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¡H » ¡ I l i # Interviewed by Fred Harden

Bill Gooley’s name has been mentioned in the credits o f more Tell me your story back as far as these wonderful black and white you can remember. Where did you features and newsreels for release Australian films than any other.1 While in charge of feature grow up? in Australia, but you never became liaison for Colorfilm, he has viewed more rushes on involved. You just worked your Australian features and documentaries than probably any In Redfern in Sydney. I was eight or nine hours and then went born during the Depression in 1932 home. other Australian. This gives him a unique view o f Australian and grew up during World War 2. At first, I worked on the black film and contact with the best talents in the industry. His Childhood was never the. wonder­ and white processor that put ful thing that it should have been; through positive film at 120 feet a contribution was recognized at the 1983 AFIAwards when he it was just a difficult time. So I minute. I would cut the ends off it was presented with the Raymond Longford Award. used to go into the dream factory between reels, put it in a can and During the course of the following interview, Goo ley every Saturday afternoon and lose send it back. I never saw anything. myself for three hours, which was referred to his report books, which contain daily notes on all just wonderful. Then you graduated to the wet end the films he has been responsible for at Colorfilm. Because o f As I got older, I tended to go not only to the Saturday afternoon space restrictions, the conversation has been substantially sessions but also to the morning That was the big time. You actu­ edited, including many of the sections in which he has ones. I lived fairly close to the city ally put film on, topped up the attributed his knowledge and success in the industry to a and used to walk in. I would meet tanks and were responsible for the different people who would want machine while it was running. number of other people, and his comments on the to see different movies, so I would recognition of the influence and support of the management go four and five times on a Satur­ Was the bulk of your work day; it became a way of life. I 35 mm? over the years at Colorfilm. He would mention Phil Budden loved every second of it. OBE, Doug Dove and Murray Forrest, as well as many other I left school at 15 and decided I Yes. The Commonwealth Film people who are part of the team at Colorfilm. had to get a job. There was a place Unit [now Film Australia] was one just down the road in Chippendale of our biggest clients. There Gooley has a marvellous talent for saying nice things about known as Percival Film Labora­ weren’t many independent people people, and had to be prompted to talk about any of the tories. I worked there, expecting to around. see all the actors and actresses negative aspects of his work. What was going to be a coming through but found that I Did you do any of the newsreels? discussion of the way laboratories have changed with the was stuck in the dark room and industry became a discussion about the people involved, didn’t see anyone. I persevered For a while. Movietone was with that for a few years, then above us in the building, but it something which would hardly surprise anyone who knows went to the Smiling Snap where I folded. him. did little photos of weddings and I loved newsreels. The Mel­ christenings. I soon got bored with bourne Cup coming and going; that and worked for a retail store, caravans out at the airport; pro­ but the management didn’t like me cessing film up in aeroplanes: it 1. Apart from those discussed in the interview, Gooiey’s credits include Lonely Hearts, Turkey Shoot, Goodbye Paradise, For Love or Money, Teno, Patrick, Cathy’s Child, talking to anybody. I found that was all exciting. The Odd Angry Shot, Tim, Harlequin, The Earthling, Maybe This Time, Manganinnie, terribly strange. So I went back to Fatty Finn, The Survivor, Roadgames, Gallipoli, Smash Palace, The Race for the a laboratory and I haven’t left for So when did it change from being Yankee Zephyr, Hoodwink, Double Deal, Doctors and Nurses, Winter of our Dreams, 30 years. just a job? Dead Kids, Inn of the Damned, Duet for Four, Best of Friends, The Killing of Angel Street, The Picture Show Man and Mad Dog Morgan. The selection of those covered in The place was Filmcraft, which the interview was based on how they had influenced Gooley. The author would like to is where Colorfilm is now. Clients Filmcraft and Automatic Film thank Jan Tyrell for her assistance. never went into the laboratory, Laboratories merged at one stage and you didn’t communicate with because business was not good and Opposite: Bill Gooley accepts his Raymond Longford Award at the 1983 Australian Film anybody. You lived in this closed became Colorfilm, which eventu­ A wards. circle of people who made all of ally moved to Camperdown. I

