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Barry McKenzie Holds His Own

  • 19741974
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
268
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974)
  • Comedy
Barry McKenzie's Aunt Edna is kidnapped by Count Von Plasma, the vampire head of an isolated Eastern European dictatorship who mistakes her for the Queen of England and thinks that kidnappin... Read allBarry McKenzie's Aunt Edna is kidnapped by Count Von Plasma, the vampire head of an isolated Eastern European dictatorship who mistakes her for the Queen of England and thinks that kidnapping her will draw tourists to his country. Barry and his mates set out to rescue her and bri... Read allBarry McKenzie's Aunt Edna is kidnapped by Count Von Plasma, the vampire head of an isolated Eastern European dictatorship who mistakes her for the Queen of England and thinks that kidnapping her will draw tourists to his country. Barry and his mates set out to rescue her and bring her back to Australia.
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
268
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Bruce Beresford
  • Writers
    • Barry Humphries(original photoplay)
    • Bruce Beresford(written in collaboration with)
  • Stars
    • Barry Crocker
    • Barry Humphries
    • Donald Pleasence
Top credits
  • Director
    • Bruce Beresford
  • Writers
    • Barry Humphries(original photoplay)
    • Bruce Beresford(written in collaboration with)
  • Stars
    • Barry Crocker
    • Barry Humphries
    • Donald Pleasence
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 5User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos13

    Barry Crocker in Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974)
    Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974)
    Barry Crocker in Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974)
    Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974)
    Barry Crocker in Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974)
    Barry Crocker and Barry Humphries in Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974)
    Barry Crocker in Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974)
    Donald Pleasence in Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974)
    Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974)
    Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974)
    Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974)
    Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Barry Crocker
    Barry Crocker
    • Barry McKenzieas Barry McKenzie…
    Barry Humphries
    Barry Humphries
    • Aunt Edna Everageas Aunt Edna Everage…
    Donald Pleasence
    Donald Pleasence
    • Erich Count von Plasmaas Erich Count von Plasma
    Ed Devereaux
    Ed Devereaux
    • Sir Alec Fergusonas Sir Alec Ferguson
    Dick Bentley
    Dick Bentley
    • Colin 'The Frog' Lucasas Colin 'The Frog' Lucas
    Louis Negin
    Louis Negin
    • Hugo Cretinas Hugo Cretin
    Clive James
    • Paddyas Paddy
    Brian Tapply
    • Sir Nigel Stewartas Sir Nigel Stewart
    Paul Humpoletz
    • Modeste Imbecileas Modeste Imbecile
    Beatrice Aston
    • Cherylene McKenzieas Cherylene McKenzie
    Robert Gillespie
    Robert Gillespie
    • Dorothyas Dorothy
    Mike Newman
    • Foureyes Fentonas Foureyes Fenton
    • (as Michael Newman)
    Merdelle Jordine
    • Rhonda Cutforth-Jonesas Rhonda Cutforth-Jones
    Don Spencer
    • Quizmasteras Quizmaster
    Andrew Lodge
    • Scrotum Bakeras Scrotum Baker
    Nell Campbell
    Nell Campbell
    • Nerida Brealeyas Nerida Brealey
    • (as Little Nell)
    Katya Wyeth
    • Germaineas Germaine
    Nancy Bleier
    Nancy Bleier
    • Clothildeas Clothilde
    • (as Nancy Blair)
    • Director
      • Bruce Beresford
    • Writers
      • Barry Humphries(original photoplay)
      • Bruce Beresford(written in collaboration with)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Barry McKenzie's Aunt Edna is kidnapped by Count Von Plasma, the vampire head of an isolated Eastern European dictatorship who mistakes her for the Queen of England and thinks that kidnapping her will draw tourists to his country. Barry and his mates set out to rescue her and bring her back to Australia. —frankfob2@yahoo.com
    • written by star
    • gay slur
    • damsel in distress
    • race against time
    • racism
    • 26 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • HOLD IT! BAZZA'S BACK [Theatrical Australia]
    • Genre
      • Comedy
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Four Eyes Fenton's voice isn't the actors the director did all his lines and overdubbed them.
    • Quotes

      Rhonda Cutforth-Jones: Have you ever balled another chick, Mrs Everage?

      Auntie Edna Everage: I may be old fashioned, young woman, but lesbianism has always left a nasty taste in my mouth.

