Don’s Party **** (1976, Ray Barrett, Jeanie Drynan, Clare Binney, John Hargreaves, Pat Bishop) – Classic Movie Review 12,493

The 1976 Australian film Don’s Party is a funny, raucous and bawdy comedy, expertly handled by Bruce Beresford, who brings the material to vivid life with the help of infectiously boisterous performances.

Don’s Party is a 1969 Aussie general election party (the 1969 Australian federal election} at which the Sydney suburban husbands and wives get more and more drunk, and then destructive, as they celebrate an expected Labour victory.

It is based on the play by David Williamson, who also writes the screenplay. Though it has a few changes from the play, Williamson said the film was ‘very well done’.

John Hargreaves stars as Don Henderson, the schoolteacher host of the party, with Jeanie Drynan as Don’s wife Kath. Ray Barrett plays Mal, Don’s mentor, a crass former psychologist now practising as a management consultant, with Pat Bishop as his long-suffering wife.

Graham Kennedy plays Mack, a recently separated design engineer, Graeme Blundell is Simon the nervous accountant Liberal supporter and Veronica Lang his obedient wife Jody.

Candy Raymond is the attractive and assertive artist Kerry, and Kit Taylor is her uptight and possessive partner Evan. Harold Hopkins as the sex-obsessed, loud-mouthed lawyer Grainger Cooley, and Clare Binney is his 19-year-old university student girlfriend.

The setting was relocated to Sydney, partly because it would be cheaper and partly to ensure audiences did not feel the movie was ‘too Melbourne’. The setting is relocated to the suburb of Westleigh in Sydney’s northern suburbs.

The film contains swearing, full frontal nudity and sex scenes.

Pat Bishop won the AFI Award for Best Actress, Veronica Lang won for Best Supporting Actress, Bruce Beresford won for Best Direction, David Williamson won for Best Screenplay, and the film won the edit and sound award. It was also entered into the 27th Berlin International Film Festival.

The cast are Ray Barrett, Clare Binney, John Hargreaves, Pat Bishop, Graeme Blundell, Jeanie Drynan, John Gorton, Harold Hopkins, Graham Kennedy, and Veronica Lang.

Shooting began in January 1976 and took roughly five weeks, using a house in Westleigh as the main location, 7 Windam Place.

The less than $300,000 budget was raised from the Australian Film Commission and private investors, mainly exhibitors, though it proved difficult to raise the money as Australia was in the middle of a credit squeeze.

Producer Phillip Adams originally distributed the film himself and it grossed $871,000 at the box office in Australia.

The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972)  is Beresford’s début, but, surprisingly, he survived it and graduated to posh adult film-making, though only after he directed and co-wrote the sequel: 1974’s Barry McKenzie Holds His Own. Beresford recalled: ‘The films were so reviled critically that I thought that, with these two films, I’ll never work again. Luckily Phillip Adams saved my life by offering me Don’s Party.’

Beresford has a cameo as bottle shop attendant. John Gorton also has a cameo as himself. He was the incumbent Prime Minister of Australia at the 1969 election, when his Liberal party won a narrow victory. He is included in the film as a tribute to his contribution in helping re-establish the Australian film industry.

The play opened on 11 August 1971 at The Pram Factory theatre in Carlton, an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Don’s Party is directed by Bruce Beresford, runs 90 minutes, is made by Double Head Productions and Australian Film Commission, is released by Phillip Adams and 20th Century-Fox, is written by David Williamson, based on the play by David Williamson, is shot in widescreen by Don McAlpine, is produced by Phillip Adams, is scored by Leos Janacek, and is designed by Rhoisin Harrison.

Release date: 17 November 1976.

The cast are Ray Barrett as Mal, Clare Binney as Susan, Pat Bishop, Graeme Blundell as Simon, Jeanie Drynan as Kath Henderson, John Hargreaves as Don Henderson, Harold Hopkins as Grainger Cooley, Graham Kennedy as Mack, Veronica Lang as Jody. Candy Raymond as Kerry, Kit Taylor as Evan, John Gorton as himself and Bruce Beresford as bottle shop attendant.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,493

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