SQUEEZE A FLOWER

Australia, 1969, 102 minutes, Colour.
Walter Chiari, Jack Albertson, Dave Allen, Rowena Wallace, Kirrily Nolan.
Directed by Marc Daniels.

Squeeze a Flower is a pleasant inconsequential comedy made in Australia. It was capitalising on the popularity of Italian actor Walter Chiari in They're a Weird Mob. In this film he plays a monk with a secret formula for wine - who comes to Australia with comic results. St. Patrick's College, Manly, and other Australian locations add to the atmosphere. American comedian Jack Albertson plays an important role and popular Irish comic Dave Allen also appears. The supporting cast is generally Australian. Direction is by Marc Daniels, a television director who made a version of The Power And The Glory with Sir Laurence Olivier. Pleasant - anticipating the Australian film revival of the '70s.

1. For what audience was this film made? Australian response? Overseas response?

2. How well did the film cope with sentiment, religion, nationality? How much sentiment and sentimentality did it contain? Was the picture of religion genuine, or Hollywood style? Was there any value in its presentation of religion? (The parallel with Don Camillo and the talking with God?) How interestingly was Italian character presented? Genuinely? How well was the Australian temperament and character presented? As a caricature or genuine? Where?

3. What did the film have to say about finance and hypocrisy? In Italy with the wine and the liquor and the financial backing? Brother George's running away? The Brazzis and their trying to double-deal Brother George? The advertising people?

4. How well did the film portray George as a person? Did we understand him fully? As a monk? In his dependence on God? In his relationship with the other monks? In the crises that he found in Australia? Which sequences best illustrated this?

5. How sympathetic were the Brazzis? The father and his double-dealing? His son-in-law, Omani, and his stupidity and cunning? Maria as a more sympathetic character? How interestingly was the wine industry in Australia presented?

6. How did this contrast with the monastery? Could the monastery and its monks be taken seriously at all? The old man trying to remember the formula? Brother James and his puritan ideals?

7. How just was the picture of the advertisers? Andrews as a typical advertising man utilising slogans, manipulating George? June as a sympathetic per-" son? Her emotional~ response to George etc.?

8. Was the love between George and June well presented? How was the cunning on June's part e.g. in taking him to her home etc.? How well did George cope with this? Was he sensible or was he too timid? Was the choice real for him? How well was it portrayed at the end?

9. How well were George's choices presented to him: his collaboration with the Brazzis. his integrity preserving the secrets of the monastery, Brother Jams' command that he return. the financial man from Italy and his demands, George's trying to get the best deal for all?

10. The film ended happily and with jokes. Is this all the film was meant to be? How valuable are films like this?