BARNABY AND ME
Australia, 1977, 90 minutes, Colour.
Sid Caesar, Juliet Mills, Sally Boyden, Hugh Keays- Byrne, James Condon, Ivar Kants, Bruce Spence.
Directed by Norman Panama.
Barnaby and Me is one of several Australian/American co-productions, sponsored by the ABC. Australian settings and American stars with Australian acting support and technical crew were main conditions. Sid Caesar, usually an obtrusive American comedian, is rather more subdued in this film and has quite a lot of opportunity for mimicry and impersonation. Juliet Mills is the heroine and Sally Ann Boyden made her debut in this film. The film is aimed at the family audience but is a mixture of the funny and the ludicrous - Americans may enjoy the talking koala (in the voice of Graeme Bond alias Aunty Jack) but it would probably grate on the Australian audience. An inconsequential and silly kind of film - which would be light entertainment for an undemanding audience.
1. The audience for the telemovie? American, Australian? Adults, children, the family?
2. Telemovie qualities for engaging audience interest, entertainment? Comedy elements, thriller elements? Human story, relationships? Scenic and tourist background? The satisfying blending of all these?
3. Sydney locations and their use? The theme song and its lyrics? Barnaby as a koala and the appeal of koalas?
4. How satisfying was the device of having Barnaby speak? An ocker koala? His telling the story, his point of view on the characters and situations, inviting the audience to share his judgment? The quality of the ocker language, tone, humour? Involvement in the plot especially with the air vent device at the end?
5. Leo Fiske as central? Sid Caesar's comedy style? As a person, as a conman? On the ship, his escape, his being pursued by the syndicate? The comedy routines on the television when he pretended to be the admiral? The range of languages imitated? The con tricks, the various escapes? How likable? The comedy routines?
6. Leo's presence at the zoo, the family being there, his trying to sell things, their discovery of the recipe and the plan for the expedition? How far-fetched for this kind of film?
7. The irony of the syndicate background, the chief, the plans, the chauffeur and his pursuit of Leo? The irony of their being involved in the production of the health bars? The production sequences, the fat man and his getting fatter, the various dangers?
8. The humour of having John Newcombe in the film, playing tennis with Leo, the returns and the fluke for Leo winning, the irony of John Newcombe being the agent for his escape? The use of the Happy Bars?
9. The framework of the pursuit by Sir Hillary and the syndicate and the ever-present dangers for Leo? How did this provide a tension for the comedy?
10. Jennifer and Linda as mother and daughter, their finding them in the zoo, taking them home, his making himself at home in the house, drawing Jennifer out about her late husband, persuading them to go on the expedition, the experience of the expedition, their working with him to produce the Happy Bars, the kidnap and the need for rescue, a credible romance?
11. Sir Hillary and his not being seen at the beginning, his position in his company, his atmosphere of menace, the chauffeur doing his dirty work for him, the capturing of Jennifer? The tension at the tennis? The use of Happy Bars to control Sir Hillary and for them all to go into the water?
12. The background of the Happy Bars, the expedition, the natives and Leo's encounter with them? The presentation of the South Sea natives - humorous, patronising? The escape?
13. The business and the tennis worlds?
14. The euphoria produced by the Happy Bars - with the natives themselves, Leo's tests, the secretary of Sir Hillary and his henchmen? Utopian dreams and reality?
15. The overall appeal of this kind of comedy entertainment?
