Number 96 (film)

Number 96: The Movie is a 1974 Australian drama film, based on the Australian soap opera Number 96 that was then running. The film was shot in eleven days in December 1973 in colour on 16mm film and then blown up to 35mm.[3] The film features nearly all the show's regular cast, and was created by the show's main creative team. The film has more revealing nudity than was allowed on TV at the time. A gay kiss between series regular Don Finlayson (played by Joe Hasham) and Simon Carr (played by John Orcsik was mysteriously cut from the movie after its Sydney season.

Number 96: The Movie
Directed byPeter Benardos, Brian Phillis (locations)
Produced byBill Harmon
Written byDavid Sale
Johnny Whyte
Based onNumber 96 (Television Serial)
CinematographyJohn McLean
Production
company
Cash Harmon Television
Distributed byO-Ten Television Network
Release date
May 1974
Running time
113 mins
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
BudgetA$100,000 (est.)[1]
Box officeA$2,476,471 (as at 1984)[2]

Critics were not kind to the film, but even Mike Harris from The Australian had to admit he had never been in a cinema before where every character's first appearance got a roar of approval from the crowd.

Plot

Former resident Sonia Freeman (Lynn Rainbow, who filmed all of her scenes in just one day) returns to Number 96 after her release from a mental asylum. Sonia is now married to newspaper journalist Duncan Hunter (Alister Smart). Her forgetful episodes and hallucinations become increasingly erratic and deranged. This worries Duncan, Sonia's good friend Jack Sellars (Tom Oliver) and Jack's new girlfriend, flight attendant Diana Moore (Rebecca Gilling), who has moved into flat 6. It is revealed that Diana and Duncan are secretly scheming to drive Sonia insane. Jack and the police arrive just in time before Diana and Duncan can persuade Sonia to kill herself.

Aldo Godolfus (Johnny Lockwood) has been withholding cash takings from the deli to avoid paying income tax on it, but loses the money in a fire. He takes a night job at the Connaught Rooms function hall to recoup the losses.

Many of the residents become embroiled in the major plans for Dorrie (Pat McDonald) and husband Herb's (Ron Shand) Ruby Wedding celebrations. After looking at her marriage certificate, Dorrie discovers that the best man Horace Deerman (Harry Lawrence) signed where the groom should have. Believing this means Dorrie is married to Horace, Dorrie, Herb and Flo track him down. Horace is revealed as a derelict alcoholic. Much to her dismay, Horace takes a fancy to Dorrie.

Les Whittaker (Gordon McDougall) enlists Herb Evans and Alf Sutcliffe (James Elliott) to assist in his new business venture: a sauna in the building's basement, unbeknownst to his wife Norma (Sheila Kennelly).

Beginning scene in the film however start with the unlucky in love Vera Collins (Elaine Lee) being gang raped by a group of bikies and she endures a troubled romance with politician Nick Brent (James Condon). She also starts a new business venture with Maggie Cameron (Bettina Welch) and Simon Carr (John Orcsik), a character they had a previously had romantic rivalry over in the television version of Number 96 in 1972. Vera and Simon wind up in bed together but he is unable to perform. It turns out he is gay, and he has an affair with Don (Joe Hasham). Vera falls in love with Nick Brent but when she meets his son Tony (Patrick Ward), she discovers he led the bikie gang that raped her. Tony recognises Vera and tries to kill her by running her over at Dorrie and Herb's party (a fancy dress celebration). He hits Simon instead, and when he makes another run at Vera, he ploughs into a brick wall and the car explodes. Simon recovers, and Vera marries Nick, who becomes the Prime Minister of Australia.

Cast

Release

The film was released in Sydney in May 1974 during the school holidays and became a major box office success. It screened in Melbourne during the August school holidays and was still on the drive-in circuit during January 1975. In Brisbane, Channel 0 telecast the stars' arrival live during that night's regular Friday night episode.[1]

References
  1. David Stratton, The Last New Wave: The Australian Film Revival, Angus & Robertson, 1980 p269
  2. "The Quarter", Cinema Papers, July 1984 p121
  3. Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998 p275
  4. "Harry Lawrence".
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