CINEMA PAPERS February-March — 51 Bill Gooley

guess that was when it changed for enormous amount. They’re a are machines. That is all there is to you have read the script and me. There was the excitement Weird Mob also taught me a lot it. become involved. I know where about the coming of color. Black because they were wanting to know Weekend of Shadows (Richard every foot of film is going to fit and white business was fading and all the time what was going on, Wallace, 1978) is an example. It into the script, and what the all the prints coming from America what their rushes were like, what was being made in Adelaide, and director and cameraman are trying were in color. But because process­ comments were being made by the Rosemary and I and the two girls to put on the screen. It all becomes ing color meant a lot of money, lab staff. went there to see the last day of very real to me. many questions came up: Is there The other film that was a land­ shooting. Then, disaster! They At Colorfilm, we don’t stand on enough in this country to make it mark for me was The Hands of were running around back at the the end of a machine and process work? W hat‘is going to happen? Cormack Joyce (tele-feature, laboratory saying, “ We don’t film; we sit on the end of a ’phone Rosemary and I had just got 1973), which Johnny McLean shot know what the problem is.” Had 1 and talk to people. The company engaged and we had to ask our­ [with Vincent Monton]. It was, to been at Colorfilm, the first thing I has allowed me to expand and selves if I should stay in the my knowledge, the first film ever would have done was to screen the draw people into the lab. You business. Was it something that finished here. They were trying to negative to see if the problem were don’t tell a director of photo­ would keep me for the rest of my shoot it on Phillip Island and the there. In fact, it was, and, after a graphy what to do; you ask him life? I decided there was no way I day’s shooting would come up on a lot of ’phone calls, the crew had to what he is going to do and he tells could get out of it and I should plane at night. I would collect it unpack and reshoot a whole day. you. The man is talented or he stay, whether it worked or not. from the airport and bring it back That was the worst experience I wouldn’t be where he is. We had color machines but there to the lab. We would process the have been through. But there is no On The Devil’s Playground (Ian wasn’t much being shot. The negative, cut it, then print and pro­ point in playing silly buggers: a Baker, 1976), for instance, it was 35 mm color neg machine pro­ cess the work print. I would then mistake was made and that was all all dark and blue. But I knew that cessed at nine feet a minute. You take it to the airport at six o’clock there was to it. But unless you was the feeling Ian was after. So I sat there and watched all the in the morning to catch the first experience it you don’t really know didn’t send reports to those on sprocketholes come up, and some flight back. It was complete the effect of a mistake like that. It location saying, “ What are you of them would be evil. involvement. I would go home for is very difficult because somebody trying to do? The whole thing has a few hours’ sleep before returning in the lab on the end of a machine gone blue.'” That would upset any Was the machine imported? to work during the day to catch up doesn’t necessarily realize that a director of photography! on what I hadn’t done. Because it director, actors and a crew have Producers and directors No, it was home-made, as was was a once-off, we couldn’t labored for hours to get to that shouldn’t be involved with the day- the positive machine. The latter employ another 10 people because point. to-day concern of what their sounded just like the “African there would have been nothing for picture looks like at that stage. So I Queen” . You learnt that if it them to do when it was finished. Obviously your attitude influences have to know the production secre­ squeaked one way it was going to It was a valuable experience Colorfilm’s standing in the tary or production manager well break down, which it did every because I hadn’t cut negative industry because people expect enough to be able to tell them what couple of hours. before. It was Maggie Cardin, the that kind of liaison. Were you I think of the DOP’s work and We were never certain how long old tyrant that she is, who taught aware of that at the time? clear any queries with them: “ Did color might last, so we didn’t me the importance of negative. She he mean to under-expose that half employ a lot of staff because we would sit there and say, “ This is You are always conscious of a stop or it is a mistake?”, and couldn’t have them sitting on their how you do it. No, you are doing it competition between laboratories. they will come back and say,2JYes, behinds. What staff we had learnt wrong. Don’t put your hand there. I was conscious that I was doing he meant to do it” , or “ No, he to do everything, working between Where are your gloves? Why are something different to the others, didn’t.” 12 and 14 hours a day. If someone you doing this?” Everybody had and that it was taking an enormous was filming and they wanted the to have gloves and white coats on amount of my life and my time. Have there been any features on work print the next day, you had because she wouldn’t work with But I never backed off because which you have liaised that were to learn to change your shift in anybody who didn’t. And a lot of Rosemary and I had made that particularly interesting? mid-stream and work all night so the negative cutters whom she has commitment a long time before. I you could process the negative and trained don’t know how to do am not a half-way person; I have They have all had their joys and get the work print off. All that was things badly because she knew no to be in there all the way. I have grown with them. Caddie exciting and once it gets into your other way but the right way. Rushes can get boring and the (Peter James, 1976) brought back blood:it never leaves you. It was also valuable because of only way to make them alive is if memories to me because it was set the wonderful communication be­ What features were being pro­ tween John McLean and myself. It duced in those early days of color? opened my eyes because all of a sudden I was in a situation in There were very few features. which I had to know what people There were a few documentaries, wanted. My attitudes changed but very little apart from commer­ completely. I made stipulations on cials, such as the Peter Stuyvesant films: to read the script before the ads. Then we did They’re a Weird film started; to see call sheets every Mob (Arthur Grant2, 1966), but we day; and so on. That way I knew never completed it because it went better what the director of photo­ back to England as a long cut. graphy wanted when he went out Adam’s Woman (William C. and shot something. Did he really Butler, 1970) also went back over­ want it to be blue or was it an acci­ seas to be cut, but we processed the dent? And apart from looking at negative and did the work print. the rushes, I also went on the set We were lucky to get that because occasionally to talk to people. I they could have taken it back to have never not considered myself the U.S. We had no recognition as part of the crew. and had never actually done a The other thing I learnt very feature. early was to be honest. If we ruin Then business started to grow, something, the hardest thing in the but again there was only the odd world is to get on a phone and say, Australian film; you don’t go and “ We ruined it” , but I will do it. If spend $500,000 on one film when I say we had problems in the you haven’t another to back it up. laboratory, which ruined the film, On the few that came through — people believe me; if I turn around for example, Squeeze a Flower and say instead, “ Your camera is (Brian West, 1970) — we learnt an scratching every frame” , I am never questioned. When you know 2. Throughout this interview, the style is it is your fault you admit it because director of photography, not director. people are people and machines

