Australian/New Zealand movies: 1977

Lots of movies in this update (20 in total) with the usual mix of cinema releases plus a whole bunch of TV movies as this was in the midst of a boom-time for Australian TV. So much to go through not helped by another nudity filled Fantasm movie plus the grimy warts-and-all feminist drama Journey Among Women where the actresses spend most of the second half of the movie with limited clothes. Also the first New Zealand movie on the list as the industry there finally gets up and going.

Apologies in advance for the quality of some of the videos below as some of these TV movies are particularly obscure and only available in nth generation copies so the quality is quite low at times.

1977

All at Sea

Bawdy TV movie that features the cast of popular game show at the time The Celebrity Game going to an island resort where everyone including the priest are horny. You can tell it's a total rush job combined with being a free trip for the game show cast as the quality is bad and the jokes low on the funniness scale. And for a bawdy comedy it's very low on the nudity but the makers did get Abigail to show her breasts to add to her growing collection of movies she's been nude in.

You can find a synopsis and the collages and videos from All at Sea here. A preview is below.

Abigail in All at Sea

   

 

 

Born To Run
(aka Harness Fever)

One of two Disney TV movies made in Australia, the other being 1975's Ride a Wild Pony. This one is about young boy who finds a horse that he helps get to into harness racing or something. Didn't expect anything to cap being Disney but there's a wet see-through underwear scene featuring Julieanne Newbould. Was hoping this would turn up in better quality with Disney+ but no dice.

Julieanne Newbould in Born To Run

11061kb 39sec 704x536 (wet see-through top to breasts)

 

 

Cass

Feminist telemovie about a documentary filmmaker (Michele Fawdon) who comes back triumphantly from filming footage about a tribe and getting a TV deal only for the producer to turn it into a sleazy look at naked tribal women. The filmmaker loses it and finds solace in another woman (Judy Morris) who's in an open marriage while the filmmaker's own marriage to a doctor (John Waters with a moustache which is a rare sight). Probably provocative for the time but the filmmaker comes across as a bit whiny and probably mentally unstable despite being right about what the producer did to her movie.

Some brief nudity from Michele Fawdon while lying in bed with Judy Morris plus a surprising amount of nudity in the documentary scenes.

Michele Fawdon and Judy Morris in Cass

15107kb 56sec 704x536 (brief side-boob from Michele, both in one piece bathing suits)

10827kb 1min 15sec 704x536 (Michele shows breasts, Judy shows plenty of cleavage and 'nude' under covers)

 

Native Women in Cass

36148kb 3min 02sec 704x536 (various women showing breasts and in G-strings, extremely lengthy)

 

 

Fantasm Comes Again

Follow up to the previous years' Fantasm, another portmanteau about sexy fantasies with a lot of the same cast and just as much nudity but I found the movie slightly more enjoyable than the original. That's not saying much as it still has the same problems that plagued the original.

Lots and lots of nudity from American soft-core and porn actresses.

You can find a synopsis and HD videos from Fantasm Comes Again here. A preview is below.

Rosemarie Bem in Fantasm Comes Again

   
   

 

Michael Barton in Fantasm Comes Again

   
   
   
   
   
   

 

Cheryl (Rainbeaux) Smith in Fantasm Comes Again

   
   

 

Lois Owens in Fantasm Comes Again

   
   

 

Suzy A. Starr and Amanda Smith in Fantasm Comes Again

   
   
   
   

 

Uschi Digard and Dee Dee Levitt in Fantasm Comes Again

   
   
   
   
   

 

Helen O'Connell in Fantasm Comes Again

   
   

 

Brenda Fogerty in Fantasm Comes Again

   
   

 

Elaine Collins in Fantasm Comes Again

   
   

 

Pat Manning and Candy Fox in Fantasm Comes Again

   

 

Candy Samples and Nancy Mann in Fantasm Comes Again

   
   
   
 
   
   
   

 

Christine de Schaffer in Fantasm Comes Again

   
   

 

Suzanne Walsh in Fantasm Comes Again

   
   
   
   

 

Melinda York in Fantasm Comes Again

   
   
   

 

Mary Johnson in Fantasm Comes Again

   
   

 

Serena in Fantasm Comes Again

   
   
   

 

 

The F.J. Holden

Drama about a teen boy who drives an F.J. Holden and while driving around sees a teen girl sitting at a bus stop but when he comes back around to ask her out, she's gone. They finally meet days later and strike up a relationship that goes OK for while before an incident causes the girl to end it with the boy and he is not happy about this. Not so much a movie revolving around plot but a character study about the boy and girl that doesn't take sides and plays out like a docu-drama.

