to graphically, but the concepts encapsulated
within those images have al[...]ive consciousness. This is clearly
illustrated by the work of the surrealist
movement, whose main body of work under that
group heading was done between thethe contemporary view
of surrealist ideas is linked with the paintings,
objects and photographs by the group — the
images they created —— rather than with the
poetry, writing and films which show clearly that[...]and
jokes rather than a visual movement, such as the
Post Impressionist school had been. Howeve[...]

ast styles of art, and references to
them, are familiar to many film-
makers, but to quote from the past
makes no sense unless the essential
meaning of the original image is
conveyed. Quotation is a kind o[...]lian film that such and such a scene was
based on the work of painters Rupert Bunny and
Hans Heysen, say, and the final outcome of that
scene may well have been a[...]his use of their
work imparted something extra to the
atmosphere of the period, or unless the whole
film had been constructed around their imag[...]sual media, I would suggest that
to mention it in the first place was a mistake, as
visual research usually only serves to provide
inspiration to help the approach to mood or
lighting, for instance. On the other hand, an
entire sequence that was based on the work of
painters from the Impressionist school (e.g., the
final ballet in Vincente Minnelli’s An American In
Paris), works because it combines the visions of
10 artists, who had been working in Paris early

in the century, with the film’s ability to move the
dancers in and out of tableaux and scenes,
making the painted images even more expressive
by bringing them to life. That sounds rather
distasteful, but the effect is pure magic.

Designed by Irene Scharaff[...]moments in real life, but we are
allowed to enjoy the chorus girls kicking their
legs, and the customers frolicking in a
reconstruction of one of Toulouse-Lautrec’s
haunts, that shows both the life of the cafe and
the artists’ interpretations at once.

This is, per[...]familiar
with cafe society, but understandable to the most
naive of audiences once explained on film. In
this way, even the most abstract notions can be
communicated to vast sections of the public; by
integrating various familiar images and activi-
ties, in this case the atmosphere that generated
the original paintings is recreated, thereby also
promoting a better understanding of the work of
art itself.

This perhaps illustrates an earlier point about
advancing the cause of art and thought by use of
well-designed film images. Film is one ofthe few
forums available to the artist to promote new
concepts —— not to a select few peers or to the
academic world, but to almost the whole
English-speaking world. Take for example
mu[...]performed in a concert hall,
would cause most of the audience to walk out,
denouncing the music as modern garbage,
having no form and meaning nothing. The critics
would label it as avant—garde, daring, modern
jazz, or concrete music, using these tags to
discuss the work, instead of listening to it and
enjoying its free flight.

However, in the context of the film for which
the piece was composed, the music may have the
most extraordinary effect of raising the

Film Production Design/Part Two

audience’s emotions of fear, sorrow, suspense or
laughter because the music is as much illustrated
by the accompanying images on the screen as
those images are substantiated by the music. The
film has been strengthened by the sounds, and
the sounds made understandable. The sounds
which would have caused so much distress i[...]possible that many people will buy a recording
of the music to play at home, being able to
visualize the images from the film as they listen
to it again.

he ability of m[...]restricted,

unless it is done for them, despite the

fact that anyone can be taught to

draw, or play[...]motor
car. It is just a matter of being shown how the
process is done with the tools, and (more
importantly) the principles of the concepts
behind these activities. Yet, there is a[...]ceived to
throw over old or established concepts: the
“stupidity and cowardice” of which Paul Eluar[...]areness of ideas, and
giving them visual form, is the role and duty of
the artist in society.

The artist looks at himself and his sur-
roundings in a critical manner, seeing the
ironies, injustices, shames and joys of life with[...]by those who pull
strings and have any clout with the established
order. There is an awful fear that the people will
be upset by innovation. If, however, the joy of
the creator were shared by the patron of his art,
then that spirit would be automatically passed
on to the public. This obviously relates to the
fine arts as much as to film production.

It is often said of history that it is after the
event and not at the time that historians can look
back and see[...]

,“What will the historians say about us in 50

years?” is not a[...]er perspective, which is true to an
extent. I see the on—the-spot historian of all ages
to be the artist in all his different guises,
reflecting and showing the state of society of the
time; and sometimes even prophesying events to
co[...]y; and we can
now enjoy laughing at examples from the past.
The music of Mozart was abused because it was
seen to[...]es in each piece. But we now see
Mozart as one of the fathers of latter-day
musical form. The Impressionist painters were
shouted down, because, ironically at the time of
the advent of photography, their work was not
truly a[...]nting light, not reproducing past
modes of seeing the world. My grandfather had
the opportunity at the beginning of the century
to buy works of Paul Cezanne at very reas[...]isited Paris, but declined

because he considered the paintings incomplete.
While that conservatism mak[...]s it happening right under our noses,
right row?

The Impressionists’ simple but beautiful
paintings are now an important part of our
visual language. The work of Pablo Picasso has
enabled us to recognize[...], giving us
yet more shorthand devices, including the
everyday understanding of forms such as the
newspaper cartoon drawing, in all its different
characters. The attention by these artists of the
early 20th Century to the art of other more
primitive cultures has given us an understanding
of images from all over the world. Perhaps their
appreciation of New Guinea c[...]inding us how
simple life really is.

But this is the late 20th Century; there will be
more to follow a[...]nd invention. There
may be fewer people around on the planet, but
the people calling themselves artists will con-
tinue[...]r elders and more reactionary
peers apoplectic in the attempt to understand life
rather than force a me[...]e some progress in love-
making, who knows?

the

can distinctly remember, as a child in

Britain[...]ior wall [it by one
splash of weak light, showing the gaunt face with
its tousle of short hair, sat a f[...]ing in a low, hoarse voice. _He said
something to the effect that Australia is “no
place for a thinking person or artist;'the people
there have no appreciation of anything . . . it’s
hell.”

In the eight years I have lived here now, I have
often w[...]lebrated expatriates, or perhaps he was thrown
to the sharks by his own despair, or that of his
public.[...]trouble. Australia has become
an adult member of the western world during the
past 20 years; we share our mutual achievements
with other countries through the excellent
communications systems that we all take[...]re taking notice of us: what we
have to export in the arts is quite acceptable.
But that hoarse black a[...]: there is so little
conviction that anything but the tried and tested
concepts are worthy of consideration. Where is
the adventure that gave rise to the country’s
growth in the first place? What has happened in
the arts, and particularly in filmmaking, is that
we are producing a stylistic facsimile of the
outside world’s product in the very same way
that the civilization of Australia has emulated
and reproduced the comforts and safety of
western civilization. I do[...]ne within ridiculously-
tight shooting schedules. The technical quality of
our work in most areas is of[...]at to do with this wonderful facility; that
often the initiators and producers are not up to
the standard of their technical crew. .

