Kodak/Atlab Cinema Collection

The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972)

A new 35mm print of this feature and trailer are now available on request.
Courtesy of Phillip Adams, Kodak (Australasia) and Atlab Australia

National Film and Sound Archive National Collection
Title Number 159

Classification: R rating

Synopsis

Humphries presented a loosely connected series of comic situations deriving from the culture clash between the Australian Innocent, 'Bazza' McKenzie, and the English – from a taxi driver who takes Barry from Heathrow to Earls Court by way of Stonehenge, to the decadent upper classes with their public school fetishes, the swinging scene of pop music promoters and Jesus freaks, and eventually the hallowed halls of BBC television.

Background

Shooting began in London in January 1972. Late in February the unit returned to Australia to complete the few remaining scenes and encountered problems with unions because of the presence of British technicians in the crew. A compromise was reached, with the employment of shadow Australian technicians, and shooting was completed in March. The film was funded entirely by the Australian Film Development Corporation and made with a budget of $250,000. The film's immediate commercial success, enabled the production company to repay most of the government investment within three months of release. It also did very well commercially in London, where it established a record for any Australian film released there.

Director
Bruce Beresford

Year of Production: 1972
Duration: 114 mins
Format: 35mm, (1:1,85) Colour
Optical soundtrack: Mono, remastered to Dolby® Digital

Production Company
Longford Productions

Producer
Phillip Adams

Screenplay
Bruce Beresford, Barry Humphries

Director of Photography
Don McAlpine

Camera Operator
Gale Tattersall

Production Designer
John Stoddart

Editors
John Scott, Willam Anderson

Sound Recordist
Tony Hide

Music
Peter Best

Cast:
Barry Crocker (Barry McKenzie)
Barry Humphries (Aunt Edna/Hoot/Meyer de Lamphrey)
Peter Cook (Dominic)
Spike Milligan (landlord)
Dick Bentley (detective)
Dennis Price (Mr Gort)
Joan Bakewell (herself)
Paul Bertram (Curly)
Mary Anne Severne (Lesley)
Jonathan Hardy (Groove Courtenay)
Jenny Tomasin (Sarah Gort)
Chris Malcolm (Sean)
Judith Furse (Claude)
Maria O'Brien (Caroline Thighs)
John Joyce (Maurice Miller)
Margo Lloyd (Mrs McKenzie)
Brian Tapply (avant–garde composer)
John Clarke (underground film-maker)
Wilfred Grove (customs officer)
William Rushton (man on plane)
Bernard Spear (taxi-driver)
Jack Watling (Alexander Archdale).

Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories.