The Leaving of Liverpool (1992) (TV)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Michael Jenkins

Writers:

John Alsop (written by)
Sue Smith (written by)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

A poignant and forceful saga which traces the fortunes of two English children uprooted from their beloved Liverpool dockside to the alien environment of Australia in the years following World War Two. |

Plot Keywords:

Self Injury | WWII | Self Inflicted Injury | Displaced Children | Historical

Awards:

5 wins

Cast

Kevin Knapman	...	Bert (as Kevin Jones)
Christine Tremarco	...	Lily
Frances Barber	...	Ellen, Lily's mother
John Hargreaves	...	Harry
Bill Hunter	...	Father O'Neill
Martin Jacobs	...	Brother Matthew
Frank Whitten	...	Brother Jerome
David Kaff	...	Wilson
Darren Yap	...	David
Pamela Rabe	...	Mrs. Lang
Colin Moody	...	Mr. Symonds
Gary Henshaw	...	Alf
Walter Brown	...	Bishop
Jai Kemp	...	Bonesy
Peter Braunstein	...	Country Doctor
Robert Simper	...	Deckhand
Amy Whelan	...	Evelyn
Con Miralis	...	Gary
Noga Bernstein	...	Jenny
Ronald Francois	...	Jones
Audra Knobbs	...	Lily double
Kate McDonald	...	Mary (as Katy Macdonald)
David Wheeler	...	Mr. Finlay
Christopher Burke	...	Official Man
Sally McKenzie	...	Official Woman (as Sally Mackenzie)
John Lee	...	Patron
Lee Henshaw	...	Peter
Greg O'Donovan	...	Priest
Kevin Lester	...	Reggie
Bob Baines	...	Senior Brother
Alan Whelan	...	Vince
Kerry Walker	...	Mrs. Dunne
Frankie J. Holden	...	Bunger
Russell Kiefel	...	Brogan
Rhondda Findleton	...	Lorna
Tom Long	...	Ned
Bogdan Koca	...	Pavel
Marcus Schultz	...	Burly Cop
Barry Langrishe	...	Cooper
Mark Holmes	...	Damien
Deborah Clay	...	Gabrielle
Belinda Hoare	...	Grace
Larissa Minniecon	...	Gwen
Ken Porter	...	Heckler
Steve Cox	...	Marty
Kim Hillas	...	Mrs. Campbell
Linden Wilkinson	...	Mrs. Hawkins
Cheuk-Fai Chan	...	O-boy
Tony Lynch	...	Policeman
Byron Charles	...	Prince Phillip
Rayesa Sokolov	...	Queen Elizabeth
Deidre Brock	...	Saleswoman
John O'Hare	...	Singlet
Syd Smith	...	Station Master
Dibbs Mather	...	Supervisor
Yvette Alcott	...	Typing Teacher
Kenny Graham	...	Union Official
Courtney Jones	...	Young Lily
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Josh Quong Tart	...	Thug
Shaun Martindale	...	Orphan Boy (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Jenkins

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John Alsop		written by
Sue Smith		written by

Produced by
Penny Chapman	....	executive producer
Steve Knapman	....	producer
Michael Wearing	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Stephen F. Windon

Film Editing by
Michael Honey

Costume Design by
Annie Marshall

Makeup Department
Chiara Tripodi	....	hair designer

Sound Department
Stephen J. Hope	....	sound re-recording mixer

Stunts
Audra Knobbs	....	stunt double: Christine Tremarco
Stuart St. Paul	....	stunt coordinator: UK

Camera and Electrical Department
Alan Hansen	....	grip

Casting Department
Lucy Goodman	....	extras casting

Editorial Department
Bin Li	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Sandy Stevens	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Other Companies

• Spectrum Films International  post-production facilities

Runtime:

180 min

Country:

UK | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Lidcombe, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

Britain's shame

'The Leaving of Liverpool' brings into the open one of the UK's greatest shames of how young children, orphans or those who had the misfortune to hail from lower class homes, were snatched from all that they knew and loved to be transported to far-flung countries such as Australia, Canada and South Africa. This was not a government-sanctioned crime of the Victorian era but happened between the late Forties right up until the relatively recent Sixties.

This BBC TV drama follows the plight of twelve-year-old sweethearts Bert and Lily and their young friends as they are wrenched from their native Liverpool and transported to lead harsh new lives in Australia, a country so hot and unfamiliar to children who had never been outside their own city before let alone travelled to a foreign country.

The film highlights not only the abusive treatment the children endure but how the long boat journey itself was treacherous. It also shows how many of these children were lied to with officials telling them their very much alive-and-well parents were dead. The excellent quality of the child actors involve allows the audience to feel an emotional connection to them and empathise with the cruelties they suffer from those who were meant to care for them.

The only quibble I have is why this excellent drama is neither available to own on DVD nor aired more on TV as it's a shame that more people are not aware of it. It's also sad these now grown children's plight hasn't been publicised more.