Tag Archives: Jack Hibberd

“Dimboola” the movie – review by Colin Bennett

Posted on October 17, 2021 | Leave a comment

The movie “Dimboola” – produced by Pram Factory Pictures Pty Ltd – had it’s Melbourne premiere at the Bercy Cinema on 10 May 1979. Writer, Jack Hibberd; producer, John Weiley; director, John Duigan; leading actors, Max Gillies, Bruce Spence and Natalie Bate; (production accountant, Peter Keenan!).

“Dimboola” was not a critical or popular success, and that’s an understatement. Below is a copy of one of the reviews the movie received, this one by Colin Bennett of The Age. A copy of another review – one by Susan Adler appearing in Cinema Papers – is elsewhere on this site and may be viewed by clicking HERE.

“The messy marriage feast at Dimboola”

Cinema review, The Age, Monday,14 May 1979

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Posted in APG, Australian theatre, Dimboola the movie, Movies, Pram Factory Theatre

Tagged Bruce Spence, Colin Bennett, Jack Hibberd, John Weiley, John Weily, Max Gillies, Natalie Bate, Pram Factory Pictures

“A Stretch of the Imagination” – rave reviews, 1976

Posted on October 15, 2021 | Leave a comment

“A Stretch of the Imagination”, a one character play by Jack Hibberd, has been staged many times in many places with different actors in the lead. It has become an Australian classic.

In 1976, when staged in the back theatre of the Pram Factory, the character of Monk O’Neill was played by Max Gillies (directed by Paul Hampton); and the play and performance received rave reviews. Copies of three of those reviews appear below. (The play, with the same actor and director, was staged again at the Pram Factory – this time in the front theatre – in Aug/Sept 1977.)

Neil Jillet described the play as “probably the most beautiful Australian play ever written”; Bob Crimeen said “Hibberd’s masterpiece of hallucinations and shattered dreams gives Gillies the chance to prove his mettle in tragic-comedy”; and a writer for the Sunday Press said “This study of a singular man is Australian writer Jack Hibberd at his best …. Max Gillies as Monk O’Neil, is brilliant and gives Melbourne … the performance of the year”.

(“A Stretch of the Imagination” was first performed at the Pram Factory in 1972, with Peter Cummins as Monk O’Neill, directed by Jack Hibberd.)

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Posted in Alternative theatre, APG, Australian Performing Group, Australian theatre, Live theatre, Pram Factory Theatre, Theatre History

Tagged A Stretch of the Imagination, Bob Crimeen, Jack Hibberd, Max Gillies, Monk O'Neill, Neil Jillett, Paul Hampton, review

Third post re The Dimboola Banner’s stories and pictures about the making of “Dimboola” the movie

Posted on May 25, 2018 | Leave a comment

The following images and articles are from The Dimboola Banner, TUESDAY, June 13, 1978

Most of the filming of “Dimboola” took place in and around the small Victoria township of Dimboola. For those few weeks the people of Dimboola took a great deal of interest in the filming, with some even taking part as extras in the movie. The local paper, The Dimboola Banner, published several articles about the event which were accompanied by photos taken by the film’s stills photographer, Ponch Hawkes.

This is the THIRD of four post on this subject. Continue reading →

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Posted in Australian theatre, Dimboola the movie, Movies

Tagged APG, Australian Performing Group, Bruce Spench, Captain Matchbox, Dimboola, Dimboola Banner, Gordon McLean, Jack Hibberd, Jim Conway, John Duigan, John Weily, Kerry Dwyer, Matchbox Band, Mick Conway, movie, news articles, newspaper, Peter Muhleisen, photographs, Ponch Hawkes, Pram Factory, Pram Factory Pictures, Ricardo Ludbrook, Stephen Conroy, Tim Robertson, Tony Burkys

The Dimboola Banner – news articles and pictures – filming of “Dimboola”

Posted on May 22, 2018 | Leave a comment

The following images and articles are from The Dimboola Banner, Tuesday, May 30, 1978

Most of the filming of the APG’s movie, “Dimboola”, took place in mid-1978 in and around the small Victoria township of Dimboola. For those few weeks the people of Dimboola took a great deal of interest in the filming, with some even taking part as extras in the movie. Naturally, the local paper, The Dimboola Banner, published several articles about the event. These were often accompanied by publicity photos taken by the film’s stills photographer and APG member, Ponch Hawkes.

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Posted in APG, Australian Performing Group, Dimboola the movie, Movies

Tagged 1978, Australia, Banner, Bruce Spence, cuttings, Dimboola, Dimboola Banner, Evelyn Krape, filming, films, Jack Hibberd, John Duigan, Matchbox Band, Max Gillies, Mick Morris, movie, movie review, Natalie Bate, news articles, newspaper, Paul Ammitzboll, Phil Stirling, Ponch Hawkes, Pram Factory Pictures, Tom Cowan, town

Theatre Australia magazine – Carlton special – 1977

Posted on April 14, 2017 | Leave a comment

Max Gillies – 1977 (Cover photo by Ian McKenzie)

This edition of Theatre Australia contains articles titled:

“Ten Years of Carlton Theatre” by Garrie Hutchinson (with photos from 1969 and 1970);
“The Many Masks of Max Gillies” by John Larkin;
“Carlton Designs” by Peter Corrigan (with photos of sets for the plays “City Sugar”, A Floating World”, “Pecking Orders”, “The Mother”, “Crackers at the Savoy” and “Canned Peaches”.; and
Playscript – “Marvelous Melbourne” – Part One, with an introduction by Jack Hibberd on “How Marvelous Melbourne Came to Life”.