SIDECAR RACERS

US, 1974, 100 minutes, Colour.
Ben Murphy, Wendy Hughes, John Clayton, Peter Graves, John Meillon.
Directed by Earl Bellamy.

Sidecar Racers is conventional American television material. This is an American production and the director is noted for his television work and for his action television movies. Popular stars from television, Ben Murphy and Peter Graves, came out to Australia. Wendy Hughes was the leading lady and the Australian supporting cast gained experience at the time from American production methods. The film highlights the Australian scenery and atmosphere, has some action racing sequences, and presents Australia very much for the American audience point of view.

1. Was this enjoyable entertainment? For what audience was it made? The production company had TV audiences in mind. Was this evident?

2. What expectations did the production company have of its audience? How high the amount of involvement? How high the expectations of insight or cliche? What was the result?

3. How important was the Australian flavour for the film? The portrayal of Sydney, the countryside, Bathurst? Australian manners and style? The role of Australia in the international bike and sidecar set?

4. How vivid was the portrayal of sidecar racing? Could the audience get a feel for this sport? Did it visualise it well (imaginatively)? The excitement, the skills, the competitive obsession of the sport?

5. Did the film emphasise the glamour of competitive sport? The thriller and danger? The nature of the challenge to those skilled? The importance of winning? The possibility of death? The possibility of moral destruction of ambitious people? What comment did the film make on this?

6. How real were the characters? Or were they mere cliche characters for this kind of film? Why?

7. Geoff: an American hero in Australia, the American style contrasting with the Australian, his skill in surfing, his sense of freedom, his picking and choosing his way of life and study, his skill in sidecar racing, his relationship with Dave and Lynn, his fear as regards the sport, his sense of achievement, his advice to others, his disillusionment with the sport? Was his decision to leave the sport the right one? Was he an interesting hero?

8. How interesting a co-hero was Dave? His style compared with Geoff? His lack of finesse, his obsession with sidecar racing, the quality of his relationship with Lynn, his self-centredness, his forgetfulness of others, the fact that he was not as skilful alone? The importance of the tournament? The European trip? What motivated him? What had he achieved by the end of the film?

9. Was Lynn a credible heroine? Her rich background and her rebellion, her way of relating to Dave and to Geoff, her relationship with her father, her flightiness in feelings, the choices she had to make? Was she right in staying with Dave at the end?

10. Was Carson an interesting character? Or was he merely the conventional businessman father?

11. The importance for the film of such minor characters as Rick and his experience in sidecar racing, his son and his support? Did you expect that Rick would be killed? Why?

12. The reason for the insertion of Wilson and Tex as villains? Was their behaviour credible? To the extent that Tex would be killed? (Was the effect on Geoff of this death credible?)

13. What kind of comic relief did Ocker offer? Was it enjoyable?

14. What popular values did the film rely on?