Ruth Cracknell Movies
One of the most beloved figures in Australian television history, actress Ruth Cracknell was equally comfortable in such diverse arenas as radio, stage, television, and film. Born in Maitland, Australia, in July of 1925 and educated at North Sydney Girls High School, Cracknell began her career as a radio actress in 1945. Joining the John Alden Company three years later and taking the stage in numerous Shakespeare stage productions, Cracknell made a brief move to England in the early '50s before returning to her native land to seek work in various mediums. Later taking the lead in such popular Australian films as The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978) and Night of the Prowler (1979), Cracknell would find great success as the senile mother of a hapless son (Gary McDonald) in the long-running Aussie television staple Mother and Son (1983-1994). Enduring as one of the most popular television duos Down Under throughout its run, Cracknell would continue to appear to much acclaim in such theatrical releases as Spider and Rose (1994) and Lillian's Story (1995) (turning in a touching performance as legendary Australian eccentric Bea Miles in the latter). Awarded both the Golden Logie Hall of Fame Award and a lifetime achievement award at the Helpman Awards for the performing arts in 2001, Cracknell also published an autobiography entitled A Biased Memoir in 1997, and a documentation of her last holiday with her late husband, entitled Journey From Venice, a few short years later. Cracknell was also honored by the National Trust as one of Australia's Living National Treasures in 1998. After bowing out of stage performances in the early years of the new millennium due to deteriorating health, Cracknell died of respiratory illness in a Sydney nursing home in May of 2002. She was 76. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
This Australian animal adventure begins at a Queensland farm where young Billy (Jamie Croft), who lives with his widowed mother Penny (Rebecca Gibney), likes to watch the kangaroos, including baby Joey. Mean-spirited neighbor Dixon (Errol O'Neill) hires brutish Kanga Catcher (Harold Hopkins) to remove the 'roos. They are drugged and carted off, leaving Joey without a mother, so Billy heads for the city with Joey in his backpack. After he teams with Linda Ross (Alex McKenna), free-spirited daughter of American ambassador Ted Ross (Ed Begley Jr.), the two youths take off to reunite Joey with the kidnapped kangaroos. Sydney street scenes shown here are actually in Brisbane. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jamie Croft, Alex McKenna, (more)
Loosely based on the real-life story of Bea Miles, an eccentric character living in Sydney, this fine Australian drama tells the tragic tale of Lilian Singer, a woman whose cruel father placed her in a mental institution where she spent forty years. The story looks at the circumstances surrounding her commitment as a young woman, her childhood and life after she is finally released. In the opening scenes, Lilian leaves the asylum and is taken to a seedy downtown hotel frequented by prostitutes and other shady characters. Fortunately, the working girls prove friendly and sympathetic. Lilian becomes convinced that she is in love with a stodgy bank manager, but her love abruptly dies when he calls the police upon her. She next meets her long-lost lover Frank, who has unfortunately turned into an alcoholic and is unable to respond to her. As Lilian has more experiences, flashbacks gradually reveal the terrible things her father did to her. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1994
This Australian road movie avoids melodrama and mush as it depicts the relationship between a feisty old woman and the young misanthropic ambulance driver who must take her home. The film opens with the sight of an old woman wandering a country road. She is in deep shock. The camera then moves to the scene of a fatal crash caused by her husband who dozed at the wheel. As a result of the tragic accident Rose was hospitalized for a year. The film moves to the present as she is finally ready to leave and go home to her farm. It is a six hour drive. She will be taken by Spider, an obnoxious young man disgruntled at the prospect of spending his last day driving an old bat home. The two opposites begin irritating each other from the moment the journey begins. Eventually they do become more receptive to one another. Thanks to an errant kangaroo, their journey is suddenly paused. This leads them to a series of adventures, including one involving Jack, an aged beekeeper. He and Rose find themselves attracted to each other. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ruth Cracknell, Simon Bossell, (more)
- 1989
In this strange caper flick, a trio of old codgers who served in World War Two decide to go after a crooked cop, after running into a wall of indifference by authorities to the death of one man's grandson from a heroin overdose. The resulting violence and mayhem would do credit to a large crew of much younger men, much less these old fellows. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Warren Mitchell, Bill Kerr, (more)
- 1989
Australian author David Williamson adapted Emerald Cities from his own stage play. The title may conjure up images of the Wonderful Land of Oz, but the plot is set in the Munchkin-free Australian film industry. John Hargreaves stars as a prosperous screenwriter who is perfectly willing to accept the obscene gobs of money thrown at him. One day, however, he decides that he's a sellout, and attempts to turn out something of meaning and value--and uniquely Australian. But he runs up against an industry with both eyes on the valuable American market. There are laughs in Emerald Cities, but they have a hollow ring; this hit too close to home with many Australian filmmakers to be considered a comedy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Hargreaves, Nicole Kidman, (more)
- 1986
The two-part, two-hour Australian miniseries Alice to Nowhere was adapted by David Boutland from the suspense novel by Evan Green. Set in 1954, the story focused on the aftermath of a botched attempt to steal the crown jewels. Rosey Jones starred as Nurse Barbara Dean, who, unaware that a valuable necklace has been planted on her, is pursued into the Australian outback by a pair of sadistic criminals named Johnny Parson (John Waters) and Frog Gardiner (Esben Storm). As the two crooks grow more evil and irredeemable with each passing day, they leave a trail of terror and death behind them -- with even more horror still to come for the hapless heroine. Debuting June 30, 1986, Alice to Nowhere was co-produced by 10 Network and Crawford Productions. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1983
