SHE'LL BE SWEET

Australia, 1978, 90 minutes, Colour.
Tony Lo Bianco, Sally Kellerman, Ann Semmler, Rod Mullinar.
Directed by Gene Levitt.

She'll Be Sweet is one of half a dozen co-productions between the Australian Broadcasting Commission and an American company. others in the group include the excellent Because He's My Friend with Karen Black and Keir Dullea directed by Ralph Nelson, the very weak comedy Barnaby and Me with Sid Caesar, Juliet Mills and Sally Boyden, directed by Norman Panama. This film starts conventionally enough but moves into the atmosphere of the '30s screwball comedy, a parody in some ways of It Happened One Night. The rough hero encounters the spoilt heiress and they have to travel together and fall in love with humorous reactions on the part of each. The idea is quite good and very often it comes off. The unlikely couple in the Australian bush are Tony Lo Bianco and Sally Kellerman. Somehow or other they work well together and humorously. Ann Semmler is the main Australian contribution to the cast - she is the wacky would-be actress and Australian sex-pot! While the screenplay is not particularly original, the use of Australian landscapes is for this kind of comedy. Sydney and northern New South Wales photograph very attractively. This is a slight, enjoyable telemovie, acceptable for an Australian audience - and probably entertaining the American audience quite well.

1. The co-production values - Australian contribution, American contribution? The film geared for American audiences, Australian audiences? Expectations of their fulfilment? The exotic aspects of Australia? The quality of the telemovie? For home viewing and entertainment?

2. The imported American stars. and their working well together? The differing styles as a basis for the screwball comedy?

3. The contribution of the Australian settings: Sydney Harbour, Woolloomooloo, the New South Wales countryside, the bush? The remoteness, the beauty of the bush? The contrast with the city - flats, country estates?

4. The film's use of '30s style battle of the sexes screwball comedy? Adaptation to Australia in the '70s? The serious style and the comic style blending? American models? The tough hero with a sense of mission versus the madcap and irresponsible heiress? The tough and dirty hero with the well dressed and expensively dressed heiress out in the countryside? The going into the bush, the dependence on each other, falling in love, the achievement of the mission?

5. The humour of the language, the jokes, the one-liners? The mixture of robustness and sentiment? The them of male chauvinism - and the unashamed chauvinistic attitudes of Magee? The battle of the sexes and the humour of presenting expectations about masculine and feminine roles? The presentation of class distinctions, snobbery? Wealth versus work? Work, doing one’s own thing, being one's own master, freedom? The antagonism with accusations of being from the gutter versus being a wealthy lush etc.? How much point behind these conflicts?

6. The build-up of the opening - the ship, its being old, the old hand looking for the Captain, the Captain and his rendezvous with Schneider? The owners at the dock, Magee being turned off his own ship, the fight on the docks? The buying of the truck? The setting out on the mission - and the humour of the ending with Magee returning to his ship?

7. Schneider and the background on King's Cross? Her dance., sexuality, shouting? Her following Magee, helping him to the Hunter Valley? The humour of their ride together - in contrast with the later ride with the heroine? Her dancing at the party, discovering the film producer? The satire on this kind of Australian gold-digger? Her reappearance at the end on the wharf?

8. Magee as hero? His appearance, manner? American toughness and individuality? His wanting to be free? Owning his own ship, being his own master, the casual relationship with Schneider, his reliance on her to get him to the Hunter Valley? His toughness with the people on the ship, the fight, buying the truck? His gate-crashing the party, the polo event? The humour of his manner, dress amongst Hunter Valley high society? His observing people? The encounter with the secretary? The encounter with the heroine and his despising her? His listening in to her discussion with the fiance? His kidnapping her? His treatment of her on the journey, eating, falling into water, working on the truck? The various crises - especially bringing the truck out of the water? The antagonism, hiding, falling in love? The traditions of the screwball comedy? The danger of the encounter with the men with drugs? The heroism in the escape and shoot-out? The happy ending and his getting his ship back, persuasive to the owner?

8. Sally Kellerman as heroine - as an Australian heroine! The American explanation? Her arrogance, presence at the party, high society, the polo match and the award? Her drinking? The possibility of her becoming engaged again? Her reaction to being kidnapped, hostility, tantrums, her dress? Falling in the water, the key of the truck, pulling the truck out of the water (and echoes of The African Queen!), food, being lost, antagonistic towards Magee? Reliance on him and getting to know him? Being kidnapped and the night being imprisoned by the drug men? Her pleading with her father? Her reappearing at the end? A future with Magee?

9. The father and his hunting, his agreement with his daughter? The secretary at the party and her hostility towards Magee? The heroine's suitor - polo champion, the fight with Magee?

10. Magee's sense of achievement, a man doing his own thing, his own master?

11. The Australian environment and its contribution towards the film, the plot, entertainment?

12. The happy ending with Magee gaining his ship, meeting Schneider, the heroine coming on board? A satisfying light entertainment?