Until recently the subject matter of films
made in Australia was safely devoted to
period pieces — ideas safely ensconced in the
past — where stories perhaps more relevant to
the present day had their edges softened and
their messages tempered and lost in the froth of
bygone periods and their lush trappings, giving
the distinct impression that these filmmakers did
not want to be seen to be saying anything of
consequence in the first place. There is also a
school of thought that to gain acceptance on the
international market we must lose our identity in
copying customs, accents and traits of the
customer countries. Are the Americans going to
respect us any more for pretending that we drive
on the right-hand side of the road, or for trying
to make Sydney look like New[...]eling
that if production companies are to
promote the development of artists
and film form in this country, then
they must be prepared to accept the
consequent financial losses. If this is a real fe[...]everal
times — then it only serves to show that the
producers in question are not intimately familiar
with the true nature of their professed medium.
It smacks of the medieval attitudes I mentioned
earlier. The answer to anyone who wants to sell
something new[...]compelling manner that reinforces and
underscores the idea; and there are people in the
film industry — creative people within A[...]

For General Exhibition (G)

The Contract: R. Chow, Hong Kong, 2605m, P. Chan

Har[...]J. Waietzky, U.S.,
987m, Sharmill Films

Kings oi the Square Ring (videotape): Y. Kawan,
Japan, 102 min[...]dder than Mad (16mm): Not shown, Greece,
95'.30m. The Castellorizian Club

On Any Sunday II: R. Riddeli[...]Job: F. Chis, Hong Kong, 2550m, M. Louey
Poverty, The Hustler (16mm): Pergamis Film, Greece,
987m, The Castellorizian Club

Vanuatu — Struggle to Free[...]m, Joe Siu
lnt’l Film Co., O(emoiloneI stress)

The Foreign Student: First Films, Hong Kong, 2414m,
Comfort Film Enterprises, 0(adu/t concepts)

The Great Cheat: Hwa Llang Movie Co., Hong Kong,
2475[...]ts
(A'sIa), V(I—I-I). L(I-I-I)

Love Comes from the Sea: C. Ling, Hong Kong,
2797m, Joe Siu lnt’l F[...]Joe Siu Int'l Film Co., O(emofioneI stress)

— The Prince Love story: First Films, Hong Kong, 2610m,

Comfort Film Enterprises, V(i-I-j)

The Private Eyes (b): R. Chow, Hong Kong, 257Bm, P.
Chan, V(l-/-/)

Race to the Yankee Zephyr: Hemdale, New Zeaiand,
2962.44m, GU[...](I-m-i)

Return from Matopo (16mm): Greece, 987m, The
Castellorlzian Club, V(i-I-/)

crbot Monster: P.[...]g, 2285m, doe Siu
Int'l Film Co., O(aduIt theme)

The Story of the Green House: Elegant Films Co.,
Hong Kong, 2602m,[...]Eyes (June 1981 list).

For Mature Audiences (M)

The Boxer from the Temple: Shaw Bros, Hong Kong,
2642m, Joe Siu lnt’l Film Co., V(f-m-g)

The Convict Killer: Shaw Bros, Hong Kong, 2726.97m.
Joe Siu lnt’l Film Co., V(f-m-i)

The Dev|l’a Men (16mm): Getty Picture Corp.,
Britai[...]: Not shown, Hong Kong, 2989m,
P. Chan, V(f-m-g)

The King and the Eunuch: T. Lung, Hong Kong,
2454.14m, Comfort Fil[...]m,
Sharmill Films, O(adult theme) _

Love Between the Raindrops: Fiimove Studio Barran-
dov, Czechoslovakia, 3458m, Roadshow Dist., S(I-m-/)
Mission for the Dragon: Asso Asia Film, Hong Kong,
2219m, Eupo Film Co., V(f-m-g)

The Mortal storm: Golden Harvest, Hong Kong,
2605.85m, Dynasty Film Dist., V(l-m-g)

The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia: Avco Em-
bassy, U.S.,[...], 2496.13m,
Cinema lnt‘l Corp., O(adulf theme)

The Patriot Game (16mm): lskra, France, 1020m,
Australian Film institute. WI-m-i)

Prince of the City: B. Harris. U.S., 4418m, Warner Bros
(Aust.)[...]lumbia Film Dist., S(i-l—i). O(aduIt concepts)

The Bhaolin Invlncibleez Elegant Films Co., Hong
Kong, 2545m, Lilond, V(f-m-g)

The Snake Man: Dararoath Film, Hong Kong, 2743m,
Lilo[...]B9m,
Lilond, V(f-m-g)

Films examined in terms of the Customs (Cinematograph Films) Regulations and Sta[...]tuitous

For Restricted Exhibition (R)

Behind the Green Door (modified British version)
(videotape)[...]31.55m,

resslve Training

Seven Keys, S(i'-m-g)

The Professional Killer: Prog Co.,
Hong Kong, 2478m,[...]ns, Electric Blue (A‘asia), S(f-m-g)

Return of the Deadly Blade: New Century Film, Hong
Kong, 2668m,[...]U.S., 290Dm,
GUO Film Dist., V(i-m-i), L(I-m-i)

The Stewerdeeses (original SD version) (a): Louis K.
Sher Prods, U.S., 2522.B2m, G.L. Film Enterprises
S(f-m-g)

The Thorn: Framemorgen Prods, U.S., 1978.39m, G.L.
Fi[...]minetlons

For Restricted Exhibition (R)

City of the Living Dead (pre-censor cut version): G.
Maslni,[...]ns: 8m (44 secs)

Reason for deletions: S(/-h-g)

The Young Hitchhikers (pre-censor cut version)
(16mm)[...],
2057.50m, A.Z. Associated Theatres, S(i—h-g)

The Other side ot Julia (videotape) (b): C. Gifford,[...]r 1978 list.

Films Board of Review

smokey Bites the Dust (a): New World Pictures, U.S.,
2352m, Roadshow Dist.

Decision reviewed: Classify “R" by the Film Censorship
Board.

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

(a) Previously shown on September 1981 list.

Note: Length oi the film Body Heat shown as 2770.43m
(September 1981 list) should read 3095.57m.
Length of the film Full Moon shown as 2286.82m
(July 1981 list)[...]without Eiiminations

For General Exhibition (G)

The Cheat (16mm): Paramount, U.S., 1593m, National
Li[...]nt,
Australia, 2454.14m, Universal Entertainment

The Headless Horseman (16mm): Paul Kllliem Film
Class[...]wn. Hong Kong, 2676m, Com-
fort Fiim Enterprises

The Tinder Box (16mm): Advance Films, Denmark,
735m,[...]August 1981 list).

