Storm Boy (1976 film)
| Storm Boy | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Henri Safran |
| Produced by | Matt Carroll |
| Written by |
Sonia Borg Sidney Stebel |
| Based on |
Storm Boy (novel) by Colin Thiele |
| Starring |
Greg Rowe, Peter Cummins, David Gulpilil |
| Music by | Michael Carlos |
| Cinematography | Geoff Burton |
| Edited by | G. Turney-Smith |
|
Production
company |
|
| Distributed by |
Umbrella Entertainment |
|
Release date
|
19 November 1976 (South Australia) mid 1977 (other states) |
|
Running time
|
88 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | AU$320,000 |
| Box office | AU$2,645,000 (Australia) |
Storm Boy is a 1976 Australian film based on a children's book, by Colin Thiele, about a lonely boy and his pet pelicans living in a coastal wilderness with his reclusive father. It was the third feature film made by the highly successful South Australian Film Corporation, and is a highlight of the New Wave of Australian Cinema from the 1970s. The film was financed by SAFC, Seven network and the Australian Film Commission.
Mike (Greg Rowe) is a lonely young boy wandering through the fierce deserted coast of South Australia's Coorong, near the mouth of the Murray River. He and his reclusive father 'Hide Away' Tom (Peter Cummins) live in the isolated sand dunes facing the Southern Ocean. In search of friendship, Mike encounters another recluse in the wilderness, Fingerbone Bill (David Gulpilil), an Aboriginal man estranged from his tribal people. Fingerbone names Mike "Storm Boy" and enlists the child's help caring for three orphaned pelican chicks.
Eventually, Mike's Dad insists that he release the grown birds back into the wild. However one particular pelican, named by Mike 'Mr Percival', returns. The bird forms a deep bond with the boy until sadly, Mr Percival is shot by duck shooters. With the wise guidance of Fingerbone Bill, Mike learns of the cycle of life and is eventually allowed by his father to attend school for the first time in a nearby village.
Colin Thiele had little involvement in the scripting of the film. His only requirement was that his novel was not turned into a sex comedy. The budget came from the South Australian Film Corporation, the Australian Film Commission and the Seven television network.
Shooting began in May 1976, with exteriors shot near Goolwa and interiors in the SAFC's studio at Norwood. Eleven-year-old Greg Rowe was an untrained actor, selected over 70 other applicants. Three pelicans played the lead pelican. In 2009 Mr Percival died at Royal Adelaide Zoo, aged 33 years old.
The production team later reunited on Blue Fin (1978).
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