''Number 96: The Movie'' is an Australian drama film, released in 1974 and based on the television

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

of the same title that was then running on the

0-10 network Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...

. The film features nearly all the show's regular cast, and was created by the show's creative team, Cash Harmon Productions with the screenplay by David Sale and Johnny Whyte and directed by Peter Benardos and Brian Phillis.Number 96: Australian TV's Most Notorious Address, last=Giles, fist=Nigel, publisher=Melbourne Book The film's drawcard was that the picture was shot in color, whilst at that time the regular serial was still broadcasting in monochrome. The film also has more revealing nudity than was allowed on TV at the time.

Plot

The film starts with Vera Collins being gang raped by a group of bikers, which affects troubled romance with politician Nick Brent. She starts a new business endeavour with Maggie Cameron and Simon Carr, a character that they had a bitter rivalry over in the regular TV series. Vera ends up in bed with Simon who is unable to perform. It turns out that he is in fact gay and he has an affair with lawyer Don Finlayson. Vera falls in love with Nick Brent, but when she meets his son Tony, she realises that he was the leader of the bikies who had raped her. Tony recognises Vera and tries to run her over at Dorrie and Herb's fancy dress party. He hits Simon instead, and whilst making another run at Vera, his car hits a brick wall and explodes. Simon recovers and Vera goes on to marry Nick, who later becomes

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

. Meanwhile, former Number 96 resident Sonia Freeman (who filmed all of her scenes in just one day) returns after her release from a

mental asylum The lunatic asylum (or insane asylum) was an early precursor of the modern psychiatric hospital. The fall of the lunatic asylum and its eventual replacement by modern psychiatric hospitals explains the rise of organized, institutional psychiatry ...

. Sonia is now married to newspaper journalist Duncan Hunter. Her forgetful episodes and hallucinations become increasingly erratic and deranged. This worries Duncan, Sonia's good friend Jack Sellars and his new girlfriend, flight attendant Diana Moore, who has moved into flat 6. It is revealed that Diana and Duncan are secretly scheming to drive Sonia insane. Jack and the police arrive just in time before Diana and Duncan can persuade Sonia to kill herself. Aldo Godolfus has been fraudulently withholding cash takings from the deli to avoid paying

income tax An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Tax ...

, but loses the money in a fire. He takes a night job at the Connaught Rooms function hall to recoup the losses. Many of the residents become embroiled in the major plans for Dorrie and Herb's ruby wedding celebrations. After looking at her marriage certificate, however, Dorrie discovers that the best man, Horace Deerman, signed where the groom should have. Believing this means she that she is married actually to Horace, she tracks him down with Herb and Flo; he is revealed as a derelict alcoholic, who, much to her dismay, takes a fancy to her. Les Whittaker, unbeknownst to his wife Norma, enlists Herb and Alf to assist in his new business venture: a sauna in the building's basement.

Cast

The film featured the majority of actors that starred in the regular serial. Actors marked with an asterisk did not appear in the serial and were exclusive to the film version. *

Johnny Lockwood John Sidney Lockwood (7 December 192025 April 2013) was a British variety entertainer, comedian and actor, who also became notable in Australia after emigrating to that country. Lockwood worked in radio, theatre, television and film. He beca ...

as Aldo Godolfus * Philippa Baker as Roma Godolfus *

Gordon McDougall Gordon Sholto McDougall (born 7 February 1916 – 18 May 1991) was a Scottish Australian actor. He trained at the Glasgow Athenaeum (now known as The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). After immigrating to Australia, he worked in numerous theatre ...

as Les Whittaker *

Sheila Kennelly Sheila Kennelly (born 28 December 1936Willingham, Margot "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Australian Showbiz"Oram, James "Home and Away" Behind the Scene's'' published by Angus and Robertson also credited as Sheila Kenneally, is a British-born ...

as Norma Whittaker * Pat McDonald as Dorrie Evans *

Ron Shand Ronald Ernest McMurtry (3 February 1906, Carlton, Melbourne, Australia – 8 August 1993, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), professionally known as Ron Shand and earlier in his career billed as Ronnie McMurtry, was an Australian actor and ...

as Herb Evans *

Bunney Brooke Dorothy Cronin (9 January 1920 – 2 April 2000), professionally known as Bunney Brooke, was an Australian actress, creator, producer, director, designer, playwright and casting agent, best known for her being one of the early faces of Aust ...

as Flo Patterson *

Joe Hasham Joseph Christopher Hasham ( OAM) ( ar, جو هشام) (born 4 September 1948 Tripoli, Lebanon) is a Lebanese Australian actor and artistic theatre director who became famous in Australia in the 1970s through his long running role of dependab ...

as Don Finlayson *

Tom Oliver Tom Oliver (born 12 June 1938) is a British-born Australian retired actor who started his career in theatre in his native country, before emigrating to Australia. Oliver, a staple of the small screen since the early 1960s, is best known for h ...

as Jack Sellars *

Rebecca Gilling Rebecca Gilling (born 3 November 1953 in Castlecrag, Sydney, Australia) is an Australian former model and actress, now environmentalist. Gilling is the daughter of World War II Navy personnel Douglas Gilling and prominent feminist campaigner ...

