This is to let you know about the passing of filmmaker, stage actor and film actor Abraham Jerome (‘Jock’) Levy OAM, who died on Saturday at 100 years of age. Along with Keith Gow and Norma Disher, Jock was a pivotal contributor to the activities of the 1950s-era Waterside Workers Federation Film Unit, which made 19 films between 1953 and 1958.Here is a press release from the Maritime Union of Australia -And here is Lisa Milner’s comprehensive piece on the Wharfies’ Film Unit, for Dictionary of Sydney.I first encountered Jock Levy’s film work when impressed by his skilled, finely-judged, semi-comedic performance as a Depression-era road worker in the Load of Wood segment in Cecil Holmes’ landmark film, Three in One (1957).
Jock, Keith and Norma were of great help to John Hughes when he first recorded an oral history with them and then made his documentary Film Work (1981) about the Wharfies’ Film Unit. As an actor and producer, Jock was also long-term contributor to the achievements of Sydney’s New Theatre.As well as being interviewed by John Hughes for NFSA, Jock was interviewed for the NLA, and further detail of his work can be found here - http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/3802249Finally, here is the ‘SMH’ notice that first alerted me to Jock’s passing
Looking forward to seeing Jock's characters in the Wattle Australian Ballads series, now being transferred from near-new 16mm film. They were made by Peter Hamilton c1960 as fillers for TV, with Gow and Disher in film team.
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