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IMDbPro

The Great MacArthy

  • 19751975
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
5.2/10
62
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
82,621
138,600
The Great MacArthy (1975)
ComedySport
Macarthy is a country football player who is kidnapped by the South Melbourne Football Club and made a star player in the city.Macarthy is a country football player who is kidnapped by the South Melbourne Football Club and made a star player in the city.Macarthy is a country football player who is kidnapped by the South Melbourne Football Club and made a star player in the city.
IMDb RATING
5.2/10
62
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
82,621
138,600
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • David Baker
    • Writers
      • John Romeril(screenplay)
      • David Baker(screenplay)
      • Barry Oakley(novel "A Salute to the Great McCarthy")
    • Stars
      • John Jarratt
      • Judy Morris
      • Kate Fitzpatrick
    Top credits
    • Director
      • David Baker
    • Writers
      • John Romeril(screenplay)
      • David Baker(screenplay)
      • Barry Oakley(novel "A Salute to the Great McCarthy")
    • Stars
      • John Jarratt
      • Judy Morris
      • Kate Fitzpatrick
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 2User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 2 wins

    Photos

    Bruce McNaughton in The Great MacArthy (1975)
    Bruce McNaughton in The Great MacArthy (1975)
    David Baker and Bruce McNaughton in The Great MacArthy (1975)
    The Great MacArthy (1975)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Jarratt
    John Jarratt
    • McCarthy
    Judy Morris
    Judy Morris
    • Miss Russell
    Kate Fitzpatrick
    Kate Fitzpatrick
    • Andrea
    Sandra McGregor
    • Vera
    Barry Humphries
    Barry Humphries
    • Colonel Ball-Miller
    John Frawley
    • Webster
    Colin Croft
    • Tranter
    Chris Haywood
    Chris Haywood
    • Warburton
    Colin Drake
    • Ackerman
    Ron Frazer
    • Twentyman
    • (as Ron Fraser)
    Max Gillies
    Max Gillies
    • Stan
    Dennis Miller
    • Macguinness
    Lou Richards
    Lou Richards
    • Lou Arnold
    Jack Dyer
    • Jack Diehard
    Jim Bowles
    • Les
    Bruce Spence
    Bruce Spence
    • Bill Dean
    Peter Cummins
    • Rerk
    Cul Cullen
    • McCarthy Sr.
    • Director
      • David Baker
    • Writers
      • John Romeril(screenplay)
      • David Baker(screenplay)
      • Barry Oakley(novel "A Salute to the Great McCarthy")
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Most of the game scenes and training scenes are shot at the South Melbourne ground (no longer used for football). Scenes from the last game and the crowd scenes prior to this are shot at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the spiritual home of Australian Rules Football. The MCG was also the site of the 1956 Olympic Games and the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and is also the location of Test cricket in Melbourne.
    • Goofs
      During the match against Richmond, the commentator gives the score as South Melbourne 8 5 53 to Richmond 13 13 91. In the next shot, the scoreboard shows the score as South Melbourne 9 11 65 to Richmond 17 6 108.
    • Quotes

      Nurse: [to Macarthy] Looking for someone Mr. Macarthy?

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

    User reviews2

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    3/10
    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.
    helpful•4
    4
    • Marco_Trevisiol
    • Dec 1, 2007

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 4, 1975 (Australia)
    • Country of origin
      • Australia
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Salute to the Great McCarthy
    • Filming locations
      • Albert Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
    • Production company
      • Stony Creek Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 46 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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