52 — February-March CINEMA PAPERS Top: Jack Thompson and Helen Morse in Caddie (1976) "brought back memories to me". Top: filming The Man from Snowy River (1982). Above: Nick Tate in The Devil's Play­ Above: Tim Burns andNoni Hazlehurst in Monkey Grip (1982); "wonderful, a beautifully- ground (1976): "a fine film, adventurous and different”. Below: filming Mad Max (1979), lit film with a wonderful actress". Below: director of photography Don McAlpine during the with director of photography David Eggby on the bike behind stunt driver Terry Gibson. filming o f Breaker Morant (1980).

1 Bill Gooley

in the era in which I grew up. I Russell shot in 1976, was also remember saying to producer Tony cinematically beautiful. It was a Buckley, “If the rabbito is not joy to see that happening in front right, the film won’t work.’’ When of you. they shot that sequence, I rang Then there was The Devil’s Tony and said, “You’ve made the Playground, which was joyous to film; it doesn’t need anything else. work on. The people were The man is just as I remember: his absolutely lovely. It is a fine film, cart, his horse ...” adventurous and different. But I felt a lot of the stuff was under­ You also did Buckley’s next pro­ exposed. It was all very low-key duction, “The Irishman” (Peter and, while it looked wonderful on James, 1979) . . . film, I wonder what it would have looked like in a cinema where the That was shot on Agfa Gevaert, projectionist didn’t turn the lights which was something we hadn’t up because there weren’t enough processed before. There were people? problems because we didn’t know It was a problem but it worked what the stock would do over time. because the grader, Arthur Cam­ There are no duping stages in bridge, was able to get more out of Gevaert so the final negative had the film than I ever thought any­ to go on to Eastman and all the body would be able to. He kept a opticals had to be made on East­ continuity all the way through. If man and cut into Gevaert. Eventu­ you remember the sequence when ally the film ended up with this they find the boy drowned, well, yellow, burnt-out look, which is there was nothing in the negative; what Peter wanted. It worked fine. you could hardly see a damn thing. I thought they ought to have reshot How about some of those other it but they said, “ No, this is the early-1970s films? way it is going to look” , and it works very well. So you learn all Let me look up my report the time. books. These are the reports I did Mad Dog Morgan (M ike every day on films. They were Molloy, 1976) is where I met never seen by other people and Jeremy Thomas [producer); I record the things that used to knew Jenny Woods [the produc­ worry me. Shall we start with tion co-ordinatorj from The Picnic at Hanging Rock (Russell Devil’s Playground [on which she Boyd, 1975)? was production secretary], A lot of The first day’s shooting was 1 people who have worked in the April 1975. It was an example of industry at the low end of the the joys of working with a great spectrum have worked their way director of photography. up. Young people come out of an institute or a film school and say, Had you worked with Russell “ I am a director.” They may know Boyd before? their craft but they have to work at it before they get that title. All Only on odd things; not on a these small budget films are great feature. Break of Day, which because they learn by working. In

