11111111''''200612110 UNDAY Too Far Wales, Arthur Black (peter Away was one of Cummins), or Black Arthur S the seminal films in as he comes to be known, what is often referred to as will battle Foley to be top the 'new wave' of Austra­ dog (and end up beating lian cinema that emerged him). Sunday Too Far Away in the 1970s. A significant ends with the confrontation step forward in Australian between the shearers (who filmmaking and storytelling, have decided to strike Sunday Too Far Away was because the graziers are also one of the first major trying to remove their features of the new wave prosperity bonus) and the to be made entirely with 'scabs' (non-union labour Australian finances Ot was brought in by the graziers funded by the South Austra­ to do the shearing). The lian Film Corporation) and strike lasts for nine months, by an all-Australian creative with the shearers eventually team. 1 winning. The title Sunday Too Far Fight Club Away is derived from a poem, The Shearer's Ken Hannam was only Wife's Lament. It refers thirty years old when he to a comment made by Of Myths directed Sunday Too Far the shearer's wife on the Away. Although it was lack of opportunity for a his feature film debut, he sexual relationship with and Meng had been directing and her husband when he has producing TV programs in left her to work on another London for several years sheep shed: 'Friday night, Sun'day Too Far Away when producer GiI Brealey too tired, Saturday night, of the newly formed South too drunk, Sunday Too Far ~eD'D ~CllD'DD'DCllm'S ~915 fuim Sunday 100 Far Australian Film Corporation Away.'2 Away US Ulhle Cllrche~~icCllI ~ulm Cd~Oll.Qft 1tIhe offered him John Dingwall's All.QsitrraioaD'D male. Seft OD'D 1955, fthe film script of Sunday Too Far A very popular film at the revolves arOlmdi a gll'Oll.Qp of OftUraeraD'Dft Away. Originally titled box office at the time of its Shearers, Dingwall has shearers who are cOD'Dftracitedifto wor~ OD'D release, Sunday Too Far CllD'D isola1tedi sheep s1'r.alftoOD'D 801 hoft CllD'Ddi dill.QsW said that what interested Away also garnered critical him about the shearing oll.Qtbad< .4\ll.QsftrClllia. BYPETERWILSHIRE praise. The film won several culture was that the shearer Australian Film Institute 'worked like a dog, lived awards including Best Film humOUr) in a way that many Tim King (Max Cullen) into like one, and fought like (beating Peter's Weir's Australians viewers can taking a six-week job at one, but this somehow gave Picnic at Hanging Rock), identify with (even though a remote sheep station him a respect for himself, Best Actor (Jack Thompson) they may know nothing (fimberoo), Foley becomes a tremendous dignity'.' and Best Supporting Actor about shearing in outback part of a team with other Fascinated by Dingwall's (Rag Lye). It was also Australia in the mid-1950s). rough-hewn stubble-faced insightful screenplay (and selected for screening at These men sweat it out shearers. These shearers also keen to return home the Director's Fortnight at shearing during the day include Old Garth (Rag Lye), to Australia), Hannam later the Cannes Film Festival in and hit the grog at night. a former gun shearer who admitted that he would 1975.3 The central character is is now an aging broken­ happily have done the film Foley (Jack Thompson), a down alcoholic; Ugly (John for nothing (he was paid Sunday Too Far Away is former 'gun' (champion) Ewart), a knockabout larrikin a mere $6000, with no told in a straightforward, shearer. Foley has been who knows how to spin a residuals).5 no-nonsense style. 'top dog' ~he shearer who yarn; and Michael Simpson Significantly, the film shears the most sheep) in (Gragory Apps), a young No article about Sunday depicts the camaraderie every shed he has worked and very green roustabout Too Far Away would associated with Aussie in the last ten years. Initially (unskilled labourer). be complete without mateship Oncluding 'shanghaied' by former Another very competitive mentioning the difficulties knockabout larrikin shearer turned contractor shearer from New South surrounding the editing of AlL PHOTOS FROM: SUNDAY TOO FAR AWAY Copyright of Full Text rests with the original copyright owner and, except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, copying this copyright material is prohibited without the permission of the owner or its exclusive licensee or agent or by way of a licence from Copyright Agency Limited. For information about such licences contact Copyright Agency Limited on (02) 93947600 (ph) or (02) 93947601 (fax) 'I ,..- _~'.t.... -. --._- ' , " ~: 1._ l\Jl\ETEEl\7.1 the film. The finished film version is markedly different from both Dingwall and Hannam's original visions. It has been claimed that •••-- -~--~--...r_ Dingwall's script would · iI.. ..... have made for a three-hour film. It revolved around a specific labour struggle at a particular historical moment ..... -.