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The Great Macarthy
''The Great Macarthy'' is a 1975 comedy about Australian rules football. It was an adaptation of the 1970 novel '' A Salute to the Great McCarthy'' by Barry Oakley. It stars John Jarratt as the title character (in his film debut) as a local footballer playing for Kyneton, who is signed up (or more appropriately, kidnapped) by the South Melbourne Football Club (now Sydney Swans). It also stars Barry Humphries and Judy Morris. It was released at a time of resurgence in Australian cinema but was not very successful despite its high-profile cast, including many well-known footy personalities. Plot Macarthy is a country football player who is kidnapped by the South Melbourne Football Club and made a star player in the city. The Club Chairman, Colonel Ball-Miller, gives Macarthy a job in one of his companies and makes him attend night school. He is seduced by his English teacher, Miss Russell, and has an affair with Ball-Miller's daughter, Andrea. Macarthy and Andrea get married but ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Romeril
John Henry Romeril (born 1945) is an Australian playwright and teacher. He has written around 60 plays for theatre, film, radio, and television, and is known for his 1975 play ''The Floating World''. Early life and education John Henry Romeril was born in 1945 and grew up in Melbourne, living in Moorabbin until 1966. He attended Bentleigh West State School, Brighton Tech., and Brighton High Schools, and then undertook a BA at Monash University, graduating in 1970 with majors in English Literature and Politics. Career Over the course of his career, Romeril wrote plays for theatre, film, radio, and television, including stage, musicals, puppet theatre, pantomimes, and street theatre. In 1968 he became involved with La Mama Theatre, which had been established in that year by Betty Burstall. In 1969 a group involved with the theatre founded the Australian Performing Group (APG) in 1970 established the Pram Factory. The APG went on to perform many of Romeril's plays, which wer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jack Dyer
John Raymond Dyer Sr. OAM (15 November 1913 – 23 August 2003), nicknamed Captain Blood, was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1931 and 1949. One of the game's most prominent players, he was one of 12 inaugural "Legends" inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. He later turned to coaching and work in the media as a popular broadcaster and journalist. Early life Dyer was born in Oakleigh, now a south-eastern suburb of Melbourne, but grew up in the small farming hamlet of Yarra Junction on the Yarra River, approximately east of the city. His parents, Ben and Nellie, were of Irish descent. The second of three children, Dyer had an elder brother, Vin, and a younger sister, Eileen. Dyer first played football at the Yarra Junction primary school. For his secondary education, Dyer was sent by his parents to St Ignatius in Richmond. He boarded in the city with an aunt. One of the b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australian Film Development Corporation
The Australian Film Development Corporation was an organisation created and funded by the Australian Government in the 1970s, intended to allow filmmakers in the Australian film industry to create movies for everyone to see. In 1975 it was replaced with Australian Film Commission. History Creation of the Corporation The AFDC was created so that Australians could create and distribute high-quality Australian films, for everyone to see. In 1970, Prime Minister John Gorton asked five people to become a part of the AFDC. Those people were John Darling, Ronald S. Elliott, Talbot S. Duckmanton, Denys E. Brown, and Barry Jones. John Darling IV was the chairman of Darling & Co., as well as a member of the Australian National University Council. Ronald S. Elliott was a General Manager for the Commonwealth Development Bank. T. S. Duckmanton the General Manager of the Australian Broadcasting Commission. D. E. Brown was the Producer-in-Chief for the Film Division of the Australian New ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phillip Adams (writer)
