Summerfield (film)

Summerfield is a 1977 Australian film, directed by Ken Hannam, written by Cliff Green (who wrote the screenplay for Picnic At Hanging Rock) and produced by Patricia Lovell (who produced Picnic At Hanging Rock). It stars Nick Tate, Elizabeth Alexander, John Waters, Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, Max Fairchild and Geraldine Turner, and was filmed on location on Phillip Island and Churchill Island in Victoria.

Summerfield
Directed byKen Hannam
Produced byPatricia Lovell
Written byCliff Green
StarringNick Tate
Elizabeth Alexander
John Waters
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell,
Max Fairchild
Geraldine Turner
Music byBruce Smeaton
CinematographyMike Molloy
Edited bySara Bennett
Production
company
Clare Beach Films
Distributed byGreater Union
Release date
  • 30 September 1977 (1977-09-30)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
BudgetA$560,000[1]

Plot summary

The story begins with Simon Robinson arriving in a small seaside community to take over as teacher at the local school. He makes the acquaintance of siblings Jenny and David Abbott (Alexander and Waters, respectively), and Jenny's daughter Sally, who live on the island estate of Summerfield. The discovery that his predecessor vanished without a trace and, that Sally has a rare blood disorder lead Simon to try to uncover the truth behind the mystery.

Cast

Production

Cliff Green wrote the script for Peter Weir however he was busy on The Last Wave (1977) so Ken Hannam was hired instead.[2] The budget was raised within three weeks from the Australian Film Commission, Greater Union, the Victorian Film Corporation (who put in $76,500[3]) and private investors. These were essentially the same parties who invested in Break of Day (1976).

Shooting took place at the town of Cowes on Philip Island and around Western Port Bay Victoria starting 14 February 1977.[1][4]

Hannam later said in an interview "I don't look back on Summerfield as a happy experience at all."[5] He later apologised for statements he made in the interview.[6]

References
  1. Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998 p319
  2. David Stratton, The Last New Wave: The Australian Film Revival, Angus & Robertson, 1980 p108-110
  3. "The Corporations", Cinema Papers, April 1977 p296
  4. ""SUMMERFIELD" Pat Lovell's new film- a modern myste[?] [?]hriller". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 11 May 1977. p. 60. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  5. "Summerfield yields poor memories for Hannam". Sydney Morning Herald. 29 September 1977. p. 15.
  6. Hannam, Ken (6 October 1977). "An apology to Pat Lovell". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 3.
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