* as Diana Moore *

Lynn Rainbow Lynn Carol Rainbow-Reid (born 19 September 1942) credited also as Lynne Rainbow, is an Australian-based former theatre and television actor who was educated at Ascham School, The Sorbonne and Dante Alighieri in Italy. Lynn was the daughter o ...

as Sonia Freeman *

Alister Smart Alister Smart (born 1934),GILES, NIGEL "Number 96: Australia's Most Notorious Address" also credited as Alastair Smart, is a retired TV television presenter, presenter, actor, television director and screenwriter from Australia. A staple of the ...

* as Duncan Hunter * James Elliott as Alf Sutcliffe *

Elisabeth Kirkby Elisabeth Wilma Burton Kirkby (born 26 January 1921), alternatively Elizabeth Kirkby, is a British Australian retired politician. Kirkby entered politics serving with the Australian Democrats in the New South Wales Legislative Council as Stat ...

as Lucy Sutcliffe *

Jeff Kevin Jeff Kevin (born 1944) is an Australian actor and theatre director best known for portraying Arnold Feather in 338 episodes from 1972-1977 in television soap opera ''Number 96'', his character was involved in numerous iconic storyline's inclu ...

as Arnold Feather *

Elaine Lee Elaine Lee is an American actress, playwright, producer, and writer, who specializes in graphic novels. She has also received recognition and awards for her work as a creator and producer of audio books and dramas. Her comics have been illust ...

as Vera Collins *

Chard Hayward Chard Hayward, born Roy Hayward, (born 1949) credited also as Chard Heywood, is a Welsh-born Australian-American television actor, director and producer, he is best known for his long-running role of camp barman Dudley Butterfield in the 1970s te ...

as Dudley Butterfield *

Bettina Welch Bettina Catherine Welch (1922 – 5 March 1993) was a New Zealand-born Australia-based actress, primarily in radio and theatre and of the latter in television roles. She was best known for her role in television soap opera ''Number 96'' as Maggie ...

as Maggie Cameron *

Thelma Scott Thelma Marjorie Scott (17 June 1913 – 23 November 2006) was an Australian character actress whose six-decade career in theatre, radio, film and Australian made her one of her country's most recognisable and beloved personalities. Having st ...

as Claire Houghton * Harry Lawrence* (1925–2004) as Horace Deerman *

John Orcsik John Orcsik (born 3 May 1945) credited also variously as Jon Orcsik, John Orschik, John Orscik and John Crosik is an Australian actor, screenwriter, director and producer of Hungarian descent, known for his television roles starting from the l ...

as Simon Carr *

James Condon James Thomas Condon (27 September 1923 – 14 February 2014) was an Australian actor of radio and stage, a scriptwriter and voice over, however best known for his numerous television roles in serials and television movies in Australia, particu ...

* as Nicholas Brent * Patrick Ward* as Tony Brent

Uncredited

Paul Chubb Paul Dunford (14 January 1949 – 9 June 2002), professionally billed as Paul Chubb, was an Australian film, television and stage actor and scriptwriter primarily in genres of comedy and drama. Early life He was born in Arncliffe, a suburb of S ...

as the sauna delivery man * Phillip Avalon (biker) * Caz Lederman (biker) * Albie Thomas (biker)

Production and release

The film was shot in December 1973 over 11 days in colour on 16mm film and then blown up to 35mm.Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, ''Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production'', Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998 p275 The film was released with a star studded red carpet premiere and brass band in Sydney at the Regent Theatre in May 1974 during the school holidays and ran for around 9–10 weeks, becoming a major box office success. It screened in

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 ...

during the August school holidays and was still on the drive-in circuit during January 1975. In

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, Channel 0 telecast the stars' arrival live during that night's regular Friday night episode. A gay kiss between series regular Don Finlayson (played by

) and Simon Carr (played by

was mysteriously cut from the movie after its Sydney season.

Reception

The film was a hit, grossing AU$2,476,471 at the box office. It became the fifth highest grossing movie of the 1970s behind ''

Mad Max ''Mad Max'' is an Australian post-apocalyptic Action film, action film series and media franchise created by George Miller (filmmaker), George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It began in 1979 with ''Mad Max (film), Mad Max'', and was followed by thre ...

'' and just ahead of ''

Caddie In golf, a caddie (or caddy) is the person who carries a player's bag and clubs, and gives the player advice and moral support. Description A good caddie is aware of the challenges and obstacles of the golf course being played, along with the ...

''. Critics were not kind to the film, but even Mike Harris from ''

The Australian ''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition, ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964.Bruns, Axel. "3.1. The active audience: Transforming journalism from gatekeeping to gatew ...

'' had to admit he had never been in a cinema before where every character's first appearance got a roar of approval from the crowd.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0071932
''Number 96''
at Oz Movies 1974 films Australian drama films Films based on television series Films set in Sydney 1970s English-language films