    • Crazy credits
      The first English language film with English sub-titles.
    • Connections
      Featured in Barry McKenzie: Ogre or Ocker (1974)
    • Soundtracks
      Botany Bay
      (traditional)

      Instrumental version when Barry is in gaol

      Sung at the Australian embassy

    User reviews5

    Review
    Top review
    Absurdly politically incorrect, but a gem
    Bazza doesn't care much for `shirtlifters' or `pie-eaters', `ratbags' or `poofter liberators,' he disdains `ikey-mo style b***ards' and `abos.' This movie belongs within the Ockerish period of the Australian Cinematic Revival and one likes it despite of or possibly because of its genre defying.

    The film starts aboard a 'Frog Air' flight to Paris presumably straight after the events of the first movie, 'THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY McKENZIE' (though the last scene of that movie had announcements by the captain suggesting the plane was far into its journey and already over Eastern Europe and the décor decidingly Qantas), where Transylvanian Nationals (one with an improbable German accent) mistake Aunty Edna for Queen Elizabeth II. After a series of mishaps, they finally succeed in kidnapping her and thus later in England Operation 'Gladioli' is developed to rescue her. The movie involves a few music-hall type numbers and much beer guzzling.

    The sequel is more or less the same as its predecessor thought the mood seems more cynical and abusing. There are still acute cultural comparisons which cannot help but attract laughs: when shown Parisian landmarks Bazza simply observes `Why don't they knock 'em down and put in some amenities.like garages, drive-in opera houses and bottle-shops?' Bazza and his piss-pot mates spill Fosters into the Sein, behave most irreverently and consistently deliver culturally-divisive one-line quips, but the charm of the original Bazza (who said `sport' are the end of almost every sentence) seems to have dissipated.

    Bazza is a big-L Liberal*, albeit rough-around-the-edges, who is ultimately suspicious of trade-union 'whingers' and student protestor types (his middle name 'MENZIES' after all). He acerbically observes that Australians now have `culture coming out of their arses' and that 'arty-farty' types are getting much favour in his homeland. Bazza represents the fundamental dichotomy of conservative Australian: he prefers `decent church-going people' but despises his brother Kev the `Rev', he revels in seeing strippers and burlesque (as long as the objects are "dagoes" not clean cut Aussie sheilas) but procrastinates committing intimacy, despises government hand-outs but openly takes a free-trip home. Bazza is also the archetypical Australian `pom-basher' who likes to think that there were no convicts on his family's side and that Australia is the best little place in the world, no risk.

    For Bazza's arch-nemesis, Humphries has created the most reprehensible character: a Continental Communist Vampire, Count Eric von Plasma (Donald Pleasance in a wonderful and largely forgotten role) who much like General Ripper in Dr. Strangelove is seen by Bazza to be draining the free-world's of its 'vital fluids' (literally). The film features parts by Clive James, Don Spencer and Barry Humphries in four roles. The movie is an improvement, if only technically, over the original but critics of the first won't be enticed back. It has more of a narrative flow than the original which was far more episodic.

    The Original Documentary that was included on my DVD copy had beeped out all references to homosexuality in the `Christ and the Orgasm' segment of the movie. I suspect we Australians NEEDED to make and screen these movies if only to erode our prudish and stiff white-collar leanings. Humphries points out that at the time of production Australia still had a de-facto White Australia policy: so the almost cartoon-like characterisation of other races (a group of Indian-Europeans including a snake-charmer and a Turkish carpet salesmen who jump straight into the Unemployment office after being smuggled into England) may psychologically have drawn our unreasonableness to ourselves. For this and other reasons, I was never afraid to laugh at 'HOLDS HIS OWN.

    The protagonist of this film yields not the 'bush' romanticism of CROCODILE DUNDEE but a brash two-dimensional Sydneysider with a lot of similes to make and a lot of beer to drink. Criticism is foreshadowed within the movie by a cornered Von Plasma who taunts the Australian Rescue Contingent that they will end up making `B-Grade yokel movies'

    * The Liberal Party in Australia is somewhat of a misdominor: it is actually the conservative party. It has been in power in several forms for over 70% of Australia's Federal History.
    helpful•11
    0
    • bamptonj
    • Dec 23, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 12, 1974 (Australia)
    • Country of origin
      • Australia
    • Official site
      • Umbrella Entertainment - DVD (Australia)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Bazza Holds His Own
    • Filming locations
      • Paris, France
    • Production company
      • Reg Grundy Productions Pty. Ltd.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • A$240,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 33 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Tony Award-Winning Legend Bids 57-Year Stage Career Adieu
    Tony Award-Winning Legend Bids 57-Year Stage Career Adieu
    Mar 20Huffington Post
    Barry Humphries as Dame Edna: a career in clips
    Mar 20The Guardian - TV News

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