BLUE FIRE LADY

Australia, 1978, 96 minutes, Colour.
Cathryn Harrison, Mark Holden, Peter Cummins, Marion Edward, Lloyd Cunnington.
Directed by Ross Dimsey

Blue Fire Lady is a very enjoyable family film, focusing on an adolescent girl and her love of horses - in the National Velvet tradition. However the heroine played by Cathryn Harrison, star of such films as Images, is at the school leaving age and she works then in a stable in Melbourne. She is a champion rider and has a love and care for horses. She also finds romance in the form of popular singer-actor Mark Holden. The film was produced by Antony Ginnane, specialist producer in popular genre films especially thrillers, and is a welcome addition to the Australian film revival and its catering for younger audiences and family audiences.

1. The quality of this family film? Its ingredients, style? Its impact and success?

2. Its qualities of Australian style and production? The British heroine and her integration into the Australian atmosphere? For Australian audiences, for British audiences, international audiences?

3. Quality of the colour photography, the atmosphere of the Victorian countryside, the pictures of the city of Melbourne, the presentation of the racecourse and the atmosphere of racing? The beautiful atmosphere of Melbourne and Victoria?

4. The musical score, song?

5. How attractive a heroine was Jenny? How well could the audience identify with her, especially teenage girls? Interest in her for the rest of the audience? An attractive girl, her English background, her mother's accident and death, her relationship with her father? Life on the farm, work, her skill with horses, her helping of the Bartletts and her father's reaction? Signs for the future and Jenny's choices?

6. Her reaction to being sent to school in Melbourne? How effective was the collage of school activities for building up a picture of life at school and its effect on her? Her responsibility to her father, her decision about university and job? Did she make the right decision? On what was it based?

7. The picture of Jenny flat-hunting and job-hunting? How authentic? The economic climate and the difficulties for jobs? The humour of her finding a flat, Mrs G and her Italian friendly way, meeting Barry?

8. Jenny and her job, enjoying the work with the horses, her love for horses and feel for them, the machinery at the stables, the atmosphere of discipline? Mc Intyre and his hard character and dealing with people? Gus versus Charlie and their treatment of Jenny? Her relationship with the other girls at the stables? How well did the film fill in the detail of her day, starting early, the training rides? The challenges especially with the barrier? How well did the film portray the atmosphere of stables, racing training?

9. The introduction of Blue Fire Lady herself? The hard treatment and the horse's response, the difficulty in training, Mc Intyre giving jenny the treatment of the horse, her skill with the horse, the race, the heat? Jenny's reaction to McIntyre? and her leaving the stables? The ban, the auction?

10. Romantic sub-plot with Jenny and Barry? How attractive a hero was Barry, his work, living in the apartment, the outing and his standing over Charlie and his friends? The lyrical riding sequence, the dog, the response to Mrs G?

11. What was the contribution of Mrs G and her good humour and style?

12. The build-up to the auction, Barry and his going out to Jenny's father to persuade him? The happy ending?


13. The optimism of the film, blend of fantasy, realism, happiness, difficulties? A satisfying family film?