~,- ..... ~ - .' - the events leading up to ~ . the 1955 shearers' strike in Northern Queensland6 - and involved threo .. generations of shearers: .. -~--~ Michael Simpson, Foley and • w, Old Garth. Crucial to the script was that Old Garth .0 ); 'I -...... represented a vision - a " / ..... _.~_.l ,./ - -- premonition - to Foley of , '-- what his own future would · , become. The last third of the film was to focus on ._.. I the 1955 shearers' strike . ..... -~- -......- -.- --- However, a three-hour '- film was not a possibility I /. ,,' for commercial reasons. ,// Therefore, the action in the -- :j film ended up being limited .- ~.-- ;'1 to the six-week period ~:'1-' leading up to the strike. It has also been claimed that Dingwall reluctantly wrote ~=r~ abridged scenes relating to .---~ the strike and added them Unfortunately, as Hannam is to the script Oncluding the no longer alive (he passed : j final caption at the end of away in 2004), there will be i the film that describes how no director's cut to set the -'-~ ~ the strike was resolved).7 record straight. .. ~; I "" ,:'1 I Importantly, it has also Following Sunday Too • I been documented that Far Away, Ken Hannam's : ..... __~I " producer GiI Brealey Australian film work was ".- - - under government sparse. He turned down I · .I -- pressure to make a profit an offer by producer - interfered with the editing Phillip Adams to direct I process. Removin~1 most the David Williannson play -~ of the scenes with young Don's Party (the film was ,r~ Michael Simpson, Brealey subsequently directed by i! took advantage of Jack Bruce Beresford in 1976).9 1:1 Thompson's box-office Hannam did make Break Fraser which was fraught with Donald Crombie), " appeal, making Foley the of Day (1976), a period with casting problems. which was also released in .-~.:.. -~ hero. Ken Hannam, who romance between a former Hannam continued to abridged form as a cinema 'j &.- was overseas during this First World War serviceman direct various lV programs feature. However, it is as the interference with the editing and a bohemian woman; in London, although he director of Sunday Too Far process, was reportedly Summerfield (1977), an did return once more to Away that Ken Hannam will .. -- very angry and upset eerie Twilight Zone-style Australia to make the always be remembered.'o ._----~,j ".- 'I when he returned and thriller; and Dawn! (1978), popular mini-series Robbery j , ·1 ~- heard about the changes.8 a biopic of swimmer Dawn Under Arms (co-directed On one level, Sunday Too ·:1 '.~ij .. : -- " i"1 i -, Metro Magazine 150 • 155 , t I YSI~VI·:N'I·l·-I·'IVI~ ! Far Away is a depiction scenes inside the shearing the loss of his long-held Shorter). (Frankie Davidson of a particular historical shed that emphasize the position as top dog in the will also appear later in the \i place and time. These repetitive machinations contest with Black Arthur film as a member of the " ,~ " shearers exist in a world of of the daily grind: close- (although it Is interesting 'scab' labour team.) This : I their own. It's a very tough ups of the sweat-soaked to note that Foley still altercation can be seen as • I life. Not only is the work shearers bending over the retains his charisma as a the first indication that Foley repetitive and backbreaking, sheep Qncluding a couple leader, something that Is may not be the number-one / / the shearers also have of scenes with the actors acknowledged by his fellow shearer for much longer. to endure the heat, the actually handling and shearers).12 Later in the film, when Black boredom, the loneliness shearing the sheep); the Arthur ends up shearing and the isolation that is old alarm clock showing Foley's ambivalence more sheep than Foley, an everyday part of their precisely the starting time towards his public persona it will be the first time in working life. Moreover, " of 7.30am; the ringing of can be detected right ten years that the top dog " <'/ there is the constant the bell to start the shift. In from the beginning of shearer will not have 'rung , .. struggle for recognition addition, the competitive Sunday Too Far Away. In the shed.' Moreover, Foley's '~ / and respect. The shearers nature of the working the opening scene of the loss of personal status as FF'~;.J' III film, a tired Foley is seen top dog coincides with , Foley's loss of personal status through the reflection of the collective loss of the I ~ j ,/ -----~ the rear vision mirror just shearers, who are forced to /, as top dOl] coincides with the before he rolls his car over, take strike action after being collective.