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''Don's Party'' is a 1971 play by
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 ...
set during the 1969 Australian federal election. The play opened on 11 August 1971 at
The Pram Factory __NOTOC__ The Pram Factory was an Australian alternative theatre venue in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton from around 1970 until the 1981. It was home to the Australian Performing Group and Nindethana, Australia's first Aboriginal theatre group ...
theatre in
Carlton Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...
.


Plot

Don Henderson is a schoolteacher living with his wife Kath and baby son in the Melbourne suburb of Lower Plenty. On the night of the 1969 federal election Don invites a small group of friends to celebrate a predicted
Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms the f ...
(ALP) election victory, much to the dismay of his wife. To the party come Mal, Don's university mentor, and his bitter wife Jenny, sex-obsessed Cooley and his latest girlfriend, nineteen-year-old Susan, Evan, a dentist, and his beautiful artist wife Kerry. Somehow, two Liberal supporters, Simon and Jody also come. As the party wears on it becomes clear that the Labor party, which is supported by Don and most of the guests, is not winning. As a result, alcohol consumption increases, and the sniping between Don and his male friends about their failed aspirations gets uglier, as does their behaviour toward the women. Mack, a design engineer whose wife has just left him, pulls out a nude photo of her for his friends' approval. Crass womaniser Cooley pursues the available women. The disillusioned wives exchange tales of their husbands' sub-par sexual performance. By the end of the night, Don and some of his friends have begun to grasp the emptiness of their compromised lives. The play led to a 2011 sequel, '' Don Parties On''.


Film version

In 1976, a film version was released with a screenplay by Williamson, directed by
Bruce Beresford Bruce Beresford (; born 16 August 1940) is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 50-year career, both locally and internationally in the United States. Beresford's notable films he has directed include ''Br ...
. John Hargreaves plays Don Henderson with
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 ...
as Don's wife Kath.
Ray Barrett Raymond Charles Barrett (2 May 19278 September 2009) was an Australian actor. During the 1960s, he was a leading actor on British television, where he was best known for his appearances in ''The Troubleshooters'' (1965–1971). From the 1970s, ...
plays Mal, Don's mentor, and
Pat Bishop Patricia Mary Bishop (13 June 1946 – 28 March 2000) was an Australian actress, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland noted for her performances in theatre, film and television series. She was married to the renowned Australian actor Bill Hunter ...
is his wife.
Graham Kennedy Graham Cyril Kennedy AO (15 February 1934 – 25 May 2005) was an Australian entertainer, comedian and variety performer, as well as a personality and star of radio, theatre, television and film. He often performed in the style of vaudevilli ...
plays Mack, Graeme Blundell is the
Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
supporter and
Veronica Lang Veronica Lang is an Australian-born actress, who started her career in England in theatre and television, before working in her native country, she also briefly worked in America. She won the 1977 AFI Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role ...
his obedient wife. Kerry (
Candy Raymond Candida Raymond (born 1950) is an Australian actress of film and television during the 1970s and early 1980s. She attended St Ives High School in Sydney. Professional career As a teenager she played small guest roles in Australian televisio ...
) is the attractive and assertive artist and Evan (
Kit Taylor Kit Taylor (born 1942) is an Australian actor, and the son of actor Grant Taylor. He made his acting debut as Jim Hawkins in the film ''Long John Silver'' (1954) and the associated TV series ''The Adventures of Long John Silver ''The Adve ...
) is her uptight and possessive partner. Cooley ( Harold Hopkins) comes with his young girlfriend Susan ( Clare Binney). In the film the setting is relocated to the suburb of Westleigh (7 Windam Place) in the northern suburbs of
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
. The film also deviates from the stage version by increasing the level of profanity and contains full frontal nudity and sex scenes. Pat Bishop won the AFI Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Veronica Lang won the AFI Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Bruce Beresford won the Best Direction award, David Williamson won the Best screenplay award, and the film won the edit and sound award. The film was entered into the 27th Berlin International Film Festival.


