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''I Can Jump Puddles'' is a 1981 Australian television mini-series based on the 1955 autobiography of the same name by author Alan Marshall. Adapted for television by screenwriters Cliff Green and Roger Simpson, the series starred
Lewis Fitz-Gerald Lewis Fitz-Gerald (born 15 November 1958) is an Australian actor, screenwriter and television director, who lectures in Screen and Media Studies at Australia's University of New England. Career Fitz-Gerald in 2018 was named for the drama se ...
, Adam Garnett,
Tony Barry Tony Barry (28 August 1941 – 21 December 2022) was an Australian actor and activist best known for his television and film roles. Personal life Barry was born in Ipswich, Queensland, on 28 August 1941. He had one son. Barry was an environmen ...
, Julie Hamilton, Ann Henderson,
Lesley Baker Lesley Baker (born 20 January 1944) is an Australian actress, singer, dancer and comedian. She is best known internationally for her small screen roles in cult series ''Prisoner'' and her recurring role in ''Neighbours''. Career Early career ...
,
Olivia Brown Olivia Brown (born ) is an American actress, best known for her role as detective Trudy Joplin in the NBC crime drama series ''Miami Vice'' (1984–1989). Life and career Brown was born in Frankfurt, West Germany, and raised in Sacramento, Calif ...
,
Debra Lawrance Debra Lawrance (born 1 January 1957) is an Australian actress. She is best known for her role on ''Home and Away'', as Pippa Ross, which she played from 1990 to 1998 and in a number of subsequent return appearances, the most recent being in 2 ...
and Darren MacDonald.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970–1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p205 Several prominent television actors also had supporting roles including
Lisa Aldenhoven Lisa Aldenhoven (born c.1959) is an Australian film and television actress. Career Aldenhoven remains best known for her role in the television soap opera ''The Young Doctors'' as Nurse Julie Holland. She appeared in the series from 1978 to 198 ...
,
Kaarin Fairfax Kaarin Louise Fairfax (born 30 September 1959) is an Australian actress, director and singer who played the role of Dolour Darcy in two TV miniseries, ''The Harp in the South'' (1986) and its sequel ''Poor Man's Orange'' (1987), based on books o ...
,
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 progra ...
,
Terry Gill Terry Gill (25 October 1939 – 25 February 2015) was an English Australian actor, theatre owner, producer, director and writer. A character actor, he carved a niche in Australian television playing police officers. He appeared in over 26 Austr ...
,
Reg Gorman Reg Gorman (2 August 1932 – 5 August 2021) was an Australian television and film actor, and comedian, he was known best for his role in TV serial ''The Sullivans'', as Jack Fletcher. and children's series ''Fergus McPhail'' as Harry Patters ...
, Matthew King,
Julie Nihill Julie Nihill (born 1957 in Melbourne) is an Australian actress, voice artist, narrator, producer and writer, best known for her 12-year role as Chris Riley on the police drama ''Blue Heelers'' (1994–2006). Early life Nihill was drawn to ac ...
,
Maureen Edwards Maureen Elizabeth Edwards is a New Zealand-born retired actress, notable for her small screen roles both in her home country and in Australia. She is best known for her role in ''A Country Practice'' as hospital matron Rosemary Prior and in the ...
and
Dennis Miller Dennis Michael Miller (born November 3, 1953) is an American political commentator, stand-up comedian, talk show host, writer, actor and former sportscaster. Miller was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' fro ...
and
Jason Donovan Jason Sean Donovan (born 1 June 1968) is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap ''Neighbours'', playing Scott Robinson, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 millio ...
and
Cliff Ellen Cliff Ellen (born 22 March 1936) is an Australian character actor who played a prominent guest role on the soap opera ''Neighbours'' as Charlie Cassidy. His first role was in ''Homicide''. His credits include '' Crackerjack'', '' Garbo'', and ...
.


Plot

Based on Alan Marshall's three-part autobiography ''I Can Jump Puddles'' (1955), ''This is the Grass'' (1962) and ''In Mine Own Heart'' (1963), the film tells of Marshall's childhood growing up in rural
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
around the turn of the century. Contracting
polio Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...
soon after attending school, the story retells the obstacles he faced as a child in trying to overcome his disability. Later as an adult, he encounters prejudice due to his debilitating disease while looking for work in
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
.


