''Alvin Purple'' is a 1973 Australian
sex comedy film
Sex comedy, erotic comedy or more broadly sexual comedy is a genre in which comedy is motivated by sexual situations and love affairs. Although "sex comedy" is primarily a description of dramatic forms such as theatre and film, literary works such ...
starring
Graeme Blundell in the title role; the screenplay was written by
Alan Hopgood
Alan John Hopgood AM (29 September 1934 – 19 March 2022), also known as Alan Hopwood, was an Australian actor, producer, and writer. He wrote the screenplay for the 1972 film '' Alvin Purple'' and made appearances in television shows such as ...
and directed by
Tim Burstall
Timothy Burstall AM (20 April 1927 – 19 April 2004) was an English Australian film director, writer and producer, best known for hit Australian movie '' Alvin Purple'' (1973) and its sequel '' Alvin Rides Again''.
Burstall's films featured ...
, through his production company
Hexagon Productions
Hexagon Productions was an Australian film production company established in 1972 by Roadshow Distributors with Tim Burstall and Associates and the company Bilcock and Copping. All parties had successfully collaborated on '' Stork'' (1971) and want ...
and
Village Roadshow
Village Roadshow Limited is an Australian company which operates cinemas and theme parks, and produces and distributes films. Before being acquired by private equity company BGH Capital, the company was listed on the Australian Securities Ex ...
The film received largely negative reviews from local film critics. Despite this, it was a major hit with Australian audiences. ''Alvin Purple'' became the most commercially successful Australian film released to that time, breaking the box-office record previously set by
Michael Powell
Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company The Archers, they together wrote, produced and directed a seri ...
's pioneering Anglo-Australian comedy feature ''
They're a Weird Mob
''They're a Weird Mob'' is a popular 1957 Australian comic novel written by John O'Grady under the pseudonym "Nino Culotta", the name of the main character of the book. The book was the first published novel by O'Grady, with an initial print run ...
'' (1966), grossing $A4.7 million locally ($49 million in 2022).
Story synopsis
''Alvin Purple'' is a
sex-farce which follows the misadventures of a naïve young
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
man Alvin Purple, whom women find irresistible. Working in door-to-door sales, Alvin (unsuccessfully) tries to resist legions of women who want him.
Alvin is so worn-out he seeks psychiatric help to solve his problems. His psychiatrist is, of course, a woman. Alvin ultimately falls in love with the one girl who does not throw herself at him. She becomes a nun, and Alvin ends up a gardener in the convent's gardens.
Cast
*
Graeme Blundell as Alvin Purple
*
George Whaley as Dr. McBurney
*
Jacki Weaver
Jacqueline Ruth Weaver (born 25 May 1947) is an Australian theatre, film and television actress. Weaver emerged in the 1970s as a symbol of the Australian New Wave through her work in Ozploitation films such as '' Stork'' (1971), ''Alvin Purp ...
as Second Sugar Girl
*
Penne Hackforth-Jones
Penne Hackforth-Jones (5 August 194917 May 2013) was an American-born Australian actress and biographer.
Early life
Penelope Beatrix Hackforth-Jones was born in August 1949 in Greenwich, Connecticut, to Paul and Susan Felicity (née Gullett) H ...
as Dr. Liz Sort
*
Abigail
Abigail () was an Israelite woman in the Hebrew Bible married to Nabal; she married the future King David after Nabal's death ( 1 Samuel ). Abigail was David's second wife, after Saul and Ahinoam's daughter, Michal, whom Saul later marri ...
as Girl in See-Through
*
Elli Maclure as Tina Donovan
*
Noel Ferrier
Noel Ferrier AM (20 December 193016 October 1997) was an Australian television personality, comedian, stage and film actor, raconteur and theatrical producer. He was a regular panelist in Graham Kennedy's popular game show '' Blankety Blanks ( ...
as the Judge
*
Jill Forster
Jill Forster (born 1936), is an English Australian actress who came to Australia as a model in 1964 and appeared in the Crawford Production series '' Hunter''. She is well known for appearance's in TV series, but has also appeared in made for T ...
as Mrs. Horwood
*
Lynette Curran
Lynette Curran is an Australian actress known for many roles in Australian television series and films, including the soap opera '' Bellbird'', and the films ''Country Town'' (1971) and '' Bliss'' (1985).
