''Rikky and Pete'' is a 1988 Australian film directed by

Nadia Tass Nadia Tass is an Australian theatre director and film director and producer. She is known for the films ''Malcolm'' (1986) and ''The Big Steal'' (1990), as well as an extensive body of work in the theatre, both in Australia and internationa ...

, written by David Parker, and starring Stephen Kearney and

Nina Landis Nina Landis is an Australian stage and screen actress, who trained in Australia and New York. Her feature film credits include the title role (Rikky) in ''Rikky and Pete'', '' Komodo'', '' Four of a Kind'', '' Handle with Care'', and '' Blackj ...

Plot

Rikky Menzies (Nina Landis) is an out-of-work geologist and aspiring singer (vocals by

Wendy Matthews Wendy Joan Matthews (born 13 January 1960) is a Canadian-born Australian singer-songwriter who has been a member of Models and Absent Friends and is a solo artist. She released Top 20 hit singles in the 1990s including "Token Angels", "Le ...

). Her brother Pete Menzies (Stephen Kearney) is a misfit inventor. To find peace of mind and escape the ire of Police Sergeant Whitstead (Bill Hunter), they travel the outback of Australia until they reach the desert mining town of

Mount Isa Mount Isa ( ) is a city in the Gulf Country region of Queensland, Australia. It came into existence because of the vast mineral deposits found in the area. Mount Isa Mines (MIM) is one of the most productive single mines in world history, bas ...

and its own zany individualists.

Cast

*Stephen Kearney as Pete Menzies *

as Rikky Menzies *

Tetchie Agbayani Visitacion Parado (born July 2, 1961), better known by her screen name Tetchie Agbayani, is a Filipina movie and television actress, Mutya ng Pilipinas, psychology instructor and ''Playboy'' model. She appeared in a regular issue of German '' ...

as Flossie * Bill Hunter as Whitstead *

Bruno Lawrence David Charles Lawrence (12 February 194110 June 1995) known as Bruno Lawrence was an English-born musician and actor, who was active in the industry in New Zealand and Australia. Initially notable as a musician and founder of 1970s ensemble Bl ...

as Sonny *

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 ...

as Ben *

Lewis Fitz-Gerald Lewis Fitz-Gerald (born 15 November 1958) is an Australian actor, screenwriter and television director, who lectures in Screen and Media Studies at Australia's University of New England. Filmography As actor * ''Breaker Morant'' (1980) ...

as Adam *

Dorothy Alison Dorothy Alison (4 April 1925 – 17 January 1992) was an Australian stage, film and television actress Biography Dorothy Alison was born in the New South Wales mining city of Broken Hill and educated at Sydney Girls High School. She moved t ...

as Mrs. Menzies * Don Reid as Mr. Menzies *

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 Delahunty *

Peter Hehir Peter Hehir (born 1949) is an Australian actor. He is best known for his role as Bert Duggan on the soap opera ''The Sullivans'' from 1976 to 1978. His film appearances included ''Rikky and Pete'' (1988), ''The Girl Who Came Late'' (1991), '' ...

as Desk Sergeant *

Ralph Cotterill Ralph Cotterill (1932-2023) was a British born Australian actor. Born in Yorkshire, Cotterill arrived in Australia in 1973 while touring with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He went on to have a long career in Australia, both on stage and scree ...

as George Pottinger *

Roderick Williams Roderick Gregory Coleman Williams OBE (born 1965) is a British baritone and composer. Biography Williams was born in North London to a Welsh father and a Jamaican mother. He attended Christ Church Cathedral School in Oxford and Haberdashers' ...

as Holy Joe * Denis Lees as Fingers * Robert Baxter as Truckyard Man

Production

While United Artists provided $3 million of the budget, the rest of the money raised privately in Australia through 10BA. Shooting took place 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 ...

and

Broken Hill Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. It is ...

Reception

Box office

''Rikky and Pete'' grossed A$1,071,875 at the box office in Australia,''Film Victoria - Australian Films at the Australian Box Office''
which is equivalent to $2,014,185 in 2009 dollars.

Soundtrack

Most of the songs on the album were written and/or performed by alumni of

Split Enz Split Enz were a New Zealand rock band formed in Auckland in 1972 by Tim Finn and Phil Judd and had a variety of other members during its existence. Originally started as a folk-oriented group with quirky art rock stylings, the band built a ...

and their later bands

Crowded House Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later ban ...

, The Makers, and

Schnell Fenster Schnell Fenster were a New Zealand rock band formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1986 by Noel Crombie on drums and percussion, Nigel Griggs on bass guitar and backing vocals, Phil Judd on lead vocals and guitar, and Eddie Rayner on keyboards and ...

. Credits:

References

External links

*
''Rikky and Pete''
at Oz Movies {{Nadia Tass 1988 films 1988 comedy-drama films Australian comedy-drama films Films directed by Nadia Tass Films set in Queensland United Artists films 1988 comedy films 1988 drama films 1980s English-language films