Top: director o f photography Mike Molloy, “an enormous talent’’, during location filming on Mad Dog Morgan (1976). A bove: Peter James takes a light reading on Michael Craig for The Irishman (1979).

this business, you may learn the It is exciting when you see basics by reading a book, but you people do something, then go on to have to go out and do the thing something else. I have seen an yourself. enormous amount of people go An example is For Love or from being production co­ Money (1984). When I quoted for ordinators, production people or that film years ago we didn’t know clapper loaders to being, say, pro­ it was going to be as mammoth as ducers or directors of photo­ it was. Those three girls [Margot graphy. I am not just referring to Nash, Jeni Thornley, Megan Mc­ men: many of the producers are Murchy] deserve a gold medal for women who do a damn fine job. the three years of work they put They are amongst the best and are into it, without any money, with­ quite remarkable. They have never out having anywhere to work. been scared of saying, “I don’t They have learnt an enormous know. Let me come in and find amount. Those years of going out.” Pat Lovell keeps saying, through the archival footages “Can I come and see what you’re taught them that some stocks had going to do?” So, she will come in to go from black and white on to a and watch the optical department Fuji stock or on to an Eastman “Those three girls [Margot Nash, left, Megan McMurchy and Jeni Thornley, here with mark out, and understand that it Margot Oliver, right] deserve a gold medal for the three years o f work they put into [For stock or a CRI, and so on. And w e takes hours to do. Love or Money, 1984]. ” learnt, might I add! We now open our gates to the

54 — February-March CINEMA PAPERS Director o f photography Tom Cowan and director John Duigan: Mouth to Mouth (1978). Newsfront (1978): “the biggest headache we had ever had’’, matching newsreel footage (inset) with recreated material, here with John Ewart and Chris Haywood. people outside. We want them to standing there open-eyed thinking, cent Monton, 1977). That was a blown up. That was an experience come in, to know everybody in the “ I don’t believe this. He is telling good shoot. Then we go through to because we had never blown up a building, to associate with some­ me lies. You don’t make films at The FJ Holden (David Gribble, feature from 16 mm. one so that if there is a problem it that cost.” 1977) and High Rolling (Dan Bur­ can be discussed. We have guided stall, 1977), Judy Davis’ first Until this stage you had only been tours through the lab for the ABC, Were the Americans you have film. blowing up shorter things? from the Australian Film and Tele­ known difficult to work with? We had trouble on The Getting vision School, from the New South of Wisdom (Don McAlpine, 1977). Very little in fact. They either Wales Institute of Technology. We No, they were very good. We The film went splendidly. It was a shot on 16 mm or they shot on are trying to make people under­ made Ride a Wild Pony (1975) for great piece of work and it was 35 mm for features. Mouth to stand why things can’t happen in Disney. Don Chaffey directed it, good to be with the people. But Mouth lent itself very well to be five minutes. Geoff Burton shot it and Pom when we were cleaning the negative blown up; others don’t. The Night Oliver was the production secre­ for the second trial print off the the Prowler (David Sanderson, One of the rewarding things about tary. original, which I hated doing, we 1978) is a 16 mm blow-up. It had a building relationships is that I enjoyed working with Chaffey, scratched one reel of the final cut few problems because there was a people stay loyal to the lab . . . although I found him an emotional negative. We made a wet gate lot of night shooting and the man. He screamed and yelled and negative but there were some 16 mm wasn’t coping very well. If They always stay loyal but I hollered and did all sorts of strange scenes that really didn’t work on it. the 16 mm negative is great, then don’t blame anybody who says, “ I things. Usually, we never allowed Bruce Beresford [director] went to the blow-up will be great. They only have so much money, I have people to come into the grading the opening night with the print off were happy with it, but there was to go somewhere else.” because they would want to stop the original. What they did was to some material which I thought was I went to Cannes when they on every frame and change its sit Rosemary and me in the first under-exposed; they couldn’t have screened Breaker Morant (Don color, and that just doesn’t work. four rows of the theatre. Rosemary got any lights into Centennial Park McAlpine, 1980). I don’t care who Chaffey wanted to look at the loved the film; I sat there and said, so they had to live with it. processed it or who made it, it was negative he had shot for the ABC, “That reel is coming up, I can’t Newsfront (Vincent Monton, a fine Australian film. I felt that if which was being graded on the look. Why did they sit me so 1978) was, in its time, a most I could help in some way to make Hazeltine. As he was “the great close?” All I could see was this exciting, intricate and worrying bit the rest of the world know about it director” from overseas, the ABC mammoth scratch that was five of film, and the biggest headache then I would. So when they asked felt they should oblige him. They foot wide. The whole film was we had ever had. We were pro­ me to help out, I handed out had been up there for a while when ruined for me. But nobody else cessing black and white negative leaflets. I walked in and there he was with a noticed it. and it had to blend with the news­ The only other time I went to can of beer, having a cigarette. I Summerfield (1977) was beauti­ reel footage. Vince spent ages test­ Cannes was when My Brilliant just looked at him and said, “ Put fully shot by Mike Molloy; he has ing material and then wre buggered Career (Don McAlpine, 1979) was that out!” “ What are you talking an enormous talent. Long Week­ some of it up: we scratched it and screened. That was an experience about?” , he replied. I said, “ Put it end (Vincent Monton, 1977) was got spots on it. But, when we com­ because it was Rosemary’s first out. Go downstairs, get rid of the the first film to use Steadicam. pared it with the old footage, it time overseas. My Brilliant Career beer and don’t ever smoke in this They ran through the forest and matched. went wonderfully well. I can area again.” “ It’s all safety film the trees with it strapped on, which remember an American saying to . . .” , he said. “ It doesn’t matter. was interesting; I had never seen it When the first print came off, me, “ How much did it cost?” , and Get out!” He couldn’t believe that before. The Chant of Jimmie someone commented that it was a I said, “ I think it was $850,000” , he was being spoken to like that. Blacksmith (Ian Baker, 1978) was “Technicolor nightmare” , with and he said, “ Yes, but how much Here is another film on the list a long shoot, but again it was inter­ every shot a different stock and did it cost to make?” I said, that got lost on the way, Summer esting. I think it was a film made color . . . “ Maggie Fink [the producer] is of Secrets (Russell Boyd, 1976), long before its time. over there. Go and ask her, but I Jim Sharman’s film. Then we did Mouth to Mouth (Tom Cowan, Everything that was black and think it cost $850,000.” “ But the “ Both Ends Against the Middle” 1978) , John Duigan’s second white had to go on to a color whole production?” This man was which ended up as Raw Deal (Vin­ feature, was shot on 16 mm and Concluded on p. 86