For Mature Audiences (M)

All the Wrong ciuae (For the Right solution): Cinema
City and Films, Hong Kong, 2739m, Golden Reel Films,
Sf!‘-m-9). V(i-m-9)

The Amateur: Michael Drabinsky Prod./Pan Canadian
Fil[...]2523.56m, Reid &
Puskar, V(f-m-g)

Die variable (The Fiancee): Dela, E. Germany,
2984.02n1, Quality Fi[...]Casselman/McMuilan Prod., U.S./Greece,
2221.83m, The House of Dare, O(nudify)

Flag of iron: Shaw Bros[...]n, 2231.04m, United
Artists (A‘asia), V(f-m-g)

Thethe Silver Fox: Asso Asia Film, Hong Kong,
2352.68m,[...].S., 3151.34m,
Roadshow Dist., O(aduIt concepts)

The Tigress of Shaoiln: R. Shaw, Hong Kong,
2717.36m,[...]Kong,
2806m, Comfort Film Enterprises, V(f-m-g)

The Captives (VI fangnl) (reconstructed version) (a):[...]ven, Denmark, 1561.73m. Cinerama Films,
S(f-m-g)

The confession of a N nlec: A. Brummer, W.
Germany, 2[...]d version) (c): Trlnacra Films.
France, 2580.20m, The House of Dare, S(f-m-g)
Evllepeair (reduced versi[...]s, U.S.,
2509.92m, Warner Bros (Aust.), V(f-m-g)

The Happiest Moment: Shaw Bros, Hong Kong,
2592.40m,[...]Hong
3122.87m,-Joe Siu lnt’l Film Co., V(f-m-g)
The Losers (16mm): Fan Fare Films, U.S., 1053.38m,
Blake Films Vic., V(f-m-g)

The Midnight Jogger (16mm): Fieetan Films, U.S.,
592.38m, 14th Mandolin, S(f-m-g)

The New Adventures of Snow White (videotape): J.
Cros[...], 2468.B8m,
Blake Films Vic., S(i-m-9). V(f-m-g)

The Worst of the Los Angelee Erotic Film Festival
(16mm): P. Grego[...]letions: V(i-h-g), O(imitab/e gunmaking)
Night of the Warlock (16mm) (pre-censor cut version)
(a[...]

E E 9 0 0 clients include cinema Papers, The Australian Motion
Picture Yearbook, channels W-Video Magazine, the Australian Music Direc-
tory, the Victorian Film Corporation, the Australian Film Commission, FGH Film
Consortium, The Age Good Food Guide and the Melbourne Film Festival.

E E G O G will join you[...]eate, explore and realize your design needs under the direction of
award-winning designer Keith[...]

SOON FOR RELEASE

The Documentary

Documentary films occupy a special
place in the history and development of
Australian filmmaking. From the pioneering
efforts of Baldwin Spencer to Damien
P[...]ntary filmmakers have
been acclaimed world-wide.

The documentary film is also the
mainstay of the Australian film industry.
More time, more money a[...]form —
features, shorts or animation.

In this, the first comprehensive
publication on Australian doc[...]authors and filmmakers
have combined to.examine the evolution of
documentary filmmaking in Australia, and

the state of the art today.

ntents

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 key f[...]tralia

Documentary Producers

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

The Marketplace

The market for Australian documentary films, here and[...]a Documentary

A series of case studies examining the making of
documentaries. Examples include large b[...]R NOW

Film

Each case study examines, in detail, the steps in-the
production of the documentary, and features interviews

with the key production, creative and technical personnel
involved.

The Australian Documentary: Themes
and Concerns

An examination of the themes, precccupations and film
forms used by Aus[...]tors.

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, distribution

and marketing. A forward look at the marketplace and

the changing role of the documentary.

Prbducers and Directors Checklist[...]rmation for those dealing with, or
interested in, the documentary film. This section will
include list[...].

Published by Cinema Papers in association with the
Victorian Film Corporation.

ORDER FORM

f"W
Please send me |__l copies of The Documentary Film in Australia @ $9.95.

Ch[...]

“A must for anyone . H
interested in the local film industry.

A ustralian Playboy

“Everything one could possibly want to

know about the Australian film industry

seems to be contained in the

Australian Motion Picture Yearbook. . . a
reference book no one seeking information about
the film industry Down Under can afford to be

w"h0m'[...]981/82

Cinema Papers is pleased to armounce that the 1981/ 82 edition of the

Australian Motion Picture Yearbook can now be ordered.
The enlarged, updated 198 1/ 82 edition contains many[...]rs, editors and sound recordists

0 Monographs on the work of director Bruce Beresford, producer Matt C[...]FeSflV3|S n war S i
ll

Exhibition; Governmentand the Film r . . - -
Industry; Film Organizations; Fest[...]t(a:iis‘ng';\JeF€i}ler‘tiIve Censorship’

The Me‘“3- Directors of Photography, Editors, Pro[...]xhibitors yer 'sers " ex

Fill out order form for the 1980 and 1981/82 Editions on page 8 of thi[...]

AUSTRALIAN TII The first 25 years

records, year by year, all the important television
events. Over 600 photographs[...]erve memories
of programmes long since wiped from the tapes.

The book covers every facet of television
programming[...]van Hutchinson.

AUSTRALIAN TII takes you back to the time

when television for most Australians was a
curiosity — a shadowy, often soundless, picture in
the window of the local electricity store. The
quality of the early programmes was at best
unpredictable, but still people would gather to
watch the Melbourne 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 theThe Mavis Bramston Show. With
the popularity of that rude and irreverent show,
Aust[...]ion came into its own.
Programmes like Number 96, The Box, Against
the Wind, Sale of the Century have achieved
ratings that are by[...]

UUUE lllfilll

208 pps, 28cm x 20. 5cm (II" x 8")

s -In this major work on the Australian film industry’s
dramatic rebirth, 1[...]an invaluable record

for all those interested in the New Australian Cinema

The chapters: The Past (Andrew Pike), Social Realism (Keith Connoll[...]de (Sam Rohdie).

$14.95

Fill out order form for The NewAustralian Cinema on page 8 of this spe[...]

Behind the screen

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MOVIES ON VIDE[...]

It your needs[...]sorting, or even
direct mailing, feel secure with the knowledge that, with
hundreds of installat[...]

Mike Walsh Leo James 8

The Video Censorship Mess: What You Should Know Damie[...]and materials supplied for this
magazine, neither the Editors nor the
Publishers accept any liability for loss or

dama[...]may not be reproduced in whole or in part
without the permission of the copyright

owner. Channels is published by Cinema[...].

Editors: Peter Beilby, John Pruzanski.

The editors would like to thank the follow-
ing ior their help and co-operation: Road-
show Distributors (the stills from Alvin
Purple); Australian Film instit[...]nt; and Canberra
Times (for permission to reprint the photo
of Gough Whitlaml.

© Copyright[...]

The book covers every facet of television
programming[...]Ivan Hutchinson.

AUSTRALIAN TV takes you back to the time
when television for most Australians was a
curiosity — a shadowy, often soundless, picture in
the window of the local electricity store. The
quality of the early programmes was at best
unpredictable, but still people would gather to
watch the Melbourne 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 and Britain.

Then came The Mavis Bramston Show. With
the popularity of that rude and irreverent show,
Aust[...]ion Came into its own.
Programmes like Number 96, The Box, Against
the Wind, Sale of the Century have achieved
ratings that are by world s[...]try.

go get a copy 0_/‘Australian TV, fill our the order form in the centre pages of Cinema
apers.

Metro Telev[...]

In February, police struck again in
the West Australian mining town of
Port Hedland.

Hopefully, the incidence of video
piracy will be curtailed with the
announcement of stiffer penalties.
The previous fines were $10 a
cassette, up to a maxim[...]ences.

Aunty Roars

“ABC Australia is probably the
second most active television pro-
ducer in the world", says Wynn
Nathan, the president of Lionheart
Television International, now exclu-
sive distributors of ABC programs in
the US, Canada and South America.
The ABC's previous distributor, Don
Taffner, was also distributor for the
Canadian Broadcasting System and
Thames Televisio[...]as more time to promote ABC
programs effectively. The Alvin
Purple series is a natural for
rated cable[...]oadcasting.