Cast

*
Ray Barrett Raymond Charles Barrett (2 May 19278 September 2009) was an Australian actor. During the 1960s, he was a leading actor on British television, where he was best known for his appearances in ''The Troubleshooters'' (1965–1971). From the 1970s, ...
as Mal, a crass former psychologist, now practising as a management consultant * Clare Binney as Susan, Cooley's 19-year-old girlfriend, a university student *
Pat Bishop Patricia Mary Bishop (13 June 1946 – 28 March 2000) was an Australian actress, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland noted for her performances in theatre, film and television series. She was married to the renowned Australian actor Bill Hunter ...
, who was awarded the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, as Jenny, Mal's long-suffering wife * Graeme Blundell as Simon, a nervous accountant for an industrial plastic company and a Liberal supporter *
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 ...
as Kath Henderson, Don's wife, co-host of the party * John Hargreaves as Don Henderson, host of the party, schoolteacher * Harold Hopkins as Grainger Cooley, a sex-obsessed, loud-mouthed lawyer *
Graham Kennedy Graham Cyril Kennedy AO (15 February 1934 – 25 May 2005) was an Australian entertainer, comedian and variety performer, as well as a personality and star of radio, theatre, television and film. He often performed in the style of vaudevilli ...
as Mack, a recently separated design engineer *
Veronica Lang Veronica Lang is an Australian-born actress, who started her career in England in theatre and television, before working in her native country, she also briefly worked in America. She won the 1977 AFI Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role ...
, who was awarded the AFI Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, as Jody. *
Candy Raymond Candida Raymond (born 1950) is an Australian actress of film and television during the 1970s and early 1980s. She attended St Ives High School in Sydney. Professional career As a teenager she played small guest roles in Australian televisio ...
as Kerry, a rude and snooty painter who has had four major art exhibitions * Kit Taylor as Evan, Kerry's boyfriend, an uptight, socialist dentist *
John Gorton Sir John Grey Gorton (9 September 1911 – 19 May 2002) was an Australian politician who served as the nineteenth Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1968 to 1971. He led the Liberal Party during that time, having previously been a l ...
as himself (he was the incumbent
Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the Australian Government, federal government of Australia and is also accountable to Parliament of A ...
at the election, and his party won a narrow victory) (cameo) *
Bruce Beresford Bruce Beresford (; born 16 August 1940) is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 50-year career, both locally and internationally in the United States. Beresford's notable films he has directed include ''Br ...
as bottle shop attendant (cameo)


Production

In 1973
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 ...
was approached to make the film by Jack Lee, who wanted to direct. At the time Adams felt that comedies were the only genre of film likely to redeem themselves financially in Australia, so he felt he would easily be able to raise finance for the movie, which he did not think would cost more than $300,000. However Adams was busy at the time working on the Australia Council, which held up his involvement for 12 months; at the end of that time, Australia was in the middle of a credit squeeze and he found it more difficult than he expected to get the money.Gordon Glenn & Scott Murray, "Phil Adams: Producer", ''Cinema Papers'', March–April 1976 p. 340-343 Problems then emerged when the director Lee wanted to make the film into a broader comedy, which made Williamson uncomfortable and Adams was worried about raising finance with Lee attached, so Lee pulled out.David Stratton, ''The Last New Wave: The Australian Film Revival'', Angus & Robertson, 1980 p. 47-48 Adams approached
Ken Hannam Ken Hannam (12 July 1929 – 16 November 2004) was an Australian film and television director who also worked in British television drama. Career Born in St Kilda, Melbourne, the eldest of three boys, Hannam lived in his youth in Sydney and ...
but he lacked sympathy for the characters and found them too aggressive.
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 ea ...
and
Peter Weir Peter Lindsay Weir ( ; born August 21, 1944) is a retired Australian film director. He's known for directing films crossing various genres over forty years with films such as '' Picnic at Hanging Rock'' (1975), ''Gallipoli'' (1981), ''Witness ...
were approached but they also turned down the film. Eventually Adams approached Bruce Beresford, who agreed. There was some discussion that the events of the play be updated to the 1975 Federal election, but in the end it was decided to keep the screenplay faithful to the original play as it was widely believed in 1975 that Labor would lose–which was not the case in 1969. The setting was relocated to Sydney, in part because it was felt it would be cheaper but also to ensure audiences did not feel the movie was "too Melbourne". The budget was raised from the Australian Film Commission and private investors, mainly exhibitors. Adams wanted to cast
Paul Hogan Paul Hogan (born 8 October 1939) is an Australian actor and comedian. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance as ...
as Cooley but the actor declined. Ray Barrett had played that role in London but was considered too old to do it on film, and was given the part of Mal instead. He was changed from being an ex-student to a lecturer to allow for his age. Graeme Blundell took the role of an accountant in order to escape typecasting as
Alvin Purple ''Alvin Purple'' is a 1973 Australian sex comedy film starring Graeme Blundell in the title role; the screenplay was written by Alan Hopgood and directed by Tim Burstall, through his production company Hexagon Productions and Village Roadshow ...
. (Blundell had produced the original play in 1971.)
Barry Crocker Barry Hugh Crocker (born 4 November 1935
Official Barry Crocker website
) is an Australian character actor, televisio ...
was originally meant to play Don but was replaced by John Hargreaves. Hargreaves later claimed this took place at short notice when Crocker 'broke his back... the day before rehearsals'. Shooting began in January 1976 and took roughly five weeks, using a house in Westleigh as the main location.
John Gorton Sir John Grey Gorton (9 September 1911 – 19 May 2002) was an Australian politician who served as the nineteenth Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1968 to 1971. He led the Liberal Party during that time, having previously been a l ...
played a cameo as himself as a tribute to his contribution in helping re-establish the Australian film industry.