Cast


Main

*
Lewis Fitz-Gerald Lewis Fitz-Gerald (born 15 November 1958) is an Australian actor, screenwriter and television director, who lectures in Screen and Media Studies at Australia's University of New England. Career Fitz-Gerald in 2018 was named for the drama se ...
as Alan Marshall *
Tony Barry Tony Barry (28 August 1941 – 21 December 2022) was an Australian actor and activist best known for his television and film roles. Personal life Barry was born in Ipswich, Queensland, on 28 August 1941. He had one son. Barry was an environmen ...
as Alan's Father *
Julie Hamilton Julie Hamilton is an Australian actress. She was nominated for the 1987 AFI Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in '' The Place at the Coast'' and for a Logie Award for Best Actress for '' I Can Jump Puddles''. Other roles ...
as Alan's Mother * Adam Garnett as Alan (aged 11) * Ann Henderson as Mary *
Lesley Baker Lesley Baker (born 20 January 1944) is an Australian actress, singer, dancer and comedian. She is best known internationally for her small screen roles in cult series ''Prisoner'' and her recurring role in ''Neighbours''. Career Early career ...
as Matron * Bruce Kerr as Dr. Robertson * Brian Hannan as Alec *
Olivia Brown Olivia Brown (born ) is an American actress, best known for her role as detective Trudy Joplin in the NBC crime drama series ''Miami Vice'' (1984–1989). Life and career Brown was born in Frankfurt, West Germany, and raised in Sacramento, Calif ...
as Prostitute Maisie * Clare Binney as Prostitute Filsy * Earl Francis as George *
Debra Lawrance Debra Lawrance (born 1 January 1957) is an Australian actress. She is best known for her role on ''Home and Away'', as Pippa Ross, which she played from 1990 to 1998 and in a number of subsequent return appearances, the most recent being in 2 ...
as Nurse Conrad * Darren MacDonald as Steve


