The Picture Show Man

"Knock knock on my door...ooooh, could it be that you are still in love with me? Here we go again..."



1977-Australia
N.Y. Times Review by Janet Maslin

PLOT DESCRIPTION:

This easygoing drama offers a look back at the early days of the Australian movie business, and it was based on the real-life adventures of pioneering Aussie exhibitor Lyle Penn. Maurice "Pop" Pym (John Meillon) loves motion pictures, and he wants to open a cinema of his own. But shortly after the turn of the century, financial support for such a venture is hard to come by, so Pop does the next best thing; with his young son and a piano player in tow, Pop carts his collection of silent films and a portable projection system from one small town to another across the continent, showing his pictures wherever and whenever he can. However, Pop quickly learns that he already has a rival; Mr. Palmer (Rod Taylor) has decided to go into the movie business as well, and with deeper pockets, he's able to afford better equipment than Pop's shoestring budget can provide. Ironically, Rod Taylor plays a character who was born in Texas but emigrated to Australia; Taylor was in fact born in Australia and became a film star when he moved to the U.S. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The film offers a glimpse into the past to the days of the travelling picture showmen in country NSW, who covered the backroads of the countryside in horse driven trailers and motor vans to screen films to the country folk who rarely get the chance to see a moving picture show. John Meillon plays Mr Pym, a travelling picture show operator in the 1920s along with his son Larry (Harold Hopkins) and pianist, Freddie (John Ewart) who find themselves an American rival played by Rod Taylor who have up-to-date sound equipment and moves into their territory.

Background:

The film was shot on location in the New England plains around Tamworth, and in the river country near Grafton. Joan Long based her Screenplay on an autobiographical account by Lyle Penn of his experiences as youth with his travelling picture showman father. The film was less popular to Australian audiences at the time but well received by audiences overseas. The film won awards for Best Art Direction (David Copping), Best Costume Design (Judith Dorsman), Best Supporting Actor (John Ewart) and Best Original Score (Peter Best) at the 1977 Australian Film Awards.