Do You Remember Wake in Fright?

Do You Remember Wake in Fright?

A Sydney based researcher is looking for WA residents who have recollections of the making of the Australian/British co-production, Wake in Fright also known as Outback which was shot in Broken Hill in the summer of 1969/70.

The author is wishing to locate JOHN SHAW, Businessman, who left the film industry in the 70s and worked on Wake in Fright as location manager and is believed to have settled in NZ.

Were you a cast member? An extra? Did you keep a diary or take photos? The researcher is interested in anything and everything that might shed light on the making of the film, Broken Hill as it was in the late 1960's, and local customs as well as details on kangaroo hunting and shooting, and union practices as they were in the 60's.

The writer is also interested in two-up schools; Broken Hill's pubs; outback schools; and details of Broken Hill's population as well as local clubs including the RSL.

The film used locations such as the main street, the railway station and the cast and crew took part in a Kangaroo shoot not too far out of town.

The information supplied would be used to inform the research on a book about the Australian film industry and conditions of confidentially will be respected if so desired.

Please contact PETER GALVIN E petergalvi@gmail.com if you can help.

MORE ABOUT THE FILM

In December 1969 a film crew based in Sydney travelled to Broken Hill to produce a film called Wake in Fright.

The cast included Donald Pleasence, Gary Bond, Sylvia Kay and a young Jack Thompson.

Based on a novel of the same name by Sydney journalist Kenneth Cook, originally published in 1961, the film told the story of city loving school teacher who becomes "stranded" in a large outback town after he loses all his money in a two up game.

The film was released in 1971 to wide acclaim in both Australia and overseas, where the title was changed to Outback.

Thought lost the film was re-discovered more than ten years ago. It was restored in 2009. Since then it has been re-released to universal acclaim in Australia, Japan, the UK, France and the USA

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