CINEMA PAPERS February-March — 55 Bill Gooley

Bill Gooley magic to it and was quite an adven­ It was a good shoot, though makes it all shine. We then did For the Term of His Natural Life Continued from p. 55 ture. They never had any money there were odd things that went and it took forever to shoot. wrong with it. If you watch the (Ernest Clark, 1983) the series Shot in 35 mm, the work prints film carefully you will see a blue done in South Australia. were in 16 mm, which was a dis­ cast come down in part of a frame, release print, and it took a long aster! You could never guarantee which they couldn’t get rid of. It What happens with a series? Is it while to get it looking like a true that the edge numbers were right was in the lens or in the camera, harder for you than a feature? black and white. Some stock foot­ because, after you make the reduc­ and is in one of the shots when the age refused to look like black and tion work print, you put it through camera follows Tom Burlinson up No, it is the same as a feature, white and the stuff they shot had a machine which prints the edge a crevice. In that scene, he gets to only there is more of it and you to have a little of the color cast put numbers and, if it is one or even 10 the top of the crevice and the have to keep your interest up. It back in so it matched. frames out, it stays that way camera moves up behind him and gets very hard when somebody is When they shot The Blue because you never go back to that opens up and spreads out to the shooting for 20 weeks and yet Lagoon (U.S., 1980) in Fiji, Nestor bit of negative again. All the edge most magnificent Hollywood every day is important to that Almendros wanted to send the numbers for Mad Max were picture post-card shot. I rang Keith director of photography. So, if I material back to Los Angeles, wrong. I didn’t know they were and told him to put his camera have learnt anything in this busi­ because that is where all of his wrong. I had seen all the work away, he didn’t need to do ness, it is that the people work negatives had gone. But Richard prints, done the edge numbers and anything more. Of course, the their guts out and need to be told Franklin [co-producerj wanted it presumed they were right. We editor got hold of it and cut it. something that gives them a boost. processed in Sydney as he could get didn’t- go back and check because A similar thing happened in Boredom must set in day after day, a report back much quicker. We we didn’t think there was any Picnic, which shows the talent of setting stuff up, hoping to get so had even talked about Nestor’s reason to. We didn’t realize that Russell Boyd — and all of our much time up on the sheet. So you coming to Australia to have a look sometimes the loop which goes cameramen. It is the shot inside the try to find that little bit of magic at the lab. Richard then took through the edge numbering house where the girls are at school, somewhere along the line and say, Nestor to see Newsfront and he machine, instead of being, say, as they all walk around and come “I think that’s stunning.” It gives said, “ If there is a lab in the world three inches wide was six inches down the stairs. The camera moves them that little boost. that can make black and white go wide, which made a lot of differ­ and follows them all around, Might I add that there are some on to color and come back as black ence. So Maggie had to eye-match through the entrance of the house, films about which I have never said and white, then I don’t need to the whole film and she nearly had a out into bright sunlight and shows that because nothing has been know anything else. It can all go nervous breakdown. them standing there. It was smooth stunning. I get very offended when there.” and steady, and the exposures were films go through the lab which are I flew to Fiji and spent three What about the more recent films, great all the way through. I don’t so static because the camera never days with Nestor and it was for example “The Man From know how he did it, but it was just moves and you could be watching wonderful to meet this man. Of