Theatre
She started acting in the t ...
as First Sugar Girl
*
Christine Amor
Christine Debra Amor (born 1952) is an Australian actress of stage, television and film.
Career
Amor was born in Brisbane, Queensland. She graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). She has acted extensively in television gu ...
as Peggy
*
Dina Mann
Dina Mann (born 1951), also credited as Diana Mann, is an Australian actress and casting director recognised for several television soap opera and film roles starting from 1970 until 1985, after which she worked as a casting director until 2 ...
as Shirley
*Dennis Miller as Mr. Horwood
*
Fred Parslow
Frederick Henry Parslow (14 August 1932 – 26 January 2017) was an Australian actor, who appeared in film, television and theatre.
Acting career
Parslow was notable in several film and TV roles, with parts in internationally successful TV so ...
as Alvin's Father
*
Valerie Blake
Valerie may refer to:
People
*Saint Valerie (disambiguation), a number of saints went by the name Valerie
*Valerie (given name), a feminine given name
Songs
*"Valerie", a 1981 song by Quarterflash, from ''Quarterflash''
*"Valerie", a 1982 son ...
as Alvin's Mother
*Alan Finney as Spike Dooley
*
Elke Neidhardt
Elke Cordelia Neidhardt AM (5 July 194125 November 2013) was a German Australian actress and opera and theatre director. She appeared in theatre, television and feature films in Germany, Austria, France and Australia, and directed operas in Zur ...
as Woman in Blue Movie
*
Gary Down
Gary may refer to:
*Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
*Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary
Places
;Iran
* Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province
;Uni ...
as Roger Hattam
*
Peter Aanensen
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a su ...
as Ed Cameron
*
Jenny Hagen
Jenny may refer to:
* Jenny (given name), a popular feminine name and list of real and fictional people
* Jenny (surname), a family name
Animals
* Jenny (donkey), a female donkey
* Jenny (gorilla), the oldest gorilla in captivity at the time of ...
as Agnes Jackson
*
Kris McQuade as Samantha
*
Shara Berriman Shara may refer to:
* Shara District, an administrative subdivision of Iran
* Shara, Leh, a village in Jammu and Kashmir, India
*Šar Mountains (''Shar Mountains''), colloquially Šara (''Shara''), Balkans
*Shara (god), son of Inanna and brother of ...
as kinky lady
*
Stan Monroe as Mrs Warren
*
Eileen Chapman as patient
*
Jan Friedl as Miss Guernsey
*Barbara Taylor as Mrs Phillips
*
Anne Pendlebury as woman with pin
*
Boguslawa Alicia Chojnowska
*
Danny Webb as newsreader
*
Jon Finlayson
Jon "Finno" Finlayson (23 March 193812 September 2012) was an Australian actor and writer. He was known for his roles in the films '' Lonely Hearts'' (1982) and ''The Magic Show'' (1983).
He was also well-known from his numerous television ro ...
as Liz's lawyer
*
John Smythe as Alvin's lawyer
*
Brian Moll
Brian Percy Moll (19 May 1925 – 9 August 2013) was a British-born Australian comedian character actor of stage, television and film and director and producer who emigrated to Australia from his native England in 1950. Quitting his job as a pub ...
as clerk of the court
*
Lynne Flanagan as foreman of jury
*
Peter Cummins
Peter Cummins (born 2 June 1931 in Melbourne) is an Australian retired character actor of stage and screen and chorister who was especially prominent in the 1970s and appeared in some of the most famous Australian films of the period.