Lionheart is also a co-producer
with the ABC, the first production
being the seven-hour mini-series,
1915.

The Betamax case

Universal and Disney Studios have
won the latest round in the ‘Betamax’
case in the U.S. in 1979, Universal,
together with Walt Disney Studios.
sued for damages over breach of
copyright. The defendants were an
individual owner of a Betamax video-
cassette recorder and the Sony
Corporation of the U.S.

The case centred on the right of the
individual to record programs for his
own use. Sony won the first round
and the video industry heaved a sigh
of relief. But the judgment was later
overturned by a Federal Appeal[...]able royalty" from manu-
facturers. After winning the court
decision, MCA (Universais parent
company) t[...]anufacturer
and distributor of video recorders in
the US.

Sony now has two courses open to
it: to wait until the Supreme Court can
hear the case, or to call for Federal
legalization of home—taping. In
working for the latter, Sony has spent
$2 million in newspaper advertise-
ments urging the public to let their
legislators know how they feel about
the Appeals Court decision. In the
advertisements, Sony claims the VCR
is only a device to beat the
constraints of time.

The decision in the U.S. has no
bearing on Australian copyright law,[...]-
tion to videotaping, but could easily
influence the outcome here. The Aus-
tralian Audio—Video Tape Association
belie[...]—cassettes if proposals from
representatives of the Australian
Copyright Council get government
appro[...]tures in an alleged infringement
over episodes of the successful tele-
vision series Star Trek. The cult
status of the series made it a major
seller in video; pirated c[...]mount Pictures failed to
put copyright notices on the films, but
the court has decreed that copyright
applied nonethel[...]SI
Fox?

When oil billionaire Marvin Davis
bought the Twentieth Century-Fox
Corporation, it was rumored that he
wanted to sell part of the Fox lot to
raise capital. The precedent had been
set when the highly-priced luxury
suburb, Century City, was carved out
of the original back lot.

it now seems Davis will sell[...]buy a 50 per
cent interest in Studio Center from
the US. broadcasting giant CBS. The
Studio Center lot in the San Fernando
Valley section of Los Angeles houses[...]lease their product on CED
videodiscs.

Then came the announcement of
Twentieth Century-Fox Video and
C[...]eo
products. This new agreement throws
into doubt the old agreement CBS
had with MGM. CBS has also resu[...]stages
of development.

Record Fee For Rights

The Los Angeles Olympic Com-
mittee accepted a $9.2 million bid for
the exclusive Australian rights to tele-
vise the 1984 Summer Olympic
Games. The winner was, unexpec-
tedly, the Ten Network. To put this
figure into perspective, the European
Broadcasting Union, an association
of Eu[...]r those same rights.

Commercial-free
Television

The much—publicized Dix Report on
funding of the ABC suggested that
the Commission should use some of
the revenue-raising methods of the
Public Broadcasting System in the
U.S. This commercial—free network
raises money[...].

Contributing corporations get only
a credit at the beginning and end of
programs. Defenders of the Dix
Report consistently denied that
corporate und[...]but it
now seems that 10 P88 network
stations in the U.S. are preparing to
broadcast commercials. Meanwhile,
the ABC will seek to save another
$1.7 million[...]

After six years of rating the ‘best’
and ‘worst’ shows on television, the
National Parents and Teachers
Association in the U.S. has aban-
doned the practice.

The NPTA, still unhappy with the
quality of programming, has adopted
the approach of positive reinforce-
ment, through pub[...]alues. high artistic and technical
qualities, and the absence of grat-
uitous sex and violence. Programs
that do not meet with the organiza-
tion's approval will not be publicized.
Under the old system, it seems, the
list of ‘worst’ programs received most
of the publicity.

Shortage Within Boom

As the extent of the video market in
the PAL format hits home, the blank-
tape suppliers are finding it difficult to
meet the demand. This shortfall is
due to an under-estimate of the size
of the market as the suppliers geared
for production two years ago. It[...]nning 50 per cent over supply.

Another factor is the impact of the
demand for pre-recorded material on
the blank—cassette market, with dis-
tributors clamoring for quality blank

Bruce Gyngell, the G from GC Produc-
tions.

New Talent Show

Undaunted by the recent failure of
ATV—10’s Search For a Star, the Ten
Network is still trying to beat the
highly-successful New Faces on
Nine. It commissio[...]ted by Tim Webster. There will be
cash prizes and the chance to win a
two—week engagement at the MGM
Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.

Actors Settle

Aft[...]dispute, an agree-
ment between Actors Equity and the
Film and Television Production
Association has been signed. The
agreement guarantees actors
employed in serials, mini—series and
telelilms a larger slice of the pro-
ceeds from international sales. The
agreement is valid for two years.

6 -- CHANNELS April 1982

The RCA Capacitance Electronic Disc-
Seiectavision, w[...]s
appointed RCA‘s fourth chairman in
six years. The New York—based
corporation — which manufactur[...]designs and owns satel-
lites, and owns and runs the NBC
television network — lost U.S.$109.3
million in the first three quarters of
1981.

Bradshaw, however, has instilled
new confidence into the corporation.
He dismissed Fred Silverman as head[...]er Moore Enter-
prises. acknowledged as producing
the highest-quality products on U.S.
television.

Bra[...]ement style honed during 17
years as president of the _Los
Angeles-based Atlantic Richfield Oil
Company[...]ant deci-
sions facing him. After poor results of
the first year's sales of RCA’s
Selectavision videodisc — and dis-
missing 400 of its 4000 workers —
the whole future of videodisc. where
RCA has large sums invested, is
clouded.

The Press and The
Third World

An under-reported major news
story, and one whose outcome could
affect all the news read and seen on
television, concerns the efforts of the
Third World to sponsor a “new world
information[...]countries claim they
are being misrepresented by the wes-
tern media and are demanding “posi-
tive"[...]for
control, and believe that no matter
how valid the criticisms of their
coverage, government control of the
media is not the answer.

At a conference in Tallories,
France, in May, where represen-
tatives of the leading western news
organizations gathered. UNES[...]angrily denied charges of Soviet
manipulation in the debate, but it was
noted by the eminent defender of the
free press. Leonard Sussman, that
most of UNESCO'[...]overnments believed in and prac-
tised control of the press by
government.

Up, Up and Away

Sales figures show that for the first
time more than a million VCRs were
sold last year in the US. According to
the Electronic Industries Associa-
tion's Consumer El[...]esents an increase in sales
of 69.1 per cent over the previous
year. There are more than 3 million
VCRs in use in the US.

Meanwhile, according to the Elec-

tronics Industries Association of’

Japan, VCR production and export
doubled for the second year in a row.
Output shot up 114 per cent[...]esident and general manager of
RCA, predicted, at the Consumer
Electronics Show, that the sales of
video hardware and software would
grow t[...]television has
failed to find a program to match the
success of ABC's Countdown. The
Ten Network and Michael Gudinski,
of Mushroom Rec[...]nights a week halt-hour program pro-
bably set in the 5 p.m.—7 p.m. time-
slot. It will be simulcast with Top—4O
stations around the country (3><Y in
Melbourne and 2SM in Sydney).

