''Scobie Malone'' (also known as ''Helga's Web'' and ''Murder at the Opera House'') is a 1975 Australian
erotic
Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, ...
mystery film
A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means ...
based on the 1970 novel ''
Helga's Web
''Helga's Web'' was a 1970 novel by Australian author Jon Cleary, the second to feature his detective hero Scobie Malone.
Cleary did not originally intend to use the character again but wanted to write about the construction of the new Sydney O ...
'' by
Jon Cleary
Jon Stephen Cleary (22 November 191719 July 2010) was an Australian writer and novelist. He wrote numerous books, including '' The Sundowners'' (1951), a portrait of a rural family in the 1920s as they move from one job to the next, and '' The ...
and starring
Jack Thompson and
Judy Morris.
Synopsis
Sydney homicide detective Sergeant
Scobie Malone (
Jack Thompson) and his offsider (
Shane Porteous) investigate the murder of Helga (
Judy Morris), whose corpse is found in the basement of the
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century archit ...
. Malone had met Helga previously and discovers she was a high class prostitute who was also a mistress of the Minister for Culture (James Workman) and involved with film director Jack Savannah (Joe Martin). In flashback it is shown that Helga was blackmailing the minister and his wife (Jacqueline Kott), along with a crime boss, Mr Sin (
Noel Ferrier).
Eventually it is revealed that Helga was killed while fleeing Captain Bixby (Fred "Cul" Cullen). Malone becomes convinced of the guilt of the Minister, but powerful influences intervene and he gets off. The Minister resigns, citing ill health, and travels to Europe with his wife. Malone criticises his boss, Inspector Fulmer (Walter Sullivan) and is suspended for insubordination for ninety days. Fulmer later suggests he come back, but Scobie elects to stay by the pool for the full ninety days.
Cast
*
Jack Thompson as
Scobie Malone
*
Judy Morris as Helga Brand
*
Shane Porteous as Russ
*
Noel Ferrier as Mr Sin
*Jacqueline Kott as Norma Halidon
*James Condon as Walter Halidon
*Joe Martin as Jack Savanna
*Fred "Cul" Cullen as Captain Bixby
*Walter Sullivan as Inspector Fulmer
*Max Meldrum as Scientific Officer
*Ken Goodlet as the Premier
*Joe James as the Attorney General
*Victoria Anoux as Becky
*Zoe Salmon as Angie
*Bunkie King as Jackie
*Peter McLean as Photographer
*Len London as the Police Commissioner
*Barbara Mason as Socialite
*Faye Donaldson as Socialite
*Maggie Blinco as Landlady
*Di Bergan as The Maid
*David Bradley as Detective
*Guy Peniston Bird as Detective
*
Judy McBurney as Girl at pedestrian crossing
*
Bryan Brown
Bryan Neathway Brown AM (born 23 June 1947) is an Australian actor. He has performed in over eighty film and television projects since the late 1970s, both in his native Australia and abroad. Notable films include '' Breaker Morant'' (1980), ...
as Policeman (as "Brian Bronn")
Production
The film rights to the novel were originally purchased by Brian Chirlian and John Shore, who hired Cleary to do the screenplay.
Casey Robinson, a famous Hollywood screenwriter who had retired to Sydney three years earlier with his Australian wife, then became involved as producer. He did not like Cleary's adaptation and elected to do it himself in collaboration with another writer. Some key changes were made from the book, notably turning Scobie Malone into a womaniser who lives in a singles-only apartment block and has sex with a large number of women, including air hostesses whose name he can't remember.
[
Robinson managed to pre-sell the film to America, one of the first times this had been done for an Australian film. US$200,000 of the budget was raised from the Australian Film Development Corporation, with the rest coming from private investment.][Johnson, M. 'Casey now at bat down under' ''Los Angeles Times'' 20 July 1975 pp. T33-t33](_blank)
/ref>
"Jack Thompson is a great part of my reason to become involved in this venture", said Robinson at the time. "I have no doubt whatsoever that when this film is seen overseas he'll be turned instantly into an international star. There aren't many male actors like him around any more. There's something there that reminds me very much of Bogart."[
The film was shot in the autumn of 1975.][David Stratton, ''The Last New Wave: The Australian Film Revival'', Angus & Robertson, 1980 p329] One of the women Jack Thompson sleeps with in the film is played by Bunkie King, one of two sisters he lived with in real life in a ménage à trois for fifteen years, with the other sister, Lee King, appearing in poolside scenes.''Enough Rope with Andrew Denton: Jack Thompson'' 30 May 2005
/ref>
The film is also notable for the first screen appearance of actor Bryan Brown
Bryan Neathway Brown AM (born 23 June 1947) is an Australian actor. He has performed in over eighty film and television projects since the late 1970s, both in his native Australia and abroad. Notable films include '' Breaker Morant'' (1980), ...
, who appears early in the film as a policeman, delivering two lines. He is listed last in the credits as "Brian Bronn".
Reception
Cleary was shown the film at a private screening and was not happy with the result. "When I saw Scobie nibbling on the fourth nipple I thought "that's not my Scobie". And I walked out", he said.[Jon Cleary Interviewed by Stephen Vagg: Oral History](_blank)
at 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 c ...
The movie received poor reviews and did badly at the box office, despite Jack Thompson coming off two hits with ''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) and '' Sunday Too Far Away'' (1975).[
Clips from the film were featured in the extended version of the documentary '' Not Quite Hollywood'' (2008).
]
References
External links
''Scobie Malone''
at 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 c ...
*
''Scobie Malone''
at Oz Movies
{{Jon Cleary
1975 films
Australian mystery films
Erotic mystery films
Films set in Sydney
Films shot in Sydney
Films based on works by Jon Cleary
1970s English-language films