Eva Dickinson shows full frontal nudity in one scene.

You can find a synopsis and the collages and videos from The FJ Holden here. A preview is below.

Eva Dickinson in The F.J. Holden

   
   
   

 

 

The Getting of Wisdom

Bruce Beresford directed coming-of-age tale about a group of girls in an all girl dormatory where a girl Laura (Susannah Fowle) forms a close relationship with her teacher in a platonic way but it starts to affect the both of them. Based on a book by Australian author Henry Handel Richardson and features a number of soon-to-be fairly well known actresses as Laura's classmates like Sigrid Thornton, Kerry Armstrong and Noni Hazlehurst.

Some brief side-boob nudity from Kerry Armstrong while she's in the shower.

You can find a synopsis and the collages and HD videos from The Getting of Wisdom here. A preview is below.

Kerry Armstrong in The Getting of Wisdom

   

 

 

High Rolling
(aka High Rolling in a Hot Corvette)

Two carnies (American actor Joseph Bottoms and Grigor Taylor) steal a Corvette and drive from Melbourne to the Gold Coast for a holiday and to pick up women. Along the way they pick up a teenage hitchhiker in the form of a young Judy Davis. Silly stuff from the Hexagon team (see the Alvin Purple movies) but a rare look at the Gold Coast on the screen for the time.

There's some brief nudity from Christine Amor while having sex at a carnival.

You can find a synopsis and the collages and videos from High Rolling here. A preview is below.

Christine Amor in High Rolling

   
   

 

 

Illuminations (1976)

I mentioned Paul Cox's debut movie in the previous update but wasn't able to find a copy of it. But on Ozmovies there's some caps from the movie that show lead actress Gabriella Trsek naked as she attempts to kill herself in a bath.

Gabriella Trsek in Illuminations

      
      
   

 

 

Image of Death

By-the-numbers TV movie thriller about a woman (Cathey Paine) who kills her lookalike (Cheryl Waters) and takes over her life only to find complications from the murdered woman's family plus a blind boyfriend (Tony Bonner) the killer can't leave. Too much plot going on in this 75 minute movie plus it's lead by two unknown American actresses obviously to get into the American market but surely they could've gotten someone of note.

No nudity but some sexy stuff from Cathey Paine.

Cathey Paine in Image of Death

25452kb 1min 32sec 692x536 (bikini, lengthy)

11178kb 39sec 692x536 (plenty of cleavage in nightie)

 

 

Inside Looking Out

Paul Cox's second movie, I haven't seen it as it's hard-to-find but Ozmovies has some caps from the movie that shows nudity from Briony Behets and Juliet Bacskai.

Briony Behets in Inside Looking Out

      

 

Juliet Bacskai in Inside Looking Out

      
      
   

 

 

Journey Among Women

Crazy revisionist feminist drama about a group of women prisoners who are treated poorly by the local police much to the disgust of the lady of the house (Jeune Pritchard) who helps them escape. But with no food and no means to get food plus nowhere to go, the women are left to fend for themselves. An Aboriginal woman (Lillian Crombie) helps them find food in nature and then the women quickly become sufficient enough for when the police come to bring them in but not without a fight. Surprisingly violent movie where the women spend most of the second half of the movie in very few clothes because the ones they had withered away or are too constrictive. Has it's place but is hampered by obvious money issues and a complete lack of continuity.

All the female cast are fully nude in the movie as it's a grimy back-to-basics movie. Also includes some extras scenes with nudity from the trailer not in the movie.

You can find a synopsis and the collages and videos from Journey Among Women here. A preview is below.

