''Careful, He Might Hear You'' is a 1983 Australian drama film. It is based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Australian-American author

Sumner Locke Elliott Sumner Locke Elliott (17 October 191724 June 1991) was an Australian (later American) novelist and playwright. Biography Elliott was born in Sydney to the writer Sumner Locke and the journalist Henry Logan Elliott. His mother died of eclam ...

Plot

The film stars Wendy Hughes and

Robyn Nevin Robyn Anne Nevin (25 September 1942) is an Australian actress, director, and stage producer, recognised with the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards and the JC Williamson Award at the Helpmann Awards for her outstanding contributions to Austra ...

as two sisters who are locked in a custody battle over their young nephew, PS, played by Nicholas Gledhill. PS has been raised by his aunt Lila (Nevin) and her husband George since his mother died soon after his birth. When Lila's richer sister Vanessa (Hughes) returns from overseas, she seeks custody of PS, citing the opportunities she can give him.

Production

There had long been interest in making a film out of the novel. In the 1960s it was announced that Joshua Logan would direct a movie version starring Elizabeth Taylor but this did not come to pass. Film rights to the novel were bought by Jill Robb who hired Mike Jenkins to adapt the screenplay and

Carl Schultz Carl Schultz (born 1939) is a Hungarian-Australian film director. Early life and works He left his native Budapest during the uprising of 1956 with his brother Otto Schultz. They fled to England, and after arriving in London they moved to Man ...

to direct. Funding was obtained from the New South Wales Film Corporation among others.David Stratton, ''The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry'', Pan MacMillan, 1990 pp. 181–183 After an extensive search, Nicholas Gledhill, son of actor Arthur Dignam was cast as PS. The film was shot in and around Sydney, mostly in Neutral Bay and Darling Point. The Hordern Family garden and mansion,

Babworth House Babworth House is a heritage-listed former residence and school and now staff accommodation at 103 Darling Point Road, Darling Point in the Municipality of Woollahra local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed in variou ...

, in Darling Point was used in filming.

Box office

''Careful, He Might Hear You'' grossed $2,431,126 at the box office in Australia. The movie also enjoyed a successful release in North America.

Home media

A Collector's Edition of ''Careful, He Might Hear You'' was released on DVD with a new print by Umbrella Entertainment in June 2008. The DVD is compatible with all regional codes and includes special features such as the film trailer, bonus trailers, a still photo gallery, an interview with Sumner Locke Elliot and interviews with stars Wendy Hughes, Nicholas Gledhill and Jill Robb. A regular edition of the film with reduced special features was released on DVD by Umbrella Entertainment in October 2008.

Accolades

References

External links

Careful, He Might Hear You at the National Film and Sound Archive''Careful He Might Hear You''
at Oz Movies * * * {{Australian Film Institute Award for Best Film 1970–1989 1983 films 1983 drama films Australian drama films 1980s English-language films Films about children Films about dysfunctional families Films based on American novels Films based on Australian novels Films directed by Carl Schultz Films set in the 1960s