Felicity (film)

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Felicity
Directed by John D. Lamond
Produced by John D. Lamond
Russell Hurley
William T. Marshall (executive producer)
Written by John D. Lamond
Starring Glory Annen
Marilyn Rodgers
Joni Flynn
Christopher Milne
Jody Hanson
Music by Brian Potter
Cinematography Gary Wapscott
Editing by Russell Hurley
Studio Krystal Motion Picture Productions
Distributed by Roadshow
Release dates 5 July 1979
Running time 90-94 minutes
Country Australia
Language English
Budget AU$170,000[1]
Box office AU$532,000 (Australia)

Felicity is a 1979 sexploitation film starring Glory Annen and written and directed by John D. Lamond.[2][3]

Plot

Felicity Robinson, a sheltered teen surrenders her blossoming body to a world of bold sexual adventure, from the forbidden pleasures at an all-girl school in the countryside to wanton hungers in the exotic underground of Hong Kong. She starts off having lesbian experiences at a Catholic ladies college then travels to Hong Kong. She meets and falls in love with Miles, but has other sexual adventures too.

Cast

  • Glory Annen as Felicity Robinson
  • Chris Milne as Miles
  • Joni Flynn as Me Ling
  • Jody Hanson as Jenny
  • Marilyn Rodgers as Christine
  • Gordon Charles as Stephen
  • John Michael Howson as Adrian
  • David Bradshaw as Andrew
  • Christine Calcutt as Nun
  • John D. Lamond as Peeping Tom Gardener / Man in Cinema

Production

Lamond wanted to make a film in the vein of those directed by Just Jaeckin such as Emmanuelle:

The French have always been able to make their films NOT be pornographic, they’d be erotic. They were classy – the most they could ever say was ‘softcore’. And the way they did it, they made pretty images that looked like a Singapore Airlines TV commercial, they had nice fashion, good photography and nice music. And that way it dresses it up and makes it all chocolate boxy... I thought okay, the way to do that on a film budget is to go somewhere exotic. Make sure the people are pretty and they don’t have pimples. Don’t be sordid in any way, have pretty music and exotic locations, nice lighting and nice fashion. So even though it was a tiny film, we came up to Hong Kong and we got all the clothes tailor made for them, so that they fitted properly.[4]

Lamond was also influenced by The World of Suzie Wong (1960), which prompted him to set it in Hong Kong. He intended to make it immediately after Australia After Dark but ended up making The ABC of Love and Sex: Australia Style first. Lamond claims that at one stage George Miller was going to direct but he wanted to take the film in a different direction.[4]

Lamond secured investment from Roadshow Pictures, then tried to obtain funding from the government film bodies. They refused, although the AFC offered to loan him $40,000, but Lamond did not want to be beholden to them. He formed a unit trust and sold a hundred units at $1,250 each which people could buy in any number, and the movie was made entirely with private funds.[5]

Glory Annen was a Canadian actress living in London who was cast in the lead role.

The film was shot in 1977 in Hong Kong and in a studio at Nundawaring in Melbourne; when a typhoon was approaching Hong Kong Lamond moved the unit to Lord Howe Island instead for a number of days.[4] Lamond says it was shot in the same "Singapore Airlines style" as Emmanuelle, "No. 3 fog filers and so on. It gives the film a nice, respectable look.[5]

In one scene the characters go to a movie where The ABC of Love and Sex: Australia Style is being shown. Lamond describes this as a "pure Roger Corman-style economic necessity."[4]

Box office

Felicity grossed $532,000 at the box office in Australia,[6] which is equivalent to $2,080,120 in 2009 dollars. According to Lamond it also sold widely around the world.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ David Stratton, The Last New Wave: The Australian Film Revival, Angus & Robertson, 1980 p309
  2. ↑ "The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 January 2012. 
  3. ↑ "DVD Talk". DVD Talk. Retrieved 31 January 2012. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Interview with John Lamond, Mondo Stumpo, early 2002 accessed 14 October 2012
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Scott Murray, "John Lamond", Cinema Papers Oct/Nov 1978 p97-98
  6. ↑ Film Victoria - Australian Films at the Australian Box Office

External links

The Films of John D. Lamond
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