Wake in Fright (1971)

Director:

Ted Kotcheff

Writers:

Kenneth Cook (novel)
Evan Jones

Release Date:

21 July 1971 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Have a drink, mate? Have a fight, mate? Have some dust and sweat, mate? There's nothing else out here.

Plot:

Wake in Fright is the story of John Grant, a bonded teacher who arrives in the rough outback mining...

Plot Keywords:

Night | Rifle | Mining Town | Teacher | Character Says Lest We Forget

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Donald Pleasence	...	'Doc' Tydon
Gary Bond	...	John Grant
Chips Rafferty	...	Jock Crawford
Sylvia Kay	...	Janette Hynes
Jack Thompson	...	Dick
Peter Whittle	...	Joe
Al Thomas	...	Tim Hynes
John Meillon	...	Charlie
John Armstrong	...	Atkins
Slim DeGrey	...	Jarvis
Maggie Dence	...	Receptionist
Norm Erskine	...	Joe the cook
Owen Moase	...	First controller
John Dalleen	...	Second controller
Buster Fiddess	...	Charlie Jones
Tex Foote	...	Stubbs
Colin Hughes	...	Stockman
Jacko Jackson	...	Van Driver
Nancy Knudsen	...	Robyn
Dawn Lake	...	Joyce
Harry Lawrence	...	Higgins
Robert McDarra	...	Pig Eyes (as Bob McDarra)
Carlo Manchini	...	Poker player
Liam Reynolds	...	Miner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gordon Piper	...	Two up player

Directed by
Ted Kotcheff

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kenneth Cook		novel "Wake in Fright"
Evan Jones

Produced by
Howard G. Barnes	....	executive producer
Bill Harmon	....	executive producer
Maurice Singer	....	associate producer
George Willoughby	....	producer

Original Music by
John Scott

Cinematography by
Brian West

Film Editing by
Anthony Buckley

Production Design by
Dennis Gentle

Costume Design by
Ron Williams

Makeup Department
Monica Dawkins	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Falloon	....	third assistant director
Howard Rubie	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John Appleton	....	sound
Hugh Strain	....	sound re-recordist
Eddy Joseph	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Hannan	....	assistant camera
Peter Hannan	....	cinematographer: second unit
Tony Tegg	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Other crew
Lynda Levy	....	producer assistant: post-production
Fred Hift	....	publicist: Great Britain and Europe (uncredited)

Thanks
Antonio Saillant	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Group W
• NLT
• NLT Productions

Distributors

• Drafthouse Films (2012) (USA) (theatrical)
• Drafthouse Films (2012) (USA) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• Madman Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (all media)
• United Artists (1972) (USA)

Other Companies

• Jos Records  music soundtrack available on

Also Known As:

"Outback" - UK, USA

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

Australia | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R | Norway:18 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:M (2009) | France:-12 | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Ajax Studios, Bondi, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Group W

Trivia:

There are two drink sizes ordered - a middy (10 fluid oz or 285 ml) and a schooner (15 fluid oz or 425 ml).

Goofs:

Continuity: After arriving and checking into his room Grant goes for a drink in a hotel. It has interior notices saying "The Miners Hotel". This is where he meets Jock the Policeman. But a little later people are seen to be playing poker or slot machines which were not at that time in hotels. They also have to stand for "The Oath", a ritual only held at RSL Returned Servicemans clubs. Finally they are seen leaving the Imperial Hotel to walk across to the two up game for a feed.

Quotes:

'Doc' Tydon:I'm a doctor of medicine. And a tramp by temperament. I'm also an alcoholic. My disease prevented me from practicing in Sydney. But out here it's scarcely noticeable.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Australian Movies to the World (1983) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Old Grey Mare

Sweet Home Bundanyabba, where the skies are grim.

"Outback" is unlike any other film ever made and quite impossible to categorize. If the movie taught me anything at all, it's that the Aussies can drink seriously hard and loads of it. They even drink till they pass out and then immediately open another can when they come to their senses again. I thought only Belgians did that. You cannot possibly count the amount of beer cans and bottles that are consumed in this film and the most repeated line of text/monologue is without a doubt: "C'mon mate, let's have a drink then". Based on the novel by Kenneth Cook, "Outback" tells the story of a young school teacher visiting the little outback community of Bundanyabba, where the local population is so hospitable and acts so familiar it becomes truly disturbing. They fill their days with drinking, gambling, getting involved in bar fights, drinking again, kangaroo hunting and drinking some more. John initially disapproves their savage habits and looks somewhat down upon the villagers, but slowly and gradually he becomes one of them as he wastes his entire year salary on booze and primitive roulette games. "Outback" is very slow-paced and moody. Sometimes you can literally taste the copious amounts of liquor and experience the heat of the Aussie summer. The noticeable heat, together with the feeling pure geographical isolation truly makes the film disturbing and uncomfortable as hell. "Outback" works effectively as psychological drama but even more as the non-fictional portrait about a society that is largely unknown and unspoken of. The footage of the kangaroo hunting trip is haunting and very, very depressing. I was really relieved when, during the end credits, a message appeared on the screen to state that no real kangaroos were harmed during the production. The film mostly benefices from astonishingly mesmerizing photography, superb music and Ted Kotcheff's solid direction. The versatile and brilliant actor Donald Pleasance is even convincing as an Aussie drunkard and the rest of the relatively unknown cast delivers great performances as well. This is one of them unique movies you only encounter a couple of times in a lifetime, but it's incredibly obscure so if you find a copy treasure it. So mate … shall we have a beer then?