Ken Wallin's Top Twelve Australian Films

Long time Sydney cinephile Ken Wallin has responded to my still open general invitation for people to send in, for publication, their lists of the best ever Australian films - no limits applied. Earlier lists include  that of another legendary Sydney cinephile  Bruce Hodsdon  

Ken writes: My top 10 Australian films at last:

no order, just groups. 

No shorts or docos included. 

And with the proviso on at least 3 of these that I haven't seen them in many years

Silents: 

The Sentimental Bloke (Raymond Longford & Lotte Lyell),

Kidstakes (Tal Ordell)

The 40s

The Overlanders (my favourite) (Harry Watt)

Sons of Matthew (Charles Chauvel)

The 60s

Age of Consent (Michael Powell)

The 70s

Wake in Fright (Ted Kotcheff)

Mad Max 1 & 2 (George Miller)

The Last Wave (Peter Weir)

Palm Beach (Albie Thoms)

The 80s

Malcolm (Nadia Tass)

Since the 80s

Charlie's Country (Rolf De Heer)

Edmond T Greville - Sydney cinephiles add to the sum of knowledge.

Barrie Pattison writes in response to the post below on Edmond T Greville 

Well as I have been mentioned in dispatches on the subject of Edmond T. Greville, I must admit to a sneaky regard for his fringe films - the ones that stray into undisciplined and weird. His MADEMOISELLE DOCTEUR is a much better entertainment than the Pabst version, whose footage it loots for a montage. BEAT GIRL and the incomprehensible GUILTY come under that umbrella. His more conventional efforts are pretty sucky - The ROMANTIC AGE was on  Sydney's community TV channel 44 last week. PORT DU DESIR is just as dull.

I like to think there is better lurking in the extensive catalog of Greville films that sank without leaving even bootleg VHS and stray 16mm. Gabin did a movie with him and Erich Von Stroheim made three. Bertrand Tavernier was devoted to him and ended up bank-rolling his funeral. 

Incidentally, Gillian Hills' finest hour was Franju's LA FAUT DE L'ABBE MOURET which would have been a better movie with some of Greville's freakiness.

Ken Wallin writes: 

Hi Geoff, I was interested in your comments on Edmund Greville today, and would like to point out that in addition to the titles you discuss, there's another one among the many Ealing Rarities volumes that is really interesting. This is Secret Lives (1936) which stars Neil Hamilton and Brigitte Horney in a Mata Hari type WW1 spy story. I first saw this at a BFI archival screening in 2010 and was impressed by what seemed a conscious effort to emulate the Sternberg style of Dishonoured with Otto Heller's photography and a Dietrich like treatment of Horney. These 30s films were made at the Ealing site by various companies.  In calling the series Ealing Rarities they are padding out  these volumes with titles from the era before Balcon's regime.

Another Greville title that I recall seeing on video years ago is Hands of Orlac, made straight after Beat Girl, a famous horror story filmed at various times (eg Freund's Mad Love with Peter Lorre). 

AFTRS and After Sandra Levy - or Let George Do It

There are some in the Canberra community who take it upon themselves to keep a weather eye on just how the public service is functioning. Most people are however, it’s very fair to say, not very interested. But some in our mandarin class, current and former, especially the people with long memories and a career long commitment to service, take the view that ensuring proper process goes a long way to getting good results. Bad process, especially where it is based on fear, bullying and general intimidation, produces bad results.  So a career-long attention to doing things right is something to be applauded.

One keen observer of these matters is former senior bureaucrat Patrick Gourley and I’ll admit he’s an acquaintance of mine which is why I’m always up to read any of his current writing. Paddy got all the way to Deputy Secretary status in a fine career that ended just a few years ago. One of his great attributes remains his analytical skill and he still puts this to good use, along with his memory, in writing pieces for a newspaper section known as The Public Informant in the Fairfax press which physically appears only in The Canberra Times, but is available online. Paddy also has exemplary writing skills, an art fashioned long ago when he was a protégée of the legendary Sir Frederick Wheeler, then Chairman of the once very powerful Public Service Board. Sir Frederick put great store on the Board’s Annual Report and Paddy, among many other young bright sparks of the day, was frequently involved in the report’s assembly and composition. For a lifetime bureaucrat it was invaluable experience.