Jeune Pritchard in Journey Among Women

   
   
   
   
   
   

 

Nell Campbell in Journey Among Women

   
   
   
   

   
   

 

Lisa Peers in Journey Among Women

   
   
   

 

Robyn Moase in Journey Among Women

   

 

Jude Kuring in Journey Among Women

   
   

 

Lillian Crombie in Journey Among Women

   
   

 

Diane Fuller in Journey Among Women

   

 

Therese Jack in Journey Among Women

   
  

 

Kay Self in Journey Among Women

   

 

 

The Last Wave

Peter Weir directed weird Indigenous mystery thriller where a lawyer (Richard Chamberlain) takes the case of five Indigenous men who are charged with the mysterious murder of a fellow Indigenous man without touching the victim. He brings the men to his home which brings out 'odd' feelings from his wife (Olivia Hamnett). Then a series of strange events happen to the lawyer where he may actually get to the bottom of the mystery. Or not. Very odd movie that's an attempt at something different and it sure is that. I don't think I fully understood it but the movie is definitely interesting.

No nudity in the movie but there's a scene where a teacher (Penny Leach) is in a wet shirt from a rainstorm and it's so soaked that you see her nipples.

Olivia Hamnett in The Last Wave

37286kb 39sec 1920x1040 (bikini)

 

Penny Leach in The Last Wave

25482kb 28sec 1920x1040 (wet see-through shirt to breasts)

 

 

The Love Letters from Teralba Road

50 minute movie about a man (Bryan Brown) who has issues with violence trying to reaquaint himself with his ex (Kris McQuade) but she is not trusting of him. A young Gia Carides plays the ex's daughter which surprised me because I thought her first movie was Midnite Spares but here she is as a young girl 6 years earlier.

No nudity but some sexy stuff from Kris McQuade.

Kris McQuade in The Love Letters from Teralba Road

27460kb 1min 44sec 624x480 (bra, lengthy)

10946kb 45sec 624x480 (plenty of cleavage in nightie)

 

 

The Mango Tree

Period coming-of-age drama set pre-World War II northern Queensland about a young man (Christopher Pate) who is being bought up by his grandmother (Irish actress Geraldine Fitzgerald) and follows how he grows up in a small town while a preacher (Gerard Kennedy) goes mad and causes havoc amongst the locals. Pretty dry stuff but it livens up for a bit of PG sexy action between the young man and his French teacher played by Diane Craig.

Diane Craig in The Mango Tree

29746kb 1min 34sec 768x576 (implied nudity)

 

 

The Picture Show Man

Rod Taylor came back to Australia after a fairly successful career through the 50s/60s/70s overseas for this light comedy about two rival teams that are bringing movies to isolated country towns in the early 1900s. Wacky antics ensue with a few laughs but is mostly forgettable. I did like Garry McDonald's fourth-wall breaking final line in the movie after everything goes to shit. Again pretty PG stuff but there's a scene where Sally Conabere is naked in the water but you don't really see anything.

You can find a synopsis and the collages and videos from The Picture Show Man here. A preview is below.

Sally Conabere in The Picture Show Man

   

 

 

Say You Want Me

Telemovie about a radio host's wife (Belinda Giblin) who is raped by one of his colleagues (a particularly slimy Hugh Keays-Byrne). She goes through a whole gamut of emotions while her husband struggles to work out where his allegiance should lie (great guy!).

Some brief nudity from Belinda Giblin early in the movie. The videos are fairly low quality sadly.

Belinda Giblin in Say You Want Me

14391kb 51sec 696x536 (brief breasts, 'nude' under covers)

29589kb 1min 47sec 696x536 (bra, shirt ripped open, attempted rape scene, lengthy)

 

 

Shimmering Light

Beau Bridges loved filming in Australia so much in Adam's Women that he came back for more and brought his father with him. ABC telemovie where Beau plays a content surfer who's life is about to go a major upheaval with his girlfriend (Ingrid Mason) becoming pregnant and his rich father (Lloyd Bridges) coming back into his life as he is dying. By-the-numbers stuff as the surfer has to get his shit together whether he likes it or not. Lloyd Bridges looks pretty old here but he lived another 20-odd years.

No nudity in the telemovie but some sexy stuff including from Ingrid Mason. Sadly she doesn't act for 20 years after this...