N[...]pt
called Stereo Home Box Office will
be aired on the last Wednesday of
every month. it will fea[...]

Open Channel would like public
television[...]any pay tele-
vision service that eventuates from
the Australian Broadcasting Tri-
buna|‘s inquiry in[...]bman.

News is Big

Spearheaded by Sixty Minutes, the
Australian version of the US. program
of the same name, the national Nine
Network has become the premier
news and current affairs network in
Australia.

Making use of 24-hours-a-day
satellite links with the U.S., and rights
to the news services of the American
ABC and CBS television networks as
well as United Press International
Television News and the British
News At Ten the Nine Network now
has three other news and current[...]ews services.

Sunday is an Australian version of
the CBS Sunday edition of their
morning news programs[...]cover stories, features and regular
departments.

The World Tonight, hosted by
Sunday's Jim Waley, is based on the
American ABC network's World
News Tonight and Nightline The
new format program, broadcast in a
late-night tim[...]national content, and
by viewers who cannot catch the
early evening news broadcast.

The much—awaited morning news
program The National Today Show,
quietly slipped into Nine‘[...]hen Sue Kellaway joins
Steve Leibman as co-host.

The credit for all this activity must
be partly inspired by the increased
international content of Channel 0/28
n[...]Viewers Complain

Statistics recently released by the
Australian Broadcasting Tribunal
suggest that either Australians are
becoming blase about the quality of
their television, or that the channels
are getting closer to an ideal pro-
gramming formula,

The ABT’s 1980-81 annual report
includes a three-ye[...]in entertainment and
news programs continue to be the
main cause for complaint. The next
most common reasons are specific
allegations[...], for example, 64
correspondents complained about
the televising of R-rated films. Last
year, by comparison, only eight
people were moved to make the same
complaint.

The number of repeats and poor
programs drew 46 compl[...]ut only 21 last year.

More surprising is that of the
291 complaints about general pro-
gramming last year 31 concerned a
single episode of The Don Lane
Show. The viewers put pen to paper
alter Lane interviewed J[...]s.
including Doris Stokes.) Twenty-eight
wrote to the Tribunal objecting to
Lane’s attitude in the interview. Three
expressed support for Lane.

Tel[...]7
written complaints in 1980-81 com-
pared to 278 the year, before. Most
writers were concerned about the
number of advertisements on their
screens, the taste and safety aspects
of some commercials or the adver-
tisement of intimate products. Last
year, for the first time, a few people
also wrote in complaining about
sexism in advertising.

But the largest number of com-
plaints about any single issue was
when 116 people wrote to the ABT
during 1979-80 to question the high
sound level of advertisements — an
issue that barely drew comment any
other year.

Last year, the ABT’s mail contained
37 complaints about the use of
children's and family television time.
Onc[...]nts than in years past, but major
concerns remain the unsuitability of
some programs and the promotion of
adult shows during children's viewin[...]"m1.m.iIiitwAi.
I'ru.v—n- T

One episode of The Don Lane Show at-
tracted over 10 per cent of all the com-
plaints about general programming last
yeah

The ABT report says that 20 per
cent of complaints received during
1980-81 involved a possible breach
of the ABT’s standards; however, only
11 per cent of all complaints were
found to be justified.

The report also notes that since
July 1980 stations h[...]dule programs
classified "C" for children between
the hours 4-5 p.m., Monday to Friday
(although they a[...]modate sports telecastsi. In 1980-81,
Flipper was the most popular
program in this timeslot, drawing an[...]five- to 12-year-
olds in Sydney and Melbourne.

The next four most popular after-
noon programs among the pre-teens
were Mouse Factory, Shir|'s Neigh-
bour[...]nder World (although their
ratings varied between the two state
capitals).

But the most popular show among
five- to 12-year-olds was not shown
in "C“ program time. Sale of the
Century, aired at 7 p.m., pulled in
301,000 pre-t[...]). Ford Superquiz ran a
close second-choice among the
children.

The same breakdown shows that
more under-12—year—olds were glued
to re—runs of the 1960s U.S. sit-com, I
Dream of Jeannie, or stayed up to
watch That's Incredible, The Dukes
of Hazzard, CHiPS and Prisoner,
than tuned in to any of the
classification programs.‘

Elsewhere in its 250 pages, the
report also contains the good news
that Australian content on Australian
television has been steadily
increasing. In the five years surveyed,
the percentage of Australian pro-
grams has increased[...]per
cent in 1976-77 to 49.9 per cent in
1980-81.

The bad news is that the
profitability of the Australian com-
mercial networks dropped 1O per
cent in the 1979-80 financial year.
Even though political advertising
for the 1979 elections added
$2,214,043 to the stations’ revenues,
after tax, the net profit dropped from
$46,838,956 to $42,114,857. The
15 metropolitan stations earned
$28,687,805 or 68 per cent of the
total profit, while the 35 country
stations earned $13,427,052 or 32
per cent of the total. I

1. Figures for Sydney and Melbou[...]

In this interview, during the
christmas break, he took time to
reflect on his w[...]nificant step towards your greater
involvement in the executive area of
television?

Not particularly for me, apart from
seeing the tapes, passing comment
on them and talking about[...]at oneto David and I took more
responsibility for The Mike Walsh
Show. David and I liaise on things, bu[...]ould, however
indirectly, have any involvement in
the programming of 10 or any other
network?

No, they[...]ne it before!
when is your contract up with Nine?
The end of this year.
Do you feel any personal conflict over
the dual roles of personality and

executive .[...]

is what is good for the growth of the
production company necessarily
best for Mike Walsh the performer?
can you separate the two?

Obviously I look after Mike Walsh
the performer because he has been a
good product for[...]ooking after my own talent and being
protected by the people around me. I
think talent handling is anot[...]elevision show was in
1965, a thing called Ten on the Town
on TEN-10. It was nominally a
teenage progra[...]ars and a ballet. We used to record
half of it at the studio and the other
half on location.

Do you remember what you[...]highly available for television;
it was just that the demand was less
than enthusiastic. I thought I would go
into the production side of television,
and I wanted, desp[...]o go down and
haunt Bert Newton when he was
doing The Late Show at HSV-7.

Philip Brady, who is another[...]a booth announcer at GTV-9, and
Pete Smith was at the ABC. Sol knew
a lot of people around; I just didn[...]and how to hold a
program together. I always knew the
type of program I wanted to do, which
is basically the one I do now. It was
only later I realized that v[...]eally my best
bag.

when you were doing “Ten on the
Town", and later “66 And All That”
for TEN-10, did you give up radio?

No, I stayed at 2SM all the way
through. But 2SM went through a few
format ch[...]flfk FD!‘ three

flIOll£'hS. "

but this was the real thing, with the
legal seven-second delay. 80 in 1967
I became the first talk-back radio
announcer on air.

In the meantime, Jack Neary from
NLT and Bill Harmon had asked me to
help out with Don Lane on the
interviews on The Tonight Show at
TCN-9 — somewhere between the job
of announcer and assistant
interviewer. And t[...]Don Lane.