He was pa ...
as cab driver
*
Sally Conabere as second nun
*
Carole Skinner as Mother Superior
Background
Director Tim Burstall had worked extensively in film both locally and internationally in the 1960s, and in the late '60s he was closely involved in the foundation of the famous
La Mama Theatre in Melbourne, established by his wife
Betty Burstall.
La Mama Theatre was a major focus for the new wave of Australian drama that was emerging at that time, showcasing many new plays, performance pieces and films by people such as
Jack Hibberd
John Charles Hibberd (born 12 April 1940 in Warracknabeal, Victoria) is an Australian playwright and physician.
Biography
Hibberd studied medicine at the University of Melbourne and resided in Newman College. He worked as a registrar in ...
,
Alex Buzo
Alexander John Buzo (23 July 194416 August 2006) was an Australian playwright and author who wrote 88 works. His literary works recorded Australian culture through wit, humour and extensive use of colloquial Australian English.
Biography
Ear ...
,
David Williamson
David Keith Williamson AO (born 24 February 1942) is an Australian dramatist and playwright. He has also written screenplays and teleplays.
Early life
David Williamson was born in Melbourne, Victoria, on 24 February 1942, and was brought ...
,
Bert Deling
Bert Deling is an Australian writer, script editor and director of film and TV best known for the cult classic ''Pure Shit'' (1975).
Select Credits
*'' Dalmas'' (1973)
*''Pure Shit
''Pure Shit'' (censored as ''Pure S'') is a 1975 Australian dra ...
and Burstall himself.
Burstall's first feature film, ''
2000 Weeks'', was an ambitious contemporary drama about a writer, starring
Mark McManus
Mark McManus (21 February 1935 – 6 June 1994) was a Scottish actor.
He has played roles in British television series '' Sam,'' '' Bulman, The Brothers, Strangers,'' and ''Dramarama'' and starred in the feature film '' 2000 Weeks''. He was ...
(of ''
Taggart
''Taggart'' is a Scottish detective fiction television programme created by Glenn Chandler, who wrote many of the episodes, and made by STV Studios for the ITV network. It originally ran as the miniseries "Killer" from 6 until 20 Septembe ...
'' fame) and
Jeanie Drynan
Jeanie Drynan is an Australian film and television actress well known for her roles in the television series '' Class of '74'' and in the 1994 film '' Muriel's Wedding''. She may be best known to international viewers for her role as Muriel's ...
, which was very notable at the time, being the first all-Australian feature film produced since
Charles Chauvel's ''
Jedda
''Jedda'', released in the UK as ''Jedda the Uncivilized'', is a 1955 Australian film written, produced and directed by Charles Chauvel. His last film, it is notable for being the first to star two Aboriginal actors, Robert Tudawali and Ngarl ...
'' in 1954. Although it was reportedly well-received overseas, ''2000 Weeks'' was panned by local critics and it failed disastrously at the box office.
The experience affected Burstall strongly and also influenced other directors and producers, including
John B. Murray and
Phillip Adams
Phillip Adams, Philip Adams, or Phil Adams may refer to:
Sports
* Phillip Adams (American football) (1988–2021), American football cornerback
* Phillip Adams (sport shooter) (born 1945), Australian pistol shooter
* Phil Adams (cricketer) (born 1 ...
, who observed the hostile reaction to ''2000 Weeks'' and who as a result took their film-making in a more populist direction, as Burstall soon did himself.
Burstall followed this film by a low-budget surfing feature ''Getting Back to Nothing'' (1970).
His second feature, the contemporary comedy ''
Stork'' (1971), was much more successful. As well as launching the cinema career of actor
Bruce Spence
Bruce Spence (born 17 September 1945) is a New Zealand–Australian actor. Spence has amassed over 100 film and television credits and has also acted in theatre.
Biography
Spence won an AFI Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1971 comedy ...
, who played the title role, it was the first of many successful film adaptations of plays by renowned Australian dramatist David Williamson. ''Stork'' was adapted from his play ''
The Coming of Stork
''The Coming of Stork'' was the first play written by David Williamson.