Ingrid Mason in Shimmering Light

15390kb 57sec 696x536 (bikini top, skirt)

 

Victoria Shaw in Shimmering Light

17552kb 2min 24sec 696x536 ('nude' under covers, lengthy)

 

 

Sleeping Dogs (NZ)

First New Zealand feature-length movie in 25 years and considered the beginning of their 'New Wave'. Political thriller about a man (Sam Neill on debut) who abandons his family to live by himself on a remote island except that the island is being used by an upstart political faction to store it's weapons. When the police come, they arrest the man but he escapes (in a pretty wild scene) and becomes an on-the-run enemy of the government whether he likes it on not. Apart from Neill there's some interesting names involved in this movie with director Roger Donaldson, who has had a fairly lengthy Hollywood career, also on debut plus a number of soon-to-be well-known New Zealand actors in the cast. Also Warren Oates turns up as an army general hunting the man.

There's nudity from Donna Akersten who shows her breasts and briefly her bottom during a dalliance with the man.

You can find a synopsis and the collages and HD videos from Sleeping Dogs here. A preview is below.

Donna Akersten in Sleeping Dogs

   
   

 

 

Summer City

Wild, woolly and rough surfing apocalyptic movie from Phillip Avalon who'd become known for his low rent schlock but this is an interesting if messy movie about a bunch of buddies (including Mel Gibson and Steve Bisley on debut) looking for a surf and a good time and ending up in a living hell involving a woman (Debbie Forman) who's overprotective father hunts them for even thinking about her. Has a strange end of the world vibe about it and while the movie is rough, there's plenty of potential on display. Too bad Avalon would never top this movie including the 1988 sequel to this which is a contender for the worst Australian movie ever made.

Some brief nudity from Debbie Forman as she changes out of her dress. Strangely, Abigail is in this movie but only for her acting.

You can find a synopsis and the collages and videos from Summer City here. A preview is below.

Debbie Forman in Summer City

   

 

 

Summerfield

Moody mystery drama about a new school teacher (Nick Tate) in town who takes an interest in a young girl he is teaching who is an outcast from her fellow student mainly because she suffers from a rare medical disorder. He meets her mother (Elizabeth Alexander) and they fall for one another but she has a 'close' relationship with her oddball brother (John Waters sans moustache) who lives with them. Something is very wrong in the household and it all comes to a head in a shocking finale. Very good movie with a pretty horrific ending, very downbeat.

Elizabeth Alexander shows her breasts during sex while Geraldine Turner shows most of her breasts and briefly her bottom in a couple of scenes as she has a fling with the school teacher.

You can find a synopsis and the collages and videos from Summerfield here. A preview is below.

Elizabeth Alexander in Summerfield

   
   

 

Geraldine Turner in Summerfield

   
   
 

 

 

Wild Man (NZ)

Debut 65 minute feature for New Zealand director Geoff Murphy about two men (Bruno Lawrence and Ian Watkin) who come to town to continue to run their scam of Lawrence being the 'Wild Man of Borneo' who takes on all-comers. Very rudimentary movie with long scenes where nothing much happens then short sharp bursts of wackiness including a cameo from comedian John Clarke as a shonky medicinal salesman. Murphy would make way better movies than this (The Quiet Earth also with Lawrence is a New Zealand masterpiece) and this is only of interest to those following Murphy and Lawrence's careers.

Some brief nudity from Sue Bollinger as she is interrupted while taking a bath by a nutter chasing a chicken.

Sue Bollinger in Wild Man

13195kb 49sec 640x480 (brief breasts, plenty of cleavage, in bath)

 

Plenty to look through above but there's also quite a number of movies that didn't have any nudity like quintessential fan favourite ABBA® The Movie (now sadly marred by the constant presence of convicted pedophile Robert Hughes), Phillip Noyce's debut Backroads, western Raw Deal, horse drama Blue Fire Lady, Wendy Hughes starring telemovies The Alternative and oddball thriller Is There Anything There? plus non-Hughes starring telemovies No Room To Run and Roses Bloom Twice. Also there's animated movies Dot and the Kangaroo and 5 Weeks in a Balloon. There's also a movie called Listen to the Lion that I have not been able to view but looking at the cast there seems to be only one woman in it.

That'll do as it's taken longer than I was expecting which is not looking good for when the number of movies explode in the 1980s.

 

Tags: Julieanne Newbould, Michele Fawdon, Judy Morris, Gabriella Trsek, Cathey Paine, Briony Behets, Juliet Bacskai, Olivia Hamnett, Penny Leach, Kris McQuade, Diane Craig, Ingrid Mason, Victoria Shaw, Sue Bollinger