The Great MacArthy (1975)

Director:

David Baker

Writers:

David Baker, Barry Oakley (novel),

Stars:

John Jarratt, Judy Morris, Kate Fitzpatrick

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Jarratt	...	McCarthy
Judy Morris	...	Miss Russell
Kate Fitzpatrick	...	Andrea
Sandra McGregor	...	Vera
Barry Humphries	...	Col Ball-Miller
John Frawley	...	Webster
Colin Croft	...	Tranter
Chris Haywood	...	Warburton
Colin Drake	...	Ackerman
Ron Frazer	...	Twentyman (as Ron Fraser)
Max Gillies	...	Stan
Dennis Miller	...	Macguinness
Lou Richards	...	Lou Arnold
Jim Bowles	...	Les
Jack Dyer	...	Jack Diehard

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

independent film | based on novel

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Taglines:

He's footy's most forward full forward.

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Genres:

Comedy | Sport

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Details

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 August 1975 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Salute to the Great McCarthy

Filming Locations:

Albert Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Stony Creek Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

Barry Humphries extensively ad-libbed whilst performing on this picture.

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Goofs

When McCarthy takes Miss Russell go to the football, his team South Melbourne is playing Footscray. However, the replay on the television as they eat dinner is of South Melbourne playing Collingwood.

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Quotes

Col Ball-Miller: Beauty. Bloody lovely.

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Connections

Featured in On the Bench with the Great MacArthy (2004)

User Reviews

An obnoxious mess.... with one exception

It's been surprising how few sports-related films have been made in Australia considering how obsessed the country is about sport and how it's treated as a major factor in the national mindset.

Therefore it's particularly disappointing that this film about the indigenous sport of Aussie Rules football - centred around country footballer McCarthy kidnapped to play in the big city league - is such a dud. You know it's in trouble in the pre-credits sequence which is full of mindless, inane activity and bad mugging by the actors, resulting in zero entertainment value.

And it never really recovers. The main culprit is the frenetic, tiresome direction by David Baker which never allows anything of promise to develop. And for all the 'anything goes' attitude the film is desperate to portray, the plot is relentlessly obvious and predictable.

One aspect does survive though - the central romance between McCarthy and a teacher played by Judy Morris is quite sweet and even moving at times. Credit for this goes to Morris' genuine and affecting performance, especially impressive in the context of the caricatured hysteria from most of the cast.