''Journey Out of Darkness'' is a 1967 Australian film.

Plot

In 1901, trooper Peterson is sent to the Australian

Outback The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass a n ...

to arrest an aboriginal man responsible for a ritual killing. He is accompanied by blacktracker Jubbal. On the way back Jubbal is killed, and Peterson and the prisoner form a relationship.

Cast

*Konrad Matthaei as Peterson * Ed Devereaux as Jubbal * Kamahl as prisoner *Ron Morse as Sergeant Miller *Marie Clark as Mrs Miller *Betty Campbell as Jubbal's wife *John Campbell as first child *Don Campbell as second child *Julie Williams as aboriginal girl *Nukitjilpi as chief *Roy Dadaynga as tribesman *the Arnhem Land Dancers from the Yirrkala Mission

Production

Director James Trainor had worked at the

Commonwealth Film Unit Film Australia was a company established by the Government of Australia to produce films about Australia in 1973. Its predecessors were the Cinema and Photographic Branch (1913–38), the Australian National Film Board (1939–1955, under differ ...

and worked in the United States as a documentary director. He wrote the script with his father-in-law, noted Hollywood screenwriter

Howard E. Koch Howard E. Koch (December 12, 1901 – August 17, 1995) was an American playwright and screenwriter who was blacklisted by the Hollywood film studio bosses in the 1950s. Background Born to a Jewish family in New York City, Koch grew up in Kingsto ...

.Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, ''Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production'', Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 239-240. Konrad Matthaei agreed to help finance the film if he was allowed to play the lead role. Kamahl a popular singer from Sri Lanka who had emigrated to Australia was cast in a lead role. White actor Ed Devereaux was cast as an Aboriginal. "If the producers had had the time they undoubtedly would have cast about for an Aboriginal actor," said Devereaux. "But they had to have a man with experience, for there could be no delay - we shot this film fast and furious." Filming began in January 1967 and took place in outback Australia and at the studios of Supreme Sound. Location filming took six weeks.

Release

The film had its world premiere in Canberra at a screening that was attended by the Governor General

Lord Casey Richard Gavin Gardiner Casey, Baron Casey, (29 August 1890 – 17 June 1976) was an Australian statesman who served as the 16th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1965 to 1969. He was also a distinguished army officer, long-serving ...

and the Prime Minister

Harold Holt Harold Edward Holt (5 August 190817 December 1967) was an Australian politician who served as the 17th prime minister of Australia from 1966 until his presumed death in 1967. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party. Holt was born in S ...

(it was one of the last functions attended by Holt prior to his drowning).David Stratton, ''The Last New Wave: The Australian Film Revival'', Angus & Robertson, 1980 p5 However its commercial response was disappointing. ''Filmink'' magazine later wrote "It has its heart in the right place, albeit in a ‘50s Hollywood liberal way...but is fatally compromised by the casting of Sri Lankan Kamahl and white Ed Devereaux in blackface as aboriginals, not to mention Konrad Matthaei being simply dull in the lead. The film’s main problem is structural – there is no urgency in the trip and nothing interesting happens on the way. Once you stop laughing at Devereaux, it’s just boring."

References

National Film and Sound Archive 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 ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Journey Out of Darkness 1967 films 1960s adventure drama films Films set in Australia Films shot in Australia Films set in 1901 1967 drama films 1960s English-language films

Plot

Cast

Production

Release

See also

References

External links