Then. when Don was off air
because of the alleged marijuana
charge, I compared two Tonight[...]d
nothing. But when they decided to go
ahead with the Today program, at the
beginning of 1968, I got that.

Had you heard the[...],
but I agreed and did it for 12 months.
That was the real turning point. After

To my mind, the mistake was
putting it under the news depart-
ment. I had Bobo Faulkner, who was a[...]hearted. That’s where
it started to fall apart. The first six
months were great fun; the last six
months were a bit horrific.

A month bef[...]see Nigel Dick and said,
“l’m not happy with thethe
nature of the program and make it
more respectable. My approach to
anything is to package meat in the
middle of entertainment so that
people will take[...]n there was
about a six-week period, during
which The .Today Show got into
terrible trouble, and GTV—[...]nks, I have been
through that.” HSV—7 gave me the
Thursday night, Mike Walsh Show.

Which did very well . . .

The first three months weren’t too
good, but, as the irony of the business
would have it, Nigel Dick came over
from GTV-9 to HSV-7 to start the
Seven Revolution. He started it,
despite claims to the contrary by
other people.

Nigel backed me tremen[...]It had Frank Rich, Mary Hardy
and Sue Donovan as the basic
comedy team, John-Michael Howson
as comedy[...]grapher.

Kevin Lewis’ Jardine Productions
lost the show, and it became a
domestic HSV-7 production. It
eventually knocked off the Thursday
night In Melbourne Tonight, which
had be[...]ert Newton — everyone
except Graham. And we won the year.

At the end of that year, Nigel had

Far left: Walsh pose[...]shot
with his then secretary Pam Peters in
1970, the year of the Mike
Walsh Show on HS V-7 in Melbourne.
Left: Cor[...]o a sort of clipboard, carry-
ing David Frost for the beginning of
1971; that lasted about six months.
Ironically, by the time we came off,
we were rating up in the 17s and 185,
which was starting to get respectable.

What about the gap between that
show finishing during 1971 and the
start of the new “Mike Walsh Show”
on Channel 10?

I stayed around Australia until the
end of 1972 and then went to Britain
for about 10 months, where I free-
Ianced, doing interviews for the BBC
and television commercials.

who were the people you inter--
viewed?

Obviously my most impressive
interview — it is the only one in the
BBC archives — was the one with
Malcolm Muggeridge. Apparently it is
— not wishing the man any ill-health
— in his obituary report on standby at
the BBC.

I also did Peter Sellers, and
interesting off-beat people like Miklos
Rozsa, the film composer. Then there
were some interminably boring
interviews, such as with the
Wedgwood china people.

Did TEN-10 bring you back from
London for the afternoon show?

Screen Gems had put up a pro-
position to TEN-10 for a talk-variety
show in the middle of the day. It had
nothing to do with what we are doing
now. Ian Holmes, who was the boss of
10, had been at Nine during my Today
Show[...], if you can get Mike Walsh, you
have a chance at the format. Screen
Gems had thrown up all sorts of
names because everyone in the world
thinks they can do a talk-variety show.
The[...]I never looked
better because I had been pounding
the streets of London doing
interviews and living on mince meat.
So I came back to do the show for
three months only, as things had[...]

Yes, although there were a lot of
changes before the show hit a
workable format. Some of the original
run-downs were hilarious. They
would hav[...]one would pop up and
cook their favorite dish — the sort of
rubbish that would never rate here.
Ameri[...]are full of that.

I knew that wouldn't work for the
Australian public, which has a short
attention th[...]who was
running a service station. David had
had the same feeling about the state
of the industry. He came in to direct
the program and immediately
recognized the problems we had. I
said. “Thank God there's som[...]“Well," he said,
“Number 96 is being shot in the
studio next door. There are some
interesting peop[...]We went back to management and
told them that was the new way the
show was going. And they said, “But
aren't you going to interview the
singers?" And I said, “They are there
to sing, aren't they?”

At the beginning we were taping six
shows over three days — two a

morning. And we were taping so far
ahead that the audiences hadn't even
heard of our show. They had no idea
what the program was about.

Did you have much opposition[...]ve. In fact.

Melbourne wasn't live until we took
the show to Nine; which was one of
the reasons for moving. We had been
two days behind i[...]ormula
quiz show. In fact, Tony Barber said to
me the first night he went to the
Logies. “I wish you luck. but you
haven't a hop[...]amount of
patronizing today. I still have to cop
the “King of Daytime TV“ and “Darling
of the Blue Rinse Set" and all that
rubbish.

I knew our[...]p opera or yet another mindless
quiz show or took the approach of the
compere who says, “Now Mums . .

Our program has always been
aimed at people, and one of the first
nice things that came our way — and
this was in the day of all that activist

o.-stair, ‘

39- .- *1-. .

thing — was when the Women's
Electoral Lobby praised our program
and said it was the first program that
had treated women intelligentl[...]me of that rubbish
that is put on air, on some of the so-
called ‘personalities’ who are given a
go on television.

Management looks in the wrong
places for personalities; they look in
the wrong area for producers, too.
Sometimes. they gi[...]bs
because they have all gone out for a
meal with the new general manager
or someone, and they were so[...]love to
sit down and do a complete
devastation on the stupidity. from
managerial level down, of that sort of
concept.

Part of the problem could be put
down to the ease with which lame
came in the 19603 — and I suppose I
can put myself down the[...]and an awful lot
who rode on their backs because the
1960s demanded so many
personalities. The word “star" lost its
meaning then. By 1963, eve[...]rough them all.

Andy Warhol said it would get to
the stage where everyone would be
famous for 20 secon[...]involvement as a
producer in live theatre start?

The first one was Barry Humphries.

Then you did ‘The Kingfisher’ and
you brought Chris Langha[...]

Well, that is a fair way down the
line. The concept looks very good,
and we have had very goo[...]people we have spoken to about
it. It may get off the ground next year.
I don't want to rush it though,[...]ou have to tread
carefully because you don't have the
luxury of out-of-town tryouts in this
country.

Y[...]wasn't showing
films to people.

When you bought the Regent in
Richmond, NSW, was that initially a
sor[...]anted to run a theatre?

No, never. I just had at the back of
my mind that. if television died for me,
I could always run the local picture
theatre and have a farm. I thought

And you are involved in the day-to-
day operation of the Regent?

Yes. I have a general manager for
the company now because it has
grown considerably. Bu[...]ren't
hamstrung with a boss who jumps on
them all the time. There are often
times when I would like to[...]a little more, but I find that if you
do that all the time you stifle people’s
creativity. 80, John Chapman is
basically the creative force on The
Mike Walsh Show these days, and
Paul Dravet looks after the theatres. I
am in it every step of the way, but as
chairman of the board rather than
operations manager.

I have my own concept of
something and I set the house style
and employ the people who can work
that way. I'll back them to the hilt, but,
obviously, I keep a close inspection
on it. I don't just employ people and
say let me know what the profit or loss
is at the end of the year. I initiate the
projects and they work on the basis I
want them to work on. I expect the
style to be followed and if it gets off

the rails, well, I'll interfere. But,
otherwise, I’I| just let them fire in their
own way.