In a piece published yesterday which you can read online at the Canberra Times, Paddy has looked at how bureaucrats are dealing with the Abbott Government. For instance, Paddy notes:” It's not helpful that, since they were appointed at the end of last year, neither Thawley, the nominal head of the public service, nor the Public Service Commissioner, John Lloyd, have made on-the-record speeches for their APS subjects, saying: "This is how we see it." In the four years ending 2014, the then public service commissioner, Stephen Sedgwick, and his staff made 27 speeches on the record. This year, Lloyd and his staff have made none (at least, none are published online). In the face of this inscrutable silence, officials may be excused for thinking the message is: "Keep your heads down."

Which is why you worry that, beyond the possible lack of enthusiasm to give frank and fearless advice, these days appointments to even the seemingly most minor or politically neutral positions come under intense scrutiny from the political masters thus putting some considerable pressure on on the occupants of advisory and other positions of what might once have been seen as quiet backwaters. Paddy has discovered one film industry related case in point, the appointment of the next Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Film and Television School. The story is spelt out in a little detail on the link provided above. The Act of Parliament (1973) governing the AFTRS clearly states in S24 (1): “There shall be a Director of the School, who shall be appointed by the Governor‑General on the recommendation of the Council.”. What attracts attention in Paddy’s piece about this particular appointment process is the advice he was given when preparing his story that “…The Minister for the Arts will approve the final appointment but will not be actively involved in the initial process of assessment and recommendation but that he did not wish to comment on any other aspects of the process.”  (That’s my underlining.)

This ought to be of interest to those who want AFTRS to be as good as it possibly can be because it would seem to imply that George Brandis can exercise a veto over the appointment. Why he would want to take such action is mysterious given the process that has been followed and which Paddy spells out. As for "active involvement" whether any delicate negotiations about the final nominee have taken place between Brandis, his private office, his various Departments (the statement quoted above was made by a spokesperson for the Attorney-General’s Department, not the Department of the Arts), and the Council and officers of the AFTRS is of course not known. Maybe there's nothing to see here or maybe things  will never be known. There's just enough slippery language here to make you want someone to press the issue with George when Senate Estimates come round just to see if he thinks he really can intervene in any way in the appointment. If he does believe that it would be something with serious ramifications for other agencies in his portfolio which have similar provisions for the appointment of a Chief Executive.

For old hand Canberra watchers, it’s a most interesting little matter and one which does shed just a shred more light on the control freakery of the Abbott Government. 

On DVD (4) - Retracing the steps of Edmond T Greville

It started with Beat Girl, that 1960 artefact which out here in the colonies played in  sleaze houses like the Star Theatrette down at the bottom of Elizabeth Street in Melbourne, a subterranean sinkhole that attracted single males. Beat Girl was, we thought at the moment of its appearance, slashed by the censor. I intend to investigate that matter in the fullness of time for it may be that all we got to see here was a version of the film already trimmed by the Brit censors of all the t&a it originally contained and which is now once again on view if you purchase the recently released  Brit DVD.

But the director of this piece of anti-youth propaganda was Edmond T Greville, a name otherwise unknown to me at the time. Greville and his producer George Willoughby assembled a rather stellar cast – David Farrar, Christopher Lee. Nigel Green, Adam faith, Oliver Reed, Shirley Ann Field (who sings a song). The lead however was taken by the young Gillian Hills, a Bardot lookalike and actalike who was clearly channelling the French star’s insolence from And God Created Woman. Hills later distinguished herself as one of the two teenagers (Jane Birkin was the other) who rolled around in the coloured paper in Antonioni's Blowup. The quality continued behind the camera as well with Walter Lassally as DOP and John Barry doing the music. 

