The Great Macarthy

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The Great Macarthy
Directed by David Baker
Produced by Richard Brennan, David Baker
Written by John Romeril From the Novel "A Salute To The Great Macarthy" by Barry Oakley
Starring John Jarratt
Barry Humphries
Judy Morris
Sandra Macgregor


Mx Gilles
Chris Haywood

Release date(s) 1975
Running time Australia: 90 minutes
Language English

The Great Macarthy is a 1975 comedy about Australian rules football. It was an adaptation of the novel A Salute To The Great Macarthy by Barry Oakley. It stars John Jarratt as the title character (in his film debut) as a local footballer who is signed up (or more appropriately, kidnapped) by the South Melbourne Football Club (now Sydney Swans). It also stars Barry Humphries and Judy Morris. It was released at a time when Australian films were starting to re-emerge. It was not very successful despite its high profile cast.

[edit] Trivia

John Jarrat did not play Aussie Rules football before this film. He learned by training with the Swans. The directors were lucky enough to find a Swans player who looked just like him who they used in stock footage (intercut with staged footage with Jarratt). Most footage was used from reserve games though the grand final was filmed in front of a grand final crowd (at half time).


John Jarrat as Macarthy in The Great Macarthy
John Jarrat as Macarthy in The Great Macarthy




[edit] External links

The Great Macarthy at the Internet Movie Database