Phillip Andrew Hedley Adams , (born July 12 1939) is an Australian humanist, social commentator, ex-broadcaster, public intellectual, and farmer. He hosted '' Late Night Live'', an Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) program on Radio National from 1991 to 2024. He also writes a weekly column for '' The Weekend Australian''. Adams has had careers in advertising and film production and has served on many non-profit boards including WikiLeaks, Greenpeace Australia, Ausflag, Care Australia, Film Victoria, National Museum of Australia, both the Adelaide and Brisbane festivals of ideas, the Montsalvat Arts Society and the Don Dunstan Foundation. As a young man he joined the Communist Party of Australia, and was a member of the Australian Labor Party for fifty years. Adams has been appointed a Member and subsequently an Officer, then a Companion of the Order of Australia; and he has received numerous awards including six honorary doctorates from Australian universities; Repu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alvin Purple
''Alvin Purple'' is a 1973 Australian sex comedy film starring Graeme Blundell in the title role; the screenplay was written by Alan Hopgood and directed by Tim Burstall, through his production company Hexagon Productions and Village Roadshow. The film received largely negative reviews from local film critics. Despite this, it was a major hit with Australian audiences. ''Alvin Purple'' became the most commercially successful Australian film released to that time, breaking the box-office record previously set by Michael Powell's pioneering Anglo-Australian comedy feature '' They're a Weird Mob'' (1966), grossing $A4.7 million locally ($49 million in 2022). Story synopsis ''Alvin Purple'' is a sex-farce which follows the misadventures of a naïve young Melbourne man Alvin Purple, whom women find irresistible. Working as a door-to-door waterbed salesman, Alvin (unsuccessfully) tries to resist legions of women who want him. Alvin is so worn-out he seeks medical help to sol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Adventures Of Barry McKenzie
''The Adventures of Barry McKenzie'' is a 1972 Australian comedy film directed by Bruce Beresford (in his feature film directorial debut) and starring Barry Crocker and Barry Humphries. It tells the story of an Australian yobbo on his travels to the United Kingdom. Barry McKenzie was originally a character created by Barry Humphries for a cartoon strip in ''Private Eye''. It was the first Australian film to surpass one million dollars in Australian box office receipts.Don Groves"Beresford reflects on his 'colossal mistake': A TV screening of an iconic Australian comedy brings back mixed memories for the filmmaker." SBS, 23 March 2010. A sequel, '' Barry McKenzie Holds His Own'', was produced in 1974. Barry Humphries appears in several roles, including: a hippie, Barry McKenzie's psychiatrist Doctor de Lamphrey, and as Aunt Edna Everage (later Dame Edna Everage). Humphries would later achieve fame with the character of Dame Edna in the UK and US. The film was produced by P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Walter Pym (actor)
Walter Pym (7 April 1905– 22 January 1980) was an Australian actor and producer best known for his extensive experience in radio, during the 1940s and 1950s. Early life Pym was born on 7 April 1905, in the Sydney suburb of Petersham. Career In 1938, Pym became the studio and production manager at Melbourne radio station 3UZ. He acted in, as well as produced and directed numerous radio serials and plays during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s for Australasian Radio Productions, Artransa, Crawford Productions and Grace Gibson Productions. He also featured in film and television, making his screen debut in 1943 propaganda short film ''South West Pacific'' as Bill, the Sailor. His other film credits include war film ''The Rats of Tobruk'' (1944), sport comedy '' The Great Macarthy'' (1975) with John Jarratt, thriller ''End Play'' (1976) alongside John Waters and George Mallaby, John Duigan award-winning film '' Mouth to Mouth'' (1978), Ozploitation horror films ''Patrick'' (1978) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jon Finlayson
Jon Douglas Finlayson (23 March 1938–12 September 2012) was an Australian stage and screen character actor, radio performer, writer, director, producer and singer Early life Jon Finlayson was born in Coburg, Victoria to Clorine and Ron Finlayson. When he was about age 8 the family moved to Burwood where he attended Hartwell Primary School and Camberwell High School. His performing career began at about the same time when he toured Australia with the Australian Boys' Choir as a soprano. Career Finlayson was known for his roles in the films '' Lonely Hearts'' (1982) and ''The Magic Show'' (1983). He was also well-known from his numerous television roles, such as Colonel Archibald Spencer in '' Zoo Family'' (1985) and as James Gleeson in '' Snowy River: The McGregor Saga'' (1995–1996). He wrote sketches for ''The Mavis Bramston Show''. He was noted for his hospitality as well as his 'Sunday Soirees' in the Melbourne show business community. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bob Davis (Australian Rules Footballer)
