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The Picture Show Man (1977)
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Overview
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Director:
Release Date:
February 1979 (USA)
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Tagline:
You haven't been to the movies until you've seen...
Plot:
At the beginnings of this centuary a man, his son and a piano player travel around Australia showing...
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Plot Keywords:
Piano Player
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Australia
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Cinema
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Movie Projector
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Rival
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Awards:
4 wins
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4 nominations
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User Comments:
A bittersweet story of Australia's early film history
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Cast
(Credited cast)| Rod Taylor | ... | Palmer | |
| John Meillon | ... | Maurice 'Pop' Pym | |
| John Ewart | ... | Freddie Graves | |
| Harold Hopkins | ... | Larry Pym | |
| Patrick Cargill | ... | Fitzwilliam | |
| Jelena Zigon | ... | Madame Cavalli (as Yelena Zignon) | |
| Judy Morris | ... | Miss Lockhart | |
| Garry McDonald | ... | Lou | |
| Sally Conabere | ... | Lucy Lockhart | |
| Jeanie Drynan | ... | Mrs. Duncan | |
| Don Crosby | ... | Major Lockhart | |
| Delore Whiteman | ... | Mrs. Summers (as Dolore Whiteman) | |
| Gerry Duggan | ... | Hall Secretary | |
| Tony Barry | ... | Policeman | |
| Ernie Bourne | ... | Bookmaker |
Additional Details
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Runtime:
99 min
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Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Three of the four films shown by Pym are not specifically identified. The first seems to be The Grand Duchess and the Waiter (1926) starring Adolphe Menjou and Florence Vidor. The other two are impossible to identify from the short clips shown. One seems to be something like a Tom Mix western. The last contains no recognisable stars and seems to be set in India. No film details nor copyright acknowledgements are included in the credits, except for the one identified film, On Our Selection (1920).
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Quotes:
Maurice 'Pop' Pym:
[about Palmer] Damn Yankee!
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Movie Connections:
Features The Grand Duchess and the Waiter (1926)
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Soundtrack:
Tap Tap On My Window
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Few are better qualified than Joan Long to tell this, a story of the trials and tribulation of early Australian cinema. A renown film historian, she based the film on the recollections of real-life picture show man Lyle Penn, but also draws on the rich knowledge of the era she gained by rediscovering and interviewing many of its leading players.
Travelling picture showmen were once common in Australia. Living out of caravans or even tents, they serviced the rural areas that did not yet have their own permanent cinemas, often providing variety acts as part of the show.
The film's tone is somewhat reminiscent of these early films. The story is delineated (and performed) in the same broad strokes as every Australian classic from 'Dad and Dave' to 'The Castle'. All the usual characters are present - the uneasy young man, the eager young tomboy who can't bear to act like a proper young lady, the shifty villian. Yet the simple, enjoyable story is studded with authentic period details such as how films were presented to country audiences, and ultimately the effect that the coming of sound had on the phenomenon of the travelling showman.
Garry McDonald's performance as an opportunistic, shambolic pianist, is probably the most enjoyable, yet fans of `Muriel's Wedding' would do well to look out for an early appearance from Jeannie Drynan, who played Muriel's mother - and, as can be seen here, could once have given Audrey Hepburn a run for her money.
Though very much a product of its time, the film is still a thoroughly enjoyable introduction to Australia's rich film history - a fascinating story which, without scholars such as Long, might have disappeared forever.