The real ambition is to get a
conglomerate together w[...]ld like to get all my activities and
companies to the level where I can
move people from one to another[...]o something else, such as a film
or a stage show. The whole
philosophy of what I have been doing
is to[...]ross-pollinate to stop them
getting bored.

About the only pie in which you don’t
have a finger is pr[...]n
interest you?

Oh, very much. But I want to see
the dust settle. I am a bit bored with
all the used car salesmen and shonky
doctors and everybody else putting in
their tax money. This does give
money to the industry, but it has also
meant a tremendous rush[...]think everything should be
money-making. I think the moment
you get away from the commercial
yardstick or box-office yardstick or
rating yardstick is the moment you
get into wanking. and I don't r[...]

THE VIDEO

CENSORSHIP MESS

what you should know

tra[...]way into Australia and one no longer had to join
the “raincoat brigade” to see them. One could als[...]ne's taste for particular scenes or sequences
via the freeze—frames, the fast and slow motion and the
repeated viewings that cassettes offered —— options not
available in often sleazy "adult" cinemas.

Now the triple X-rated video-cassette — the voyeur’s
dream — has been joined in the market by mainstream
films. It is out of this dev[...]hole new set
of problems has arisen.

Puzzlingly, the video-cassette revolution has been
allowed to gro[...]legislative responses at
federal or state levels. The industry itself — importers,
suppliers and distributors —— seems for the present
content to operate according to a gentlem[...]utmoded and inappropriate legislation.
At present the industry is — in theory at least — regu-
lated by the Film Censorship Board. This raises the
question of whether a government body has the right to
censor what people do in their own homes; and there is
no doubt that the home market is the one cassettes are
aimed at.

The problem is, in part, historical. The Common-
wealth Film Censorship Board was setup in[...]booming business.

I2. ,-\d‘»¢rli..

.ium the control u| the \u
Customs until ll h.i.\’ heen i.i.. '

.....u[...]s blttsphemous. indecent or it
obscene:

(hi the tilnt or .id\-crtising mallet l\ likel} to he inj[...]i\'¢rlisIng mallet is like!) to he ofiensive to the
people or it rflcfldi) nzllllln or To the people of u purl oi’ the
Queen ~donitnions. or

(it) the film or adtcrlising mutter depicts .In_\ i1t:tllL'r liw uhihitiun
oivthicii is undesirable in the puh|i( inldrhl

(2) Where application is mode to the Bozird of Review under regur
Iation 39 of these Regulations to rertcvt ‘.1 decision of the Censorship
Board in relation to ‘.l lilnt or advertising mutter. the film shall not be
registered, or the advertising matter shall not be it. under this Fu[...]r. ::f(hg I;Ԥ[
--i

An extract from the Customs Act, through which Com-
monwealth Censorship is exercised.

_
it was not until 1949 that the states began, one by one,

to go along with its decisions. The Board's role,
however, remains a purely advisory one: it has no
actual control over the states in matters of film and
videotape censorship. “The states guard their legis-
lation very, very jealo[...]ore.”

There is a further complication, in that the Board
registers and classifies films and videotap[...]private showing. in New
South Wales, for example, the Theatre and Public Halls
Act provides a fairly cl[...]ian
legislation is not even remotely equivalent.

The interstate legislative jumble has made for some
s[...]s separate classifications for different
parts of the state — what goes in the fertile south is too
strong for the dry north. There is also the Sydney
phenomenon of “adult" cinemas showing un[...]Common-
wealth and State laws.

he burgeoning of the video-cassette market

caught the Classification Board off its guard. In

last year's report — the first such report in the
Board's history — Strickland acknowledged the strain
on staff and resources caused by the ever—increasing
use of videotape.

“Looking a[...]esee video-
tape possibly displacing celluloid as the predominant

“The widespread domestic application of video-
tape poses an even greater threat to the continued
viability of the cinema as we know it. One symptom of
the threat is the recently—initiated practice of some
major motio[...]rmats.

“A major concern for film censorship is the ease
with which films and videotapes can be duplicated.
This will be a continuing problem, despite the fact
that some commercial videotapes have encoded[...]deletions to
videotapes creates difficulties, as the Board lacks
the necessary equipment. it is thus obliged to rely on
the importers written confirmation that the deletions
have been made.

"Videodiscs will prese[...]as it is
not presently possible to delete any of the informa-
tion contained in their grooves. Their importation will
necessitate the purchase of additional equipment by
the Board, the training of staff in its use and appropri-
ate le[...]All I can do Is propose and nothing
more. ”

The Board's classification is designed to tell the
public what sort of film is up for display, and Strickland
says the Board aims at reflecting the plurality of com-
munity standards in Australia today.

“Within the limits of the legislation, the Board tries
to implement a censorship policy based on the
philosophy that adults have the right to make their
own decision regarding the material read, heard or
seen; but that people gen[...]osure to material that may be offensive — or
in the case of children, harmful —— to them.”

at the censorship debacle boils down to for
wthe video—cassette industry. says Douglas
Long, then spokesman of the Australian Video
Association, is “tremendous problems for the distribu-
tors, the retailers and possibly the people who are
buying.”

Many of the distributors do not seem to care. They
simply meet thethe censor decides,
but this attitude is open to being influenced by the
axiom that sex sells: of the two versions, M and R, of
Saturday Night Fever, Rigby offers the R for video-
cassettes.

Top: John Travolta in Ri[...]Video Classics’ Walter Lehne says: “We accept the
same classification for company products as the
theatre. Of course, there has been talk of a sepa[...]u-
tors, is careful to cover itself by displaying the Board’s
rating on all its cassette boxes, altho[...]es, Strickland told
Channels she had tried to get the states to formulate
some sort of unified legislation regarding the video-
cassette industry last August. Her proposal was "put in
the too—hard basket,” she says, but she expects the
states to reconsider it later this year. She sees the
censorship arrangement for literature as a[...]

The fate of Tim Burstall’s film
highlights the inconsistencies
of censorship decisions made
for broadcast television. The
theatrically-released version
was heavily cut for commercial
television, while the Alvin Pur-
ple television series on the ABC
showed much more.

From lelt to right: Debbie Nankervis in
the uncut theatrical version. The same
scene at the point where commercial
television decided to cut.[...]Debbie Nankervis and Graeme B/undell
was cut lrom the version released on
commercial television. This shot with
Peta Peters was allowed in the ABC
series.

16 -- CHANNELS April 1982

Thousands of films have suffered at the hands of
the Film Censorship Board since its formation in
1917. The Censor’s demands have ranged from
small deletions to outright bannings. The following
stills have been taken from films affec[...]ssettes.
One can be sure, however, it will not be the film-
maker’s. Clearly the right of people to view uncen-
sored films — and the use of home video cir-

cumvents the social problems — has still not been
met.

distributors is that of the delays experienced

while a film or videotape made its way through
the Board's administrative machinery. Not many
distributors will go on the record about this. but Walter
Lehne is openly cri[...]aiting classification, some of which
have been at the Board's Sydney headquarters for
three months. "The video industry is a whole new
industry in this country,” he says. “and the Board just
does not seem capable of doing the job.”

