''Careful, He Might Hear You'' is a 1983 multi-award winning

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

n drama film. It is based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Australian-American author

Sumner Locke Elliott Sumner Locke Elliott (17 October 191724 June 1991) was an Australian (later American) novelist and playwright. Biography Elliott was born in Sydney to the writer Sumner Locke and the journalist Henry Logan Elliott. His mother died of eclampsi ...

. It won eight awards, including Best Film and Best Direction, at the 1983 Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards (now known as

AACTA Awards The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the cinema of Australia, film and ...

Plot

The film stars Wendy Hughes and

Robyn Nevin Robyn Anne Nevin (25 September 1942) is an Australian actress recognised with the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards and the JC Williamson Award at the Helpmann Awards for her outstanding contributions to Australian theatre performance art. F ...

as two sisters who are locked in a custody battle over their young nephew, PS, played by Nicholas Gledhill. PS has been raised by his aunt Lila (Nevin) and her husband George since his mother died soon after his birth. When Lila's richer sister Vanessa (Hughes) returns from overseas, she seeks custody of PS, citing the opportunities she can give him.

Cast

* Wendy Hughes as Vanessa *

as Lila * Nicholas Gledhill as PS * Michael Long as Mr Hood * John Hargreaves as Logan * Geraldine Turner as Vere *

Julie Nihill Julie Nihill (born 1957 in Melbourne) is an Australian actress, voice artist, narrator, producer and writer, best known for her 12-year role as Chris Riley on the police drama ''Blue Heelers'' (1994–2006). Early life Nihill was drawn to ac ...

as Diana * Peter Whitford as George

Production

There had long been interest in making a film out of the novel. In the 1960s it was announced that

Joshua Logan Joshua Lockwood Logan III (October 5, 1908 – July 12, 1988) was an American theatre and film director, playwright and screenwriter, and actor. He shared a Pulitzer Prize for co-writing the musical '' South Pacific'' and was involved in writing ...

would direct a movie version starring

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...

but this did not come to pass. Film rights to the novel were bought by

Jill Robb Jill Robb (1934 – 16 January 2022) was an English-born Australian film producer and executive who worked mostly in Australia. Early life and education Jill Robb was born in England in 1934. Career Robb began in the film industry as a stand i ...

who hired Mike Jenkins to adapt the screenplay and Carl Schultz to direct. Funding was obtained from the New South Wales Film Corporation among others.David Stratton, ''The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry'', Pan MacMillan, 1990 pp. 181–183 After an extensive search, Nicholas Gledhill, son of actor

Arthur Dignam Arthur Dignam (9 September 1939 – 9 May 2020) was an Australian actor. Early life Dignam was born on Lord Howe Island. He attended Newington College in Sydney as a boarder in 1955 and 1956 and then the University of Sydney. Career He was be ...

was cast as PS. The film was shot in and around

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, mostly in

Neutral Bay Neutral Bay is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Neutral Bay is around 1.5 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council. Neutral Bay takes ...

and

Darling Point Darling Point is a harbourside eastern suburb of Sydney, Australia. It is 4 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Woollahra Council. Darling Point is bounded by Sydney Harbour to ...

. The

Hordern Family The Hordern family is an Australian retailing dynasty. Outline The Hordern family first came to prominence in Sydney as merchants and retailers with the establishment of Anthony Hordern & Sons, and then gained notability in rural pursuits, s ...

garden and mansion, Babworth House, in Darling Point was used in filming.

Box office

''Careful, He Might Hear You'' grossed $2,431,126 at the box office in Australia. The movie also enjoyed a successful release in North America.

Home media

A Collector's Edition of ''Careful, He Might Hear You'' was released on DVD with a new print by Umbrella Entertainment in June 2008. The DVD is compatible with all regional codes and includes special features such as the film trailer, bonus trailers, a still photo gallery, an interview with Sumner Locke Elliot and interviews with stars Wendy Hughes, Nicholas Gledhill and Jill Robb. A regular edition of the film with reduced special features was released on DVD by Umbrella Entertainment in October 2008.

Accolades

References

External links

Careful, He Might Hear You at the National Film and Sound Archive''Careful He Might Hear You''
at Oz Movies * * * {{Australian Film Institute Award for Best Film 1970–1989 1983 films 1983 drama films Australian drama films 1980s English-language films Films about children Films about dysfunctional families Films based on American novels Films based on Australian novels Films directed by Carl Schultz Films set in the 1960s Works by Sumner Locke Elliott 20th Century Fox films