Snowy River” (Keith Wagstaff, magic to get the interior to match television. I don’t think that is course, he had the money to sit for 1 9 8 2 ). the exterior so perfectly. It must what it is all about. two hours and wait for the magic have taken hours. And they cut it. five minutes. If we were in Aus­ It had its problems, too: for The scene was too long and How many films have you worked tralia, we would be shooting for example, the interiors with the Russell’s wonderful lighting was on at a time? those two hours before the magic candlelight. I had never worked lost. No one else will ever see it, moment came. He never told you with Keith Wagstaff before and but I saw it, and that makes it Seven. It can be done; I just go much, but he was a thorough there was an enormous amount exciting, of course. to work earlier. gentleman. within the rooms and the cabins The Adams-Packer film We of You have to be involved and The Blue Lagoon was good for which was under-exposed to my the Never Never (1982) was shot by genuinely interested in every film us because suddenly we had the way of thinking. But it was the Gary Hansen. He was a man who you do. It is a personal relation­ director of photography who had look he wanted. I would have liked had a talent for the outback look ship. But you make a rod for your won an Academy Award that year to have seen more exposure on it, and got what he wanted from it. back because you become terribly processing his negative in our lab. but it became one of Australia’s Mad Max 2 (Dean Semler, 1981) jealous of what you do. You start I enjoyed Mad Max (David most commercial films and made a was very exciting. I went to Broken on something and it becomes Eggby, 1979); it had a certain fortune for them. Hill the day they blew up the camp “ Mine, mine, mine” . You go to site. You had to be far away work with the flu for 12 hours because the explosion was expected because it is “ mine” . to create ripples and bomb blasts. I go to see one of my films in a So we stood on a rocky hillside and theatre and part of me is up there; I froze to death. Then, all of a haven’t physically done anything sudden, this magic happened. to it but it is part of me. It is like They had waited for hours until the director of photography going everything was right and then the in and saying, “ I shot that.” I walk whole thing went; it could never be in and say, “ That’s mine.” There reshot because the whole camp was is a certain possessiveness in it. I destroyed. And, although there get offended when Australian was a lot of cameras, there wasn’t people don’t go and see Australian a lot of footage because the whole movies; they are letting me down. thing happened so quickly. But you don’t do this by your­ Later, they said, “ Here are the self. I could never have spent the rushes” , and I thought, “My God­ hours unless Rosemary and the father I’m taking them back! I girls had been wanting or allowing hope nothing happens on the me to do it. When I got the Long­ plane.” I returned from Broken ford Award last year I just Hill with them sitting on my knees. couldn’t believe that was happen­ When I got into the lab I ing to me. It was the most unreal thought I should go home but I thing, standing up there in this knew I would never sleep. So I sat wonderful place of honor. That on the end of the machine until was my greatest achievement: that every frame had come off and a technician who had come waited until they printed it. Then I through the ranks was recognized had a look and thought, “It’s all as a Longford Award winner. And right. I can go to sleep now.” It it was an achievement that I never was absolutely nerve-racking. thought I would have. As I have Monkey Grip (David' Gribble, said before, I have never con­ 1982) was wonderful, a beauti­ sidered myself anything but part of Filming The Blue Lagoon (1980): director o f photography Nestor Almendros holds the fully-lit film with a wonderful the crew. And I wouldn’t want to reflector while Vince Monton lines up an angle. actress, Noni Hazlehurst, who be anything else. ★

86 — February-March CINEMA PAPERS