DeeDee

I'm looking for an Australian Film Forum, something similar to this magnificent forum. Do you know if one exists. I haven't been successful in locating one online.
Thank you!

DeeDee

Moor Larkin

If you find one, ask them if they can tell me anything about Ralph Foster Smart. The guy seems to have gone Walkabout. I have e-mailed two supposed Aussie Heritage sites, politely asking if they know much about him. I never even got a reply telling me to "Get Stuffed!"..... even Donk gave a person an answer....:

There are a couple of Google groups alt.aus.tv is one. I tried there too but all they seem to know about is Neighbours.......

I guess a young country has no need of old timers.....

Have you been to http://www.classicaustraliantv.com/
That's a nice trip.... but no Forum I could find.....

Steve Crook

Do you mean the Ralph Foster Smart that created Danger Man?
The IMDb thinks that he died in 2001 (see link)

Steve

Moor Larkin

Exactly. Aged 92.
There is bugger-all about him on the internet, apart from his Lists and an old Press Release from 1964, which mentions he was retired to Spain but came back for the reinvention of Danger Man.
He was a seminal writer/producer for the Grade empire....... Grade doesn't even mention him in his autobiography.
All the ITV-50 reminiscing barely mentioned him.
Maybe I meant his 'memory' had gone Walkabout......

When even the Tuba-player on Jaws gets an RIP, I just feel a man like Ralph Foster Smart should be more celebrated..... especially by the bloody Aussies...

Steve Crook

Ralph Smart was the screenwriter on a lot of Michael Powell's early films. The Quota Quickies. But he doesn't get any mention in Powell's extensive autobiography. They were some of the first films Smart worked on so maybe he was still learning his trade a bit. The writer of the original story, often Philip MacDonald, gets a mention for many of them and was probably leading the work on the screenplay with Smart as a junior of some sort. The credits on the films to have survived are very minimal and many of them are on the "Missing, Believed Lost" list.

But the results of those that have survived are quite interesting.

The films were made quickly and cheaply but that gave Powell a chance to experiment with a lot of ideas which we often see done again, done better, in his later films. And it was while he was doing the early films that he began the idea of working with a regular cast & crew which eventually turned into The Archers.

We haven't heard many stories from those days to say how those films were made. All we have to go on is Powell's own book which is a fascinating read but isn't always 100% accurate.

Steve

zehoo

He retired to Australia to play golf ;-) I'll miss him.