As for Greville, I suspect you would need to have had access to the equivalent of IMDB of the day, or knew Barrie Pattison or John Howard Reid's phone numbers, to be properly filled in about an interesting director reduced to making something as two-facedly sleazy. They would have told you probably far more than Wikipedia tells you now. No doubt they would have been especially dismissive of the censored 77 minute version of Beat Girl though if you asked now they may mention that the film was produced by George Willoughby who a mere decade later also got a production credit for the greatest film ever made in Australia, Ted Kotcheff's Wake in Fright (1971). But that’s not what has caught the attention most recently.

In a DVD that recently passed my way, Ealing Rarities Volume 2, one of the titles would appear to have been gathered up under the Ealing rubric because it was made at Ealing Studios in 1937, that is, before Michael Balcon became head of production. Titled Brief Ecstasy it was directed by the same Greville, though credited here only as Edmond Greville. There is however no mention of "Ealing" on the front or end credits.  The front production credit goes to a company called British Australasian Pictures, (who could that have been?). Somehow or other the copyright must have either always belonged to, or has subsequently been passed to Ealing and now that copyright rests with the French major Studio Canal. Brief Ecstasy is not mentioned in Charles Barr's book "Ealing Studios" published by Movie in 1977. It doesn't matter really except that we should be grateful that the film has been released on DVD. Another small part of the Edmond T Greville jigsaw falls into place. 

It’s not easy to track Greville's work, but it is rewarding even at a slow pace. In recent years there have been theatrical screenings of his Noose (1948) at the Sydney Film Festival as part of the season of Brit Noir organised by Quentin Turnour, and of a French film, Menaces/Threats (1940) at Bologna. Quentin did a great intro on the day and convened a panel which, after his introductory remarks, didn't actually add much more enlightenment to the subject. Menaces was screened as part of the recent restorations stream. It features Erich Von Stroheim in another of his fruity, slowly spoken, heavily-accented performances. 

 These two films and Brief Ecstasy all feature some fairly ordinary plotting but all have an element of the exotic. Brief Ecstasy gets itself all tangled up in British reserve as a wife, who has a solitary night of passion, is reminded of it by the return of the man who caused it to occur. But she's supposedly happily married to a wealthy industrialist who keeps her comfortable in a lavish house but she's utterly bored as well. By a stroke of luck she rekindles the husband's ardour for another solitary moment and its enough for her to not run away with the former lover. All very British. But Greville is, as he frequently was throughout his career, rather interested in illicit passion and he directs the film with considerable enthusiasm. His mise-en-scene features much elaborate camerawork which bespeaks a director engaging with his material no matter how shallow. The person who gave me the set of discs remarked how different Greville's approach was compared to Michael Powell's at the same time when Powell frequently filmed routine material in a very routine way. 

Greville made over thirty films and by my count I have about twenty five to go to clear the list. Probably wont happen. Any opportunities will be grabbed, though I guess I should ask Barrie Pattison or David Stratton what should be given priority. 

By the numbers - some thoughts about Sydney cinephilia

The most popular venue in Sydney at the moment for viewing films presented in curated programmes and accompanied by quality programme notes is at the Art Gallery of New South Wales located on the edge of the city in Sydney's Domain. Presented on such a shoestring budget that the curator Robert Herbert is also the projectionist, the AGNSW presents a film program, of the same film or films twice on Wednesdays at 2.00 pm and 7.00 pm with another repeat screening on Sunday at 2.00 pm. By only observation I think the screenings average a couple of hundred attendees. Programmes are selected to accompany exhibitions at the Gallery and the curator is thus somewhat hamstrung in his choices. When the Archibald Prize exhibition is on, the film season will be 'Potraits' or the like. Currently, to accompany a major exhibition of Australian photography Robert has curated a season of Australian docos and features tilted "Brought to Light; Troublemakers, boat-rockers, trailblazers and whistleblowers." This lack of independence does mean that the AGNSW screenings have to operate in a lonely fashion. They are not shared and do not tour to other venues. Nor does the AGNSW allow itself to participate in any shows, touring to or programmed into ACMI in Melbourne, GOMA in Brisbane or any retrospectives  that may be presented by the major film festivals in other cities. It is a very restrictive remit and one which probably could have been abandoned long ago in favour of an independently selected and presented programme that gives greater freedom and allows for more cooperation with other institutions. Still the films presented regularly draw crowds that often go close to packing out the theatre. Admission is free and to get in you line up early to get a ticket and when the ticket allocation is gone that's it.

