Bill Hughes Movies
- 2001
The Australian miniseries The Farm was a stinging indictment of the irregularities and downright dishonesties of the Commonwealth Bank in the 1980s. Colin Friels and Greta Scacchi starred as Tom and Liz Curry, owners of a farm that had been in Tom's family for decades. Taking out a foreign loan from the Federal Development Bank, the Currys soon discovered that the loan wasn't worth the paper it was written on. The rest of the story dealt with the couple's frustration in trying to keep their debt-ridden farm out of receivership through months of inflation and drought. Presented in two 90-minute episodes, The Farm debuted over Australia's ABC network on March 18, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
One of the most expensive miniseres ever assembled for Australian television, Changi covered a time-span of nearly 60 years. The story was told in flashback as a group of six former POWs, arranging a reunion, recalled their experiences in a Singapore prison camp. Though all six suffered mightily at the hands of their Japanese captors, all managed to survive the ordeal and remain friends even after cessation of hostilities. Still, each man had retained a deleterious "side effect" from his imprisonment, which threatened to cast a tragic pall on their reunion. Running an exhaustive gamut from comedy to horror, Changi sustained its believability by having each of the main characters played by two actors -- one young for the WWII scenes, one old for the postwar scenes. Though critics and the general public were impressed when the series first aired on Australia's ABC network from October 14 to November 12, 2001, there were a number of real-life prison camp survivors who condemned the project as unrealistic and offensive (and never mind that at least one of the lead actors on the show had himself weathered six years in a Japanese stockade). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Craig Monahan made his directorial debut with this Australian police drama in which unemployed, poverty-stricken Eddie Rodney Fleming (Hugo Weaving), after losing his wife and home, is dragged from his apartment by police and subjected to a brutal interrogation. Eventually, it becomes terrifyingly apparent to Eddie that the police consider him a serial-murder suspect. Detective Sgt. John Steele (Tony Martin) and his assistant, Detective Sgt. Constable Wayne Prior (Aaron Jeffrey), make audiotapes of their efforts to get Fleming to confess. However, they are unaware that they themselves are being investigated and are being videotaped by an internal affairs unit. The question of Eddie's guilt or innocence is effectively concealed for most of the movie. Gordon Davie, Monahan's co-scripter and the film's technical consultant, was a police officer with the Victoria Crime Squad for 16 years. The Interview was shown at several 1997-1998 film festivals (London, Montreal, Melbourne). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugo Weaving, Tony Martin, (more)
- 1989
In this light romantic comedy, Daisy (Jan Adele) is an old woman living out her life on a run-down farm in the Australian outback. She has grown slovenly and lazy, rarely venturing out of bed. When Simon (Sean Scully), a young and rootless man lands on her doorstep, at first she has nothing to offer him but abuse. He endures her vituperation and shames her into taking an interest in her life for the first time since her husband Harry died. Before long, they have taken a shine to each other. These developments don't sit well with Daisy's daughter Joan (Shaunna O'Grady), who is determined to ship her off to an old-age home and fears she may be acquiring a stepfather who is younger than she is. After she finds out that Simon is on the run from the law, she triumphantly informs Daisy of this fact. To her great chagrin, this information has no effect whatsoever. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan Adele, Sean Scully, (more)
- 1985
The inspirational autobiogry of A.B. Facey was the source for the four-part Austalian miniseries A Fortunate Life. Spanning the years from 1897 to 1916, the story began when eight-year-old Bert Facey, abandoned by his widowed mother, was forced to work on a farm run by sadistic horse thieves. After several years of backbreaking manual labor, Bert was given a break when he went to live on the farm owned by the Philips family. Conscripted into the Army at the outbreak of WWII, the hero managed to survive the carnage at Gallipoli, and after additional hardships and setbacks, enjoyed a happily-ever-after as the husband of the beautiful Evelyn, a union that would endure for six decades. Facey's book was published in 1981, one year before his death at age 77. The TV version of A Fortunate Life was telecast by Australia's Nine Network in 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
A popular if short-lived Australian drama series, Glenview High focused on a rundown secondary school in a tough inner-city district. The plot lines of the 39 hour-long episodes were devoted to the trials and tribulations of the students and faculty members, with special emphasis upon novice English teacher Greg Walker (Grigor Taylor). The series was created by Grundy Television, one of Australia's leading purveyors of soap operas and game shows. Glenview High aired over the 7 Network from 1977 to 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
- PG
This western chronicles the struggle of a post-Civil War mountain family to prove that they did not betray the Confederate side during the conflict. The film contains the last film appearance of Walter Brennan. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1962
In the saga of Hollywood's slow, slow maturation in the depiction of Native Americans, Geronimo highlights an early '60s turning point -- his character is drawn with sympathy -- but no more than that. Chuck Connors, an obviously Caucasian actor, plays the great chief, and there is not a single Native American actor in the cast. The story centers on Geronimo's escape from oppressive conditions on his reservation, and his garnering of forces in Mexico to wage war against the U.S. Several misconceptions are still scattered throughout the tale, especially the indication at the end that Geronimo was successful in obtaining fair treatment for all Native Americans at the hands of the U.S. government. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chuck Connors, Kamala Devi, (more)
- 1957
The only thing genuinely brave about Three Brave Men is the second word in the title. The film is based on the true story of a Navy employee who was fired as a security risk, then took the case to court to prove his loyalty to the United States. Ernest Borgnine plays the victimized employee, whose life is ruined simply because he once briefly participated in an alleged "Pinko" organization. Borgnine and his family are ostracized from the community when word leaks out about his so-called disloyalty. Lawyer Ray Milland takes Borgnine's case; he pleads so eloquently on behalf of his client's patriotism that the navy, represented by Eisenhower lookalike Dean Jagger, reinstates Borgnine. The problem in Three Brave Men is in how the material is approached. Instead of attacking the atmosphere of paranoia that fostered the Communist "witch hunts" of the 1950s, the crucifixion of Borgnine is treated as a necessary evil in the interests of "democracy." The low point comes at the end, when Ray Milland profusely thanks the Navy for their open-mindedness before his client has been exonerated. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Milland, Ernest Borgnine, (more)
- 1950
As an actor, Eddy Arnold was a good country-western singer. In Hoedown, Eddy plays himself, while the acting burden was carried by Miss Jeff Donnell, Jock O'Mahoney (aka Jock Mahoney), and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams. O'Mahoney plays Stoney Rhodes, a cowboy star who is fired from his studio because he can't sing. Accompanied by Vera Wright (Donnell), Rhodes heads southward, where he attends a hoedown staged by Arnold and his C&W confreres. When bank robbers invade the party, Rhodes finds that he's not much help without his stuntmen to back him up. Eventually, however, he proves that he's a genuine hero, thereby assuring himself a renewed movie contract, not to mention the undying adoration of Wright. Among the musical guest stars featured in Hoedown are Carolina Cotton, The Pied Pipers and the Oklahoma Rangers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddy Arnold, Jeff Donnell, (more)
