The True Story of Eskimo Nell
Encyclopedia
The True Story of Eskimo Nell (when screened in the United Kingdom, retitled Dick Down Under) is a 1975 Australian comedy film
produced, directed, and written by Richard Franklin
, and starring Max Gillies
as Deadeye Dick and Serge Lazareff
as Mexico Pete. The film was the first film produced by Richard Franklin.
Based on and inspired by the bawdy Ballad of Eskimo Nell
, which had actually been banned in Australia, with Deadeye Dick and Mexico Pete setting forth through the Australian Outback
in search of the infamous prostitute, Eskimo Nell.
The film features large amounts of full frontal nudity which was one of the main attractions of the film at the time.
The film was part of the Australian New Wave
, with most of the film being shot in Ballarat and some in Canada.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
produced, directed, and written by Richard Franklin
Richard Franklin (director)
Richard Franklin was an Australian-born film director.-Early life and career:Franklin was born and grew up in Brighton, Melbourne and was educated at Haileybury College. In the 1960s, Franklin was the drummer in the Melbourne band The Pink Finks, which also featured Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford,...
, and starring Max Gillies
Max Gillies
Max Gillies AM is an Australian actor.Gillies was a founding member of the experimental theatre company, the Australian Performing Group, which was active throughout the 1970s....
as Deadeye Dick and Serge Lazareff
Serge Lazareff
-Acting:Lazareff performed in many Australian television series from the late 1960s to the late 1980s and made numerous appearances in Crawford Productions police shows including Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police and Chopper Squad. He had a featured part in the 1970 ABC-TV drama series Dynasty...
as Mexico Pete. The film was the first film produced by Richard Franklin.
Based on and inspired by the bawdy Ballad of Eskimo Nell
The Ballad of Eskimo Nell
The Ballad of Eskimo Nell is a bawdy rhymed recitation or song that recounts the tale of Deadeye Dick, his accomplice Mexican Pete and a woman they meet on their travels, named Eskimo Nell. In the view of some, Eskimo Nell is in her own way an authentic heroine and, by the yardstick of the...
, which had actually been banned in Australia, with Deadeye Dick and Mexico Pete setting forth through the Australian Outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
in search of the infamous prostitute, Eskimo Nell.
The film features large amounts of full frontal nudity which was one of the main attractions of the film at the time.
The film was part of the Australian New Wave
Australian New Wave
The Australian New Wave was an era of resurgence in worldwide popularity of Australian cinema...
, with most of the film being shot in Ballarat and some in Canada.
Plot
The film's unlikely protagonist is a mild-mannered window peeper named Dead-Eye Dick (Max Gillies). Dick spies on a Mexican couple. The husband is very jealous and is about to discover that his wife has a lover when Dick rescues the lover, whose moniker is Mexico Pete (Serge Lazareff). The worldly Pete counsels the shy Dick on his problems approaching women. Dick claims that he's waiting for an Alaskan Eskimo named Nell. Pete and Dick decide to travel to Alaska to find this fantasy woman, and they have several wacky misadventures along the way.Cast
- Max GilliesMax GilliesMax Gillies AM is an Australian actor.Gillies was a founding member of the experimental theatre company, the Australian Performing Group, which was active throughout the 1970s....
as Deadeye Dick - Serge LazareffSerge Lazareff-Acting:Lazareff performed in many Australian television series from the late 1960s to the late 1980s and made numerous appearances in Crawford Productions police shows including Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police and Chopper Squad. He had a featured part in the 1970 ABC-TV drama series Dynasty...
as Mexico Pete - Butcher Vachon as The Alaskan Kid (as Paul Vachon)
- Jerry ThomasJerry ThomasJeremiah P. Thomas was an American bartender; because of his pioneering work in popularizing cocktails across the United States, he is considered "the father of American mixology." In addition to writing the seminal work on cocktails, his creativity and showmanship established the image of the...
as The Sprunker - Kurt Beimel as Waldo the Great
- AbigailAbigail (actress)Abigail is an actress who emigrated to Australia in 1968 and via the media of television became one of that country's significant sex symbols of the mid-1970s. Although born in England, she was educated in France. Her mother was a Ceylonese of Dutch Burgher/Eurasian ethnicity...
as Esmerelda - Kris McQuadeKris McQuadeKris McQuade is an Australian actress who has had many film, television and theatre roles.Her film credits include: The Love Letters from Teralba Road, Kostas, Fighting Back, Lonely Hearts, Goodbye Paradise, The Coca-Cola Kid, Strictly Ballroom, Billy's Holiday and December Boys.Television credits...
as Lil - Christine McClure as Ellie (as Elli Maclure)
- Grahame Bond as Bogger
- Max Fairchild as Posthole Jack
- Tony Bazell as Prof. Brayshaw (as Anthony Bazell)
- Ernie BourneErnie BourneErnest Alfred "Ernie" Bourne was an English-born Australian actor, best known for his regular roles on television....
as Barman - Paddy MaddenPaddy MaddenPatrick Madden is an Irish footballer currently playing for Carlisle United having been signed from Bohemians. Madden plays as a striker.-Career:...
as The Real Eskimo Nell - Victoria Anoux as The Dream Eskimo Nell
- Elke NeidhardtElke NeidhardtElke Cordelia Neidhardt AM is a German-Australian actress and opera and theatre director. She has appeared in theatre, television and feature films in Germany, Austria, France and Australia, and has directed operas in Zurich, Amsterdam, Aix-en-Provence, Salzburg, Vienna, Cologne and Australia...
External links
- The True Story of Eskimo Nell at the National Film and Sound Archive
- http://www.1m1.com.au/detail.asp?p=263The True Story of Eskimo Nell - 1M1 Records1M1 Records1M1 Records is an Australian record label formed in 1988 as oneMone Records, to promote and archive Australian film soundtracks. It was the creation of Australian film music recording producers Philip Powers and James McCarthy, both of whom were previously Director of Music at the Australian...
: Track Listing]