Box Office

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 ...
originally distributed the film himself. ''Don's Party'' grossed $871,000 at the box office in Australia, which is equivalent to $4,503,070 in 2009 dollars. Williamson rated the film highly saying it was "very well done".Greg Gallaghan, "10 questions - David Williamson", ''The Australian'' 18 December 2010
accessed 5 April 2014


In popular culture

The
video clip Video clips refer to mostly short videos, most of the time called memes, which are short videos of silly jokes and funny clips, most of the time coming from movies or any entertainment videos such as YouTube. The term is also used more loosely to ...
to
You Am I You Am I are an Australian alternative rock band, fronted by its lead singer-songwriter and guitarist, Tim Rogers. They formed in December 1989 and are the first Australian band to have released three successive albums that have each debuted ...
's 1998
single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...
"
What I Don't Know 'bout You "What I Don't Know 'bout You" is the first single from the album '' #4 Record'' by Australian rock band You Am I. It was released in 1998 and reached number 28 on the Australian ARIA singles chart; the band's highest-charting single. The gr ...
" is a tribute to the film version of ''Don's Party''. It features scenes from the movie re-enacted by noted
Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...
actors, including Stephen Curry,
Ben Mendelsohn Paul Benjamin Mendelsohn (born 3 April 1969) is an Australian actor. He first rose to prominence in Australia for his breakout role in ''The Year My Voice Broke'' (1987) and since then he has had roles in films such as '' Animal Kingdom'' (2010) ...
,
Matt Day Matthew Day (born 28 September 1971) is an Australian actor and filmmaker. Early life Day was born in Melbourne, Victoria. When he was 11 years old, he went to live in the United States with his father, a newspaper correspondent, where he b ...
,
Tania Lacy Tania Jane Lacy is an Australian comedian. Early life and education Originally from Toowoomba, Queensland, Lacy spent many of her early years travelling with her family. Her father, then an officer in the army, was posted to Singapore (where L ...
and Nadine Garner.


See also

*
Cinema of Australia The cinema of Australia had its beginnings with the 1906 production of ''The Story of the Kelly Gang'', arguably the world's first feature film. Since then, Australian crews have produced many films, a number of which have received internati ...


References


External links


Don's Party at the National Film and Sound Archive
*
Don's Party
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 co ...

''Don's Party''
at Oz Movies {{Bruce Beresford 1971 plays 1976 films Australian comedy-drama films 1976 comedy-drama films Films directed by Bruce Beresford Films based on works by David Williamson Films about elections Plays by David Williamson 1976 comedy films 1976 drama films 1970s English-language films