Robert "Bob" Davis (12 June 1928 – 16 May 2011) was an Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Early life Bob Davis was born in Clunes and as a teenager he boarded and attended at Ballarat College. A keen South Melbourne supporter he attended a preseason training with the club but was told his services would not be necessary. He returned to Ballarat and played locally with Golden Point. He was spotted by Geelong recruiters and he was invited to try out with Geelong. VFL career Nicknamed "Woofa", Davis was recruited from Golden Point in the Ballarat Football League and played with the Geelong Football Club in the VFL from 1948 to 1958, generally as a half-forward flanker. He made his debut in the opening round of 1948, on a two match permit issued by his club Golden Point. He missed the next two games because Golden Point refused to clear him. The Geelong president met with the Golden Point committee, and after a long discussion Davis' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maurie Fields
Maurice Fields (born Maurice Sheil, 4 August 1926 – 18 December 1995) was an Australian vaudeville performer, actor and stand-up comedian. Career Fields became a well-known face on television first thanks to his comic sketches on live programs like '' Sunnyside Up'' and later dramatic roles as the conniving John Quinney in ABC TV's ''Bellbird''. He also featured in many soap operas on commercial television, including ''Cop Shop'', '' The Box'', ''Prisoner'' (a small part playing crooked screw Leonard "Len" Murphy, and he had previously played two smaller parts in the show) and publican Vic Buckley in '' The Flying Doctors''. He was also a regular as Fred Farrell in situation comedy series '' Bobby Dazzler'' (1977) and did regular comedy segments on ''Hey Hey It's Saturday'' alongside Shane Bourne where in turn they would read jokes sent in by viewers. During the 1980s, Fields also became known as the voice of Wally Walpamur (Chimpanzee's dressed as humans painting houses) in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frank Wilson (Australian Actor)
Frank Edward Wilson (11 April 1924 – 24 October 2005) was an Australian film, stage and television actor; musical comedy singer and director; and television game show and variety host. Early life Frank Wilson was born in 1924 in the Melbourne suburb of Northcote. He left school at the age of 13. In 1943, he joined the Australian Army, where he served as a Signalman in Borneo and Papua New Guinea until his discharge in 1945. Career He began acting in 1947, when he appeared at Melbourne's Tivoli Theatre. Wilson had a small role as a cane cutter in ''Summer of the Seventeenth Doll'' (1959). His best-known film appearances were in '' The Club'' (by David Williamson; a role that Wilson had created on stage), '' Crackerjack'', ''Breaker Morant'', '' Black Robe'' and ''Money Movers''. He also appeared in the 1957 Charlie Chaplin film A King in New York. On television he appeared in ''Changi'' (a mini-series written by John Doyle), '' SeaChange'', ''Blue Heelers'', '' Water Ra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Doug Elliot (politician)
Douglas George Elliot (12 February 1917 – 25 March 1989) was an Australian politician. He was born in Caulfield to John and Laurel Elliot; his father was a sales manager. He attended Scotch College until the age of thirteen, after which he attended night school while working. He joined J. C. Williamson's theatre company, and then from 1934 became a radio and television announcer. He worked at many Melbourne radio stations including: 3AK, 3AW, 3KZ, 3UZ and 3XY. On 12 January 1940 he married Heather Bernice Pearce, with whom he had three children. He served with the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II. He worked for HSV-7, the Seven Network channel in Melbourne, first for the '' Mickey Mouse Club'' and then as an announcer for '' World of Sport''. In 1946 he had joined the Labor Party; he ran as a candidate for the federal seat of Maribyrnong in 1958 but was defeated. In 1960 he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council in a by-election for Melbourne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