The American critic, curator and programmer Dave Kehr was recently in Australia attending, as part of his new day job as a Curator of Film at MoMA in New York, the International Conference of the Federation of International Film Archives (FIAF). He also extended his stay to host screenings in  Sydney and Melbourne. In Melbourne he screened a 35mm print of Raoul Walsh's Wild Girl (1932) and a DCP of Allan Dwan's  The Iron Mask .  279 people attended a screening hosted by the Melbourne Cinematheque. The next night at a screening in Sydney of The Iron Mask only around fifty people turned up for an event hosted by the Film Critics Circle of Australia at the AFTRS Theatre in Moore Park. The AFTRS Theatre has apparently not been certified to screen film archive prints and thus Wild Girl could not be shown. In Melbourne admission was confined to people who had either a full twelve months Cinematheque membership, or  used a mini - season  pass i.e. one that allow admission to three consecutive screenings.  Both of these are paid. In Sydney admission was free. 

Informed spectators have now explained to me, since this piece was first posted, a couple of things. First, the admission policy of three successive screenings on one ticket purchase ensures that this qualifies the screening as 'non-theatrical' the charge being for a 'membership' rather than a theatrical admission. Specifically it means that films can be screened, eg, from the NFSA's lending collection, without breaching the non-theatrical conditions of loan. A free public screening does not qualify, at least in the case of feature films. In these cases a clearance to use a library print is required from the distributor which generally involves paying a negotiated rental fee. Second, This arrangement gives advantageous access to some films at a cheaper or no licensing fee. It also helps prove their non profit bona fides to some film archives. As well, it does help attract audiences - whilst still price signalling that the screening has some value, compared to a free screening program. My informant suggests that this arrangement should be compared to that which occasionally applies at GoMA in Brisbane. That institution puts on free screenings and there is a tendency for audiences, apparently tolerated by the management, to wander in and out as if it's video art.

   

On Monday nights throughout the year, Sydney's Chauvel cinema screens a program ‘curated’ by a person employed by Palace Cinemas, the management. This is called, by the Chauvel, a Cinematheque. The prints used are 16mm copies supplied by the National Film Lending Service of the National Film & Sound Archive. The Chauvel does not otherwise have access to the NFSA's collection. Admission is paid and punters are required to buy a ticket which admits to three screenings over the forthcoming month. This system is no doubt intended to qualify as a 'membership' in the terms set out above. Audience numbers vary from very few to a few dozen or more. 

Film School Confidential commenced this year and this 'semester' is a program of eight specially selected movies which began on March 11. It is sponsored by the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) and screens in the AFTRS theatre in Moore Park. Each film is selected by a guest presenter, these being people from or associated with the film industry. Audiences have so far ranged from a maximum of fifty to just a couple of dozen, notwithstanding a massive advertising bombardment via the  AFTRS website , the Film Alert email and a website   specially created by Barbara Grummels. Admission to the screenings is free though the organisers make clear that regrettably they have not been able to wangle free beer for the usually excellent post-screening discussions.

The WEA Film Group screens fortnightly on Sunday afternoons at the WEA premises in Bathurst Street. The program, mostly selected by the inveterately enthusiastic Leth Maitland consists of classics and rarities screened on DVDs supplied by the NFSA and also by the Goethe Society. Admission is by season ticket which costs about $100 per anum. Average attendance is about a dozen people, sometimes more.

For decades people have talked about establishing a Cinematheque in Sydney. By this they usually mean a Film Centre of the kind represented by ACMI,which incorporates the Melbourne Cinematheque, GOMA, the former ARC Cinema programmes in Canberra, the Mercury Cinema in Adelaide and maybe others. 

What's interesting though is how small attendances are at all venues except for the AGNSW. You have to wonder whether the enthusiasm for the concept would actually be matched by any large numbers coming out. More later as I think about this, or indeed get any reactions.