In this uneven children's story, Molly is a talented little dog who can sing for the people who love her -- but is mute when her vocals are required by the more cold-hearted of the human breed. Her new, young caretaker Maxie (Claudia Karvan) has her hands full because the villainous "Old Dan" Garry McDonald is after Molly's melodious talent for his own financial gain -- but then, maybe the circus troupe that has taken Molly and Maxie under their wing will be able to protect them both. Unfortunately, "Old Dan" is such a sinister, psychotic type that the intended sense of adventure in the film is often no more than a sense of the macabre. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Claudia Karvan, Garry McDonald, (more)
- 1981
Melanie (Angela Punch McGregor) is a television talk-show hostess who is missing the excitement of a new romance in her life -- and has been in that state for a few months now. When she and her good buddy Tom (Graeme Blundell) get together for a dinner at her place to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their friendship, they have enough wine to accidentally end up together in her bed, and nature takes over from there. When they wake up in the morning, Melanie wants to forget everything and go back to their easy-going friendship, while Tom disagrees -- he rather likes the new situation. It does not take long for Melanie to discover that her solitary slip-up has gotten her pregnant. She wants the baby but is definitely averse to marriage, while Tom wants to make the baby legitimate. In the end, the two compromise by moving in together -- though the truce does not last for long. As their relationship bounces back and forth, Melanie -- in her sixth month -- agrees to get married. But then the couple have a dust-up on the night before the wedding and they split -- will that be for good? Will their final choice be marriage or friendship or a steady animosity -- or all three? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Angela Punch McGregor, Graeme Blundell, (more)
- 1979
This satiric drama was based on a popular stage play by Australian author Patrick White. Status-seeking suburbanites Doris and Humphrey Bannister (Ruth Cracknell and John Frawley) are shocked and appalled when their adult daughter Felicity (Kerry Walker) is sexually assaulted by an intruder. Humphrey is horrified by the notion that she might not be a virgin any more, while Doris insists upon sharing the gory details of Felicity's troubles with all of her friends. Felicity, however, is a plain, sad, and chunky young woman who seems almost glad to have some new excitement in her life; inspired by her attack, Felicity dons a black leather outfit and goes on a prowling career of her own, breaking into houses and attacking men in public parks. The Night of the Prowler was released in Australia under the title Patrick White's The Night of the Prowler. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ruth Cracknell, John Frawley, (more)
- 1978
- R
- Add The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith to Queue Add The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith to top of Queue
Based on a novel by Thomas Keneally, which was in turn inspired by actual events, this drama is a shocking indictment of the racism inflicted on the indigenous people of Australia. Jimmie (Tommy Lewis) is a half-white, half-aborigine young man raised by a Methodist minister. Feeling outcast among the aborigines, Jimmie moves to the city and gets a job working for a white family. When a white serving girl at the estate becomes pregnant, everyone is convinced that Jimmie is the father; to spare the girl's honor, Jimmie marries her and is allowed to live with her on the estate. But after the child is born, everyone realizes that the father was a white man, not Jimmie; he is still willing to accept the child and stand beside his wife, but his employers now feel that he married a white girl under false pretenses, and they bar him from the estate. Forbidden to see his wife and fired without receiving his pay, Jimmie finally explodes in a fury of violent revenge. Director Fred Schepisi's original cut of this film runs 122 minutes, though it was more widely distributed in a shortened version running 108 minutes. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tommy Lewis, Freddy Reynolds, (more)
- 1977
In this drama, an aging dancer observes the life of a star-struck younger woman. The older one sees herself in the girl and tries to help her avoid making the same mistakes. Unfortunately, the headstrong young woman refuses to listen and like the elder, finds herself entangled in a destructive situation from which there is no escape. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ruth Cracknell, Elizabeth Crosby, (more)
- 1971
An island boy battles an evil ship's captain over the wreckage of a downed plane that was transporting gold bullion. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
- 1958
In this Australian children's movie, a sequel to Smiley, set in the outback, a local policeman tries to help a rambunctious scamp settle down by promising the lad a new gun if he can stay out of mischief and treat other people with respect. Smiley, the boy, does his very best, but when the locals begin teasing him and taking bets on whether or not he will succeed, trouble ensues and the boy ends up getting blamed for robbing an eccentric old woman. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sybil Thorndike, Chips Rafferty, (more)
- 1931
Silent screen favorite Clara Kimball Young was unable to sustain her stardom in the talkie era, partly because her girlish voice was at odds with her mature, sophisticated image. Nonetheless, before she was demoted to character roles Young managed to attain top billing in the Monogram "special" Mother and Son. The story begins in 1910, when Faro Lil (Young) sets up a rowdy gambling establishment in Nevada. Two decades later, Lil is wiped out by the stock market crash. Attempting to re-establish herself, she proves an embarrassment for her snobbish son (Bruce Warren) and his society friends. Only when Lil is laid low by a bullet are mother and son tearfully reunited. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Clara Kimball Young, Bruce Warren, (more)
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.