And then there is the continuing saga of Electric
Blue. A sort of Briti[...]sual rendition of Club
International and Playboy, the Electric Blue video-
tapes are distributed by Pet[...]in lost revenue.

When Electric Blue 007 fronted the censors on
December 17, 1981 , it was cleared by[...]eye, 007 was “much hotter than
006. But that is the thing. If the Board gives you a hard
time on one, they go easy on the next." Ironically, a clip
from the film Straw Dogs which ran unabashedly in
Australi[...]eemed unsuitable when
included in Electric Blue.

The size of the video—cassette industry is difficult to
ascertain. The move by the big media groups into the
area is an indication that there is a lot of mone[...]pornography claimed between 20 and 50 per cent of
the market last year.

The article quoted Screw magazine publisher Al
Goldst[...]stimating sales by focusing on hardcore films. in
the past, X-rated films were seen and judged almost[...]n George and
Dustin Hoffman in Straw Dogs: cut by the censors lorrelease on

Electric Blue.

exclusively by men. “The product is changing today
because more couples ar[...]simple as that. But how much is anyone‘s
guess. The whole area is further complicated by the
fact that much of the Triple X stuff is pirated anyhow.”

eanwhlle consumers seem unaware of how
vulnerable the uncontrolled growth of the
video—cassette market has left them. Con-
sumer[...]of different versions
for different territories; The Godfather was made in dif-
ferent versions for ci[...]of sexual and drug-
related activity excised from the American version
before release in Australia and the gap plugged with
more music; nobody seems to know which version will
eventually appear on cassette, but the version used on
television here is the Australian one.

Most distributors are content to[...]ns a grey area as far as censorship
is concerned. The Australian Broadcasting Tribunal
and the Australian Broadcasting Commission allow the
Board to examine and classify imported programs.
Thus the Government and commercial stations come
under the Boards umbrella.

Interestingly, commercial television seems to
welcome the Boards embrace. When the Government
tried to sever the connection last year, the Federation
of Australian Commercial Television Stations said no,
claiming the Board was in a better position to draw a
“fine line” between the demands of vocal minority
groups.

In addition, the commercial stations seem to have a
higher sense of propriety: when the ABC—produced
Alvin Purple series made its channel crossing to the
Seven Network, much was missing.

The Special Broadcasting Service, on the other hand,
is not obliged to observe the ABT's program standards.
Most weeks, SBS programm[...]plicit language, though sometimes SBS gestures in
the Board's direction by running a questionable
program after prime time.

Perhaps the main point about censorship in 1982 is
that it has lost much of its status as an issue. A glance
through the censorship file in any newspaper office
reveals the decline: the fat files of the early 1970s
shrink steadily as the years go by. Society seems to
have become less anxious about individual behaviour
in private; and because of the video cassette, filmed
material that would have b[...]an living rooms a decade ago is now hardly out of
the ordinary. I

Woodstock: the Australian record album had songs excis-
ed. The versions released theatrically and on tele[...]

he sweeping changes now underway at the
Disney studios represent a radical departure

from the conservative image fostered by Disney
for so many years. Due for release in the middle of this
year, Tron, with its spectacular effects and state—of—
the—art techniques, is aimed at capturing the imagina-
tion of children and adults today as sur[...]ng
animators who are about to reshape drastically the
tradition of cute hand-animation that has been the

Donald Duck, one of the many popular characters created by Walt
Disney, the pioneer 0/ high quality single-frame animation.[...]S
DISNEYLAND

Disney hallmark. Gone with Tron are the days of fairy
dust, Jiminy Cricket and lisping du[...]er animation from Disney might seem to go
against the handcrafted sensibility of the studio, yet
Disney's moral and political conservatism always
disguised a creative liberalism bordering on the revolu-
tionary. The early Disney animated films broke new
ground in color, believability and story development.
and set the standards for everyone else in those early
days.[...]w tools that would help him provide
entertainment the public would welcome. In the same
spirit, Wilhite is banking $13.5 million on being able to
combine the Disney tradition of the well-told story with
live action and animated cha[...]Cal
Arts (California Institute of Art; Valencia), the animation
and film school set up by Disney. Since[...]-breed animators have been honing their
skills at the Disney studio on the corner of Dopey Drive
and Mickey Avenue; and now[...]ich is controlled by a single
malevolent program. The protagonist, Flynn (Jeff
Bridges), who begins as[...]in a
fourth—dimensional world whose overlord is the evil
Dillinger (David Warner).
The saga is played out in a setting where the life
force is electricity, where computer programs are the
alter egos of the programmers and where electronic

T he action of Tron centres on the premise that

Tron represents the most extensive use yet of
computer—generated video animation, with resultant
massive reductions in the amount of time needed and
the production costs that make conventional animation
so prohibitively expensive now. The bulk of the film's
graphics are being generated by Magi, of N[...]pixel. “lt’s a bit like putting a
picture on the big billboard in Times Square," a
graphics expert explains; except that where the Times
Square billboard has 8000 light bulb[...]

Multiply that by the 1,240 frames needed to
make one minute of film and the immensity of the task
is apparent.

An additional group of compute[...]on and Review Technique)
readout indicating where the film stands in relation to
its post—production[...]makers construct three-
dimensional figures that the animators can touch and
turn as they strive for an exact rendering; now the com-
puter does this, on screen. Gone too are the hundreds
of inbetweeners, those custodians of the art who so
carefully made the transitional drawings connecting
one pose to the next.

In addition, any single scene, or “ceI"[...]What has to be remembered, though, is that it was
the humanity of the Disney animated films — not the
technology behind them — that gave them their near-
universal appeal. Whether the new computer tech-
niques can match the original films in terms of story,
character devel[...]g their best to maximize that involvement: Bally. the
largest maker of video games in the U.S., is creating the
Tron video game for its nationwide chain of arcades
and for installation in theatres a month before the film is
released. It's hard to see Tron no[...]

International

Iolanthe

The Gilbert and Sullivan Operas

Production company A[...]ghtoperas.

Format Wdeotape

Progress Production

The Jewel in the Crown
Production company Granada Television

Prod[...]d on Paul Scott’s award—winning novels —
“The Raj Quartet", the story is set in the last days
ol the Fla] in lndia.

Length 14 hours

Format Film

Pro[...]Redgrave, John
Gielgud, Joan Plowright

Synopsis The life of the controversia|19th Century
German composer, Richar[...]aw. Jan»Michael

Vincent, John Houseman
Synopsis The story of the events that befall the Henry
family at the beginning of World War 2.

Length 16x1 hour

Format Film

Progress Post-production

A Woman Called Golda — Ingrid Bergman.

A Woman Called Golda

Production company Paramount Televi[...]ty. Jose Ferrer, Jack
Thompson

Synopsis Based on the biography of the former Prime
Minister of Israel, Golda Meir.

Len[...]Stapleton

Cast Lorraine Bayly

Synopsis Based on the lite ol a female barrister and her

familyin the 1 9205.

Length 52 x 1 hour — proposed

Format Integrated film and videotape

Progress Pre-production

For the Term of His Natural Life
Productioncompany Minton[...]An adaptation of Marcus Clarke's classic novel
of the same name,

Length 6 hours

Format Film

P[...]

Set among the residents of a community welfare
home.