Vale David Perry - Tina Kaufman remembers a major figure in Australian experimental film

David Perry, who died last week after some years of illness, and was farewelled yesterday, was a gifted filmmaker across a variety of genres and styles, and a warm and lovely person.  I really only realised the breadth of his art when I attended his retrospective exhibition at the Mosman Art Gallery in 2009.  I’d known him for many years, and seen all his films, but suddenly there were rooms full of vibrant paintings and posters, elegant drawings, stunning photographs and some fascinating video work to take in and enjoy. 

While I’d seen David often over the years, often at a screening or in a film festival crowd, or sometimes at a party, and we’d always had good conversations given the restrictions those venues imposed, it was great to see him at his exhibition, surrounded by an amazing range of friends, and thoroughly enjoying the event. 

I first met David in the early ’60s, at that exciting time when everyone seemed to be involved in some sort of creative activity, from art to publishing, from acting to music, and in the very early ventures into filmmaking (with a side benefit of being called out for crowd scenes or bit parts in many of these films).  David Perry, Albie Thoms, John Clark, and my old friend Aggy Read were not only making films, but getting Ubu Films established and with it the beginnings of Sydney’s small but active underground film movement.

As Albie Thoms says in his bio of David in the exhibition catalogue, “over the next five years David made a dozen shorts for Ubu, many quite radical in their form . . . the comedy, The Tribulations of Mr.  Dupont Nomore . . . had the censors in a flap, and the film poem, A Sketch on Abigayl’s Belly . . . became the centre of a court case when it was impounded on its return from a festival in Germany.”   Those were the days!  David also shot films for others, designed posters and handbills for Ubu, and helped with Albie’s famous lightshows. 

He spent four years in London in the 70s, and then spent a number of years teaching in Queensland, returning to Sydney in 1980.  In 1986 he made his docudrama Love and Work, with John Flaus as his alter ego; and in 1993 his feature film The Refracting Glasses screened at the Sydney Film Festival and had a season at the Chauvel.  But this is only a fraction of an amazingly productive life, filled with his painting, video work, and photography.    Only last year he finally finished and saw published his lovely, very honest, and richly illustrated Memoirs of a Dedicated Amateur, which is a great read.

After his great friend Albie Thoms died, there was a wonderful celebration of his life and work, at which David spoke very movingly about their friendship and shared passions.  It would be fitting if a similar occasion could pay tribute to David Perry.

For slightly more official detail go to wikipedia and for a late career interview go here.

24 April 2015

Sylvia Lawson writes in support of a National Film & Sound Archive based in Canberra

Sylvia Lawson, scholar, critic and author writes in response to Tony Buckley’s

Proposal to ensure the future of the National Film & Sound Archive.  (Sylvia’s current reviews may be found at Inside Story.)

Dear Geoff

Please add my name to the list of signatories to the proposed agenda for the NFSA. I salute Tony for his persistent drive on this. 

I have one rather important reservation: I don't think a revived and expanded Archive should have its principal base in Sydney, nor in any other state capital, though of course it should have offices and appropriate representation in all states and territories.  

The NFSA, like the National Gallery, the National Museum and the National Library among other major institutions, should be based in the national capital, as is appropriate to its status - or rather, to the status it ought to have.  Its present location is in the most beautiful building in Canberra, and this location should be retained.  It has been developed and expanded over the past few decades for its purposes, and that could well continue. 

Even if the large sums of money involved in re-location and new building could be found, I suggest that they're needed far more urgently for staff and public programmes, the areas which, after recent major cuts, will need restoring.  

You are right to point to the comparative governmental neglect of the NFSA by comparison with the treatment of the NGA, NLA and others (although all cultural institutions have suffered unduly under the present regime).  I have written, and will probably write again, on the comparative lack of cachet accorded by government to film and audio-visual media in general.  

I suggest that Tony's proposals should be the subject of meetings at the Archive, in Sydney, Melbourne and elsewhere, wherever concerned film makers, film users, teachers and others can gather.

Best wishes

Sylvia Lawson

23 April 2015