The cast for the original production included Alan Finney, Bruce Spence and Peter Cummins.
It was adapted into a feature film
A feature film or feature-length film i ...
'', which had premiered at La Mama.
The score and theme song of Alvin Purple was composed by singer
Brian Cadd
Brian George Cadd AM (born 29 November 1946) is an Australian singer-songwriter, keyboardist, producer and record label founder, a staple of Australian entertainment for over 50 years. As well as working internationally throughout Europe and the ...
Development
In 1972, Burstall became a partner in a new film production company, Hexagon Productions. Their first project was meant to be ''Sittin, based on a script from David Williamson, but Williamson was still lecturing at the time as well as being inundated with other work and was not able to complete it in time; it eventually became ''
Petersen
Petersen is a common Danish patronymic surname, meaning ''"son of Peter"''. There are other spellings. Petersen may refer to:
People In arts and entertainment
* Adolf Dahm-Petersen, Norwegian voice specialist
* Anja Petersen, German operatic ...
'' (1974). Burstall then decided to make an Australian version of ''
The Decameron
''The Decameron'' (; it, label= Italian, Decameron or ''Decamerone'' ), subtitled ''Prince Galehaut'' (Old it, Prencipe Galeotto, links=no ) and sometimes nicknamed ''l'Umana commedia'' ("the Human comedy", as it was Boccaccio that dubbed Da ...
'', which was popular in cinemas at the time, and would enable Hexagon to take advantage of the new "R" certificate, which had been introduced to Australia in 1971.
[David Stratton, ''The Last New Wave: The Australian Film Revival'', Angus & Robertson, 1980 p. 29.] Another influence was ''
Bedroom Mazurka''.
[Interview with Tim Burstall, 30 March 1998]
Retrieved 14 October 2012.
Burstall considered 26 stories from writers such as
Bob Ellis
Robert James Ellis (10 May 1942 – 3 April 2016) was an Australian writer, journalist, filmmaker, and political commentator. He was a student at the University of Sydney at the same time as other notable Australians including Clive James, Germa ...
, Williamson,
Barry Oakley
Barry Kingham Oakley (born 24 February 1931)''Who's Who in Australia'' (2010) is an Australian writer.Luke Slattery"10 questions: Barry Oakley, author, 81"''The Australian'', 15 December 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2016.- Graeme Blundell"Wittily i ...
and
Frank Hardy
Francis Joseph Hardy (21 March 1917 – 28 January 1994), published as Frank J. Hardy and also under the pseudonym Ross Franklyn, was an Australian novelist and writer. He is best known for his 1950 novel '' Power Without Glory'', and for his ...
before settling on ''Alvin Purple'' written by Alan Hopgood.
[Scott Murray, 'Tim Burstall', ''Cinema Papers'' Sept-Oct 1979 p. 494-495.]
Hopgood had enjoyed considerable critical success in the early 1960s with his Aussie rules football satire ''
And the Big Men Fly
''And the Big Men Fly'' is an Australia-based play by Alan Hopgood, written in 1963, and has been adapted to numerous media including a TV series and film.
Its primary subject is the fictional Australian rules football team, the Crows.
Plot s ...
'' and he was well-known to TV audiences at the time for his long-running role as the town doctor in the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
's ''
Bellbird''. He originally wrote ''Alvin Purple'' for the English company
Tigon Films.
[
Hopgood's story was originally half comic, half serious, and Burstall originally envisioned it as a 20-minute section of a multi story picture. However he then decided to make the story strictly comic and expand it to feature length. Burstall says he rewrote much of Hopgood's script, adding many chases and the water bed sequence, and turning McBurney figure into a sex maniac. The original script played more emphasis on the relationship between Alvin and his virginal girlfriend but this was cut in the final film.][
The budget was provided entirely by Hexagon—half from Roadshow, half from Burstall, Bilcock and Copping—apart from a short-term loan from the ]Australian Film Development Corporation
The Australian Film Development Corporation was an organisation created and funded by the Australian Government in the 1970s, intended to allow filmmakers in the Australian film industry to create movies for everyone to see. In 1975 it was repl ...
