The Mango Tree (1977)

Jamie is a young man growing up in the small Australian town of Bundaberg during the early 1940's. Jamie loves his tranquil life, surrounded by the friendly locals, and being brought up by ... See full summary »

Director:

Kevin James Dobson

Writers:

Ronald McKie (novel), Michael Pate

Stars:

Geraldine Fitzgerald, Robert Helpmann, Christopher Pate

9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Geraldine Fitzgerald	...	Grandma Carr
Robert Helpmann	...	Professor
Christopher Pate	...	Jamie Carr
Gerard Kennedy	...	Preacher Jones
Gloria Dawn	...	Pearl
Carol Burns	...	Maudie Plover
Barry Pierce	...	Angus McDonald
Diane Craig	...	Miss Pringle
Ben Gabriel	...	Wilkenshaw
Maggie Millar	...	Laura Montague
Gerry Duggan	...	Scanlon
Terry McDermott	...	Somers
Jonathan Hardy	...	Joe Speight
Gary Day	...	Constable McHendry
Jonathan Atherton	...	Stinker Hatch

Storyline

Jamie is a young man growing up in the small Australian town of Bundaberg during the early 1940's. Jamie loves his tranquil life, surrounded by the friendly locals, and being brought up by his warm caring grandmother. But when a local preacher goes nutty, all hell breaks loose for the community, and Jamie leaves Bundaberg for the city.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel | independent film

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Taglines:

As a nation came of age, so did he.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 December 1977 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Der Mangobaum

Filming Locations:

Bundaberg Railway Station, Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pisces Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When the Professor is found drunk at the start of the film, the trooper who assists him is a member of the 2nd Light Horse Regiment, as noted by the color patch (green on white) on his right shoulder and the emu feathers on his hat. This regiment was raised in Queensland.

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Goofs

The color patch worn by the Light Horse trooper (who assists the Professor in the early scene) is back-to-front. The leading edge of the patch should show the Brigade color (white for the 1st Light Horse Brigade), while the battalion color (green in this instance) should be to the rear.

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Soundtracks

"O Come All Ye Faithful"
(uncredited)
Written by John Francis Wade
Played by the Salvation Army Band

User Reviews

A well made, well acted Australian drama

Christopher Pate is terrific in his first major acting role. He stars as Jamie, a young man growing up in the small Australian town of Bundaberg during the early 1940's. Jamie loves his life, surrounded by friendly locals, and being brought up by his warm caring grandmother played by Geraldine Fitzgerald. But unfortunately, Jamie decides to leave for the city at the end of the Second World War. Great perfomances by all, including Gerard Kennedy as the 'nutty' preacher, and Robert Helpmann as the drunken professor who befriends Jamie. This scenic drama is beautifully filmed on locations around Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia, which is my hometown. I would recommend this film to anyone who would like to see a well acted Australian drama.