Supporting characters

*
Lisa Aldenhoven Lisa Aldenhoven (born c.1959) is an Australian film and television actress. Career Aldenhoven remains best known for her role in the television soap opera ''The Young Doctors'' as Nurse Julie Holland. She appeared in the series from 1978 to 198 ...
as Mamie *
Christine Amor Christine Debra Amor (born 1952) is an Australian actress of stage, television and film. Career Amor was born in Brisbane, Queensland. She graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). She has acted extensively in television ...
as Rose *
Peter Curtin Peter Julian Curtin (31 January 1944 – 19 May 2014) was an Australian television and stage actor, whose career began when he joined the Melbourne Theatre Company, appearing in ''The Plough and the Stars'' with Wendy Hughes. Personal life Cu ...
as Flagger *
Leslie Dayman Leslie Calmond Dayman (19 January 1933 – 20 October 2023), credited as Les Dayman, was an Australian actor with a career spanning over 50 years, he was best known for his performances on television (serials and telemovies) and film, major sm ...
as Ted Wilson *
Jason Donovan Jason Sean Donovan (born 1 June 1968) is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap ''Neighbours'', playing Scott Robinson, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 millio ...
as Freddy *
Maureen Edwards Maureen Elizabeth Edwards is a New Zealand-born retired actress, notable for her small screen roles both in her home country and in Australia. She is best known for her role in ''A Country Practice'' as hospital matron Rosemary Prior and in the ...
as Mrs. Carmichael *
Cliff Ellen Cliff Ellen (born 22 March 1936) is an Australian character actor who played a prominent guest role on the soap opera ''Neighbours'' as Charlie Cassidy. His first role was in ''Homicide''. His credits include '' Crackerjack'', '' Garbo'', and ...
as Drunk *
Kaarin Fairfax Kaarin Louise Fairfax (born 30 September 1959) is an Australian actress, director and singer who played the role of Dolour Darcy in two TV miniseries, ''The Harp in the South'' (1986) and its sequel ''Poor Man's Orange'' (1987), based on books o ...
as Rene *
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 progra ...
as Spruiker *
Terry Gill Terry Gill (25 October 1939 – 25 February 2015) was an English Australian actor, theatre owner, producer, director and writer. A character actor, he carved a niche in Australian television playing police officers. He appeared in over 26 Austr ...
as Arthur *
Sandy Gore Sandy Gore (born 28 June 1950) is an Australian film, stage and television actress. She has had an extensive stage career in Australia with the Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company including playing Vivian in '' Wit'' (2000) and ...
as Miss. Claws (1 episode) *
Vic Gordon Vic Gordon (4 March 1911 – 2 December 2003) was a British Australian character actor of vaudeville, television and film, best known for his achievements in the fields of drama, light entertainment, music and comedy. Biography Vic Gordon w ...
as Drunk (1 episode) *
Reg Gorman Reg Gorman (2 August 1932 – 5 August 2021) was an Australian television and film actor, and comedian, he was known best for his role in TV serial ''The Sullivans'', as Jack Fletcher. and children's series ''Fergus McPhail'' as Harry Patters ...
as Arthur (1 episode) *
Billie Hammerberg Billie Lorraine Hammerberg (24 March 1936 – 8 February 1995) was an Australian actress, best known for roles on television and film. Biography Hammerberg was an Australian actress best known for her role in the television series ''Prisoner ...
as Mrs. Hale *
Leila Hayes Leila Marion Hayes (12 January 1940 – 19 January 2025) was an Australian actress, talent agent, radio presenter, singer, drama teacher, playwright, theatre producer and author. She primarily featured in guest roles in television soap operas a ...
as Miss. Bryce *
Edward Hepple Edward Hepple (4 June 1914 – 3 September 2005) billed variously as Eddie Hepple and Ted Hepple, was an Australian actor, voice artist, producer, director, playwright and television scriptwriter, known for his roles in theatre, television seri ...
as Tom * Matthew King as Urger *
Esme Melville Esme Melville (born Esme Grace Mount-Melville, 23 July 1918 – 14 September 2006) was an Australian theatre, television and film actress. At the Tropfest awards for 2003 she won Best Actor – Female for her role of Granma in the short film, '' ...
as Miss. Forbes *
Dennis Miller Dennis Michael Miller (born November 3, 1953) is an American political commentator, stand-up comedian, talk show host, writer, actor and former sportscaster. Miller was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' fro ...
as Gunner *
Julie Nihill Julie Nihill (born 1957 in Melbourne) is an Australian actress, voice artist, narrator, producer and writer, best known for her 12-year role as Chris Riley on the police drama ''Blue Heelers'' (1994–2006). Early life Nihill was drawn to ac ...
as Young woman *
Anne Phelan Anne Mary Phelan (2 August 1948 – 27 October 2019) was an Australian actress of stage and screen who appeared in many theatre, television and film productions as well as radio and voice-over. Her television soap opera roles she was likely b ...
as Lay preacher *
Ian Smith Ian Douglas Smith (8 April 191920 November 2007) was a Rhodesian politician, farmer, and fighter pilot who served as Prime Minister of Rhodesia (known as Southern Rhodesia until October 1964 and now known as Zimbabwe) from 1964 to 1979. He w ...
as Mr. Slade *
Fiona Spence Fiona Spence (born c.1946)"Aussie Soap Stars Who Va ...
as Mrs. Wilson * Elizabeth Stevenson as Night sister * Peter Thompson as Businessman *
Sigrid Thornton Sigrid Madeline Thornton (born 12 February 1959) is an Australian film and television actress. Her television work includes ''Prisoner'' (1979–80), '' All the Rivers Run'' (1983), '' SeaChange'' (1998–2019) and '' Wentworth'' (2016–2018) ...
as Mabel *
Pepe Trevor Penelope Trevor (born 1960) professionally known as Pepe Trevor, is an Australian former actress, screenwriter, journalist and author and visual artist, who is perhaps best known for her role as young card sharp and trouble-maker, Alexis "Lexie" ...
as Pretty girl * Mary Ward as Mrs. Birdsworth *
Roger Ward Roger Ward (born 24 July 1937)Wilmingham, Margot "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of. Australian Showbiz is an Australian actor and scriptwriter who has had a considerable career in film and television, noted for "tough guy" roles in which he of ...
as Peter McLeod *
Cliff Ellen Cliff Ellen (born 22 March 1936) is an Australian character actor who played a prominent guest role on the soap opera ''Neighbours'' as Charlie Cassidy. His first role was in ''Homicide''. His credits include '' Crackerjack'', '' Garbo'', and ...
as Drunk


Reception

The series was first aired on 7 June 1981 and ran for nine episodes. It was shown again two years later before being released on
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
by Roadshow Home Entertainment in August 2005. The series ran in the UK on
BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...
in 1983, and in the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
in the late 1980's.


Awards

Adam Garnett, who played the 11-year-old Alan Marshall, won a
Logie Award The TV Week Logie Awards (known colloquially as The Logies) is an annual ceremony celebrating and honouring the best shows and stars in Television in Australia, Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The eve ...
for Best Performance by a Juvenile in 1981.


References


External links


''I Can Jump Puddles''
at
Screen Australia Screen Australia is the Australian Federal Government's key funding body for the Australian screen production industry, created under the ''Screen Australia Act 2008''. From 1 July 2008 Screen Australia took over the functions of its predecess ...
*
''I Can Jump Puddles''
at
Australian Screen Online The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting, and providing access to a national c ...
{{Oscar Whitbread 1981 Australian television series debuts 1981 Australian television series endings Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming 1980s Australian television miniseries Television shows set in Australia Television shows based on Australian novels 1980s Australian drama television series