Saturday, 18 September 2021 19:27

Betty Cuthbert





BETTY CUTHBERT

Australia, 1988, 50 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Kathy Mueller.

Betty Cuthbert, the golden girl of running of the 1950s with her success in the Melbourne Olympics, her lack of success at Rome but her vindication of her career in Tokyo, is one of Willessee's Australians. The film focuses on the '50s and the atmosphere of the Games. Betty Cuthbert herself as a teenager and her will to succeed. It shows her difficulties at the time of the Rome Olympics, her decision to retire, the challenge to come back and her success in Tokyo.

The film is well cast, interestingly written, was written by Kathy Mueller, director of the striking short film Every Day, Every Night about Vietnam veterans and is a memoir of the times.

1. The choice of Betty Cuthbert as one of Willessee's Australians for the Bicentenary?

2. The re-creation of the 1950s, Sydney, the Melbourne Games? The glimpses of Rome and the Tokyo Games? The musical score?

3. Audience knowledge of Betty Cuthbert? in sport? Training, success, the Olympics? Her acting as consultant for the film?

4. Australian love of sport? Women, Betty Cuthbert as a winner?

5. The portrait of Betty as a schoolgirl, shy, scenes at home, with her parents, sister? Ordinary Sydney homes of the time? Her running, training, winning? The build-up to the Olympics? Her parents' scepticism? Her success?

6. June and her background in training, her family? The decision to train Betty? The rivalry with Marlene Matthews? Winning, training, selection? June and her winning the competition to go to the Games? Betty's parents and their support at the Games?

7. Life after the Games, publicity, her feeling awkward? Her sister getting her to change her hair, her going out? The boyfriend and the awkward socialising? her having to make a speech, being a promoter? Her awkwardness, her training, the lessons in speech-making, her confidence and her success as a public speaker?

8. Injuries and difficulties? her being hampered in Rome? Her lack of success? Her foot, the inability of medical people to find out what was wrong? Her giving up and retiring? June's attitudes? Her going to the doctor, finding out what was the trouble?

9. The build-up to Tokyo, the training, success?

10. The postscript to the story with the information about Betty Cuthbert suffering from Multiple Sclerosis? An Australian heroine?

More in this category: « Breathless Brothers »