, which was repaid before the film's release.[ Burstall cast Graeme Blundell in the lead:
]I remember Bourkie oadshow executive Graham Burkesaying, 'You've got to cast somebody like Jack Thompson.' I said, 'Absolutely not. You've got to cast somebody who wouldn't, on the surface, seem a stud or even particularly attractive'. I actually thought that Alvin wasn't, that the comic element was connected with having a Woody Allen or a Dustin Hoffman figure who is not very obviously sexually attractive, and the girls rushing him. This becomes much funnier than if he was a stud figure.
Blundell was paid A$500 a week (~A$5,200 in 2022, adjusted for inflation) for the role.[
]
Production
The film was shot over five and a half weeks in March and April 1973.
Reception
''Alvin Purple'' was a massive success and took A$4,720,000 at the box office in Australia, which is equivalent to ~A$49 million in 2022 dollars. This was the 7th-highest-grossing Australian film of all time when adjusted for inflation.
''Alvin Purple'' was released in the United States under the title ''The Sex Therapist''.[
In 1979, Burstall said the film had returned $2.4 million to the exhibitors, $1.6 million to the distributors, who took $500,000, leaving Hexagon with $1.1 million. It was then sold to television for $40,000 in 1977.][
In 2008, Catharine Lumby wrote a book about the film, in the ''Australian Screen Classics'' series.
]
''Inside Alvin Purple''
Upon its release, ''Alvin Purple'' was accompanied by a 48-minute promotional documentary, ''Inside Alvin Purple'', directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith
Brian Medwin Trenchard-Smith (born 1946) is an English-Australian filmmaker and author, known for his idiosyncratic and satirical low-budget genre films. His filmography covers action, science fiction, martial arts, dystopian fiction, comedy, ...
. This film was pulled from screening, due to censorship concerns, but was accepted after some cuts had been made.
Sequels and spinoffs
The film spawned a 1974 sequel, ''Alvin Rides Again
''Alvin Rides Again'' is a 1974 Australian sex-comedy film sequel to ''Alvin Purple''. It was directed by David Bilcock and Robin Copping, who were regular collaborators with Tim Burstall.David Stratton, ''The Last New Wave: The Australian Film ...
'', which toned down the sex scenes and nudity, and added more camp comedy, and a second follow-up, ''Melvin, Son of Alvin
''Melvin, Son of Alvin'' is a 1984 Australian comedy film. It is a sequel to ''Alvin Purple'',David Stratton, ''The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry'', Pan MacMillan, 1990 p.309 but also was released in the United ...
'', in 1984''.''
There was also a situation comedy TV series of the same title produced by the ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
. It debuted on 19 August 1976.[Mark Lawrence, 'ABC clamps a press ban on Alvin Purple' Melbourne ''Age'' "Green Guide" section 12 August 1976 p. 1]
Home media
''Alvin Purple'' was released on DVD by Umbrella Entertainment in April 2011. The DVD is compatible with region codes 2 and 4 and includes special features such as the theatrical trailer, a picture gallery, the ''Inside Alvin Purple'' documentary and interviews with cast, Tim Burstall, Alan Finney, Robin Copping, Graeme Blundell, and Elli Maclure.
References
External links
*
''Alvin Purple''
at Australian Screen Online
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national c ...
Alvin Purple at the National Film and Sound Archive
''Alvin Purple''
at Oz Movies
on Miles Ago
{{Alvin Purple
Australian sex comedy films
1970s sex comedy films
Films shot in Melbourne
Films set in Melbourne
1973 comedy films
1972 comedy films
1972 films
1970s English-language films
Films directed by Tim Burstall