Storm Boy (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 |
|
|
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 boy and his pelican.
Storm Boy (Greg Rowe) likes to wander alone along the fierce deserted coast of South Australia's Coorong, near the mouth of the Murray River. He and his father live a reclusive life among the dunes that face out into the Southern Ocean. After a pelican's mother is shot, Storm Boy rescues three chicks; he names them Mr Proud, Mr Ponder and Mr Percival, and nurses them back to health. His father, known to some as 'Hideaway Tom,' forces Storm Boy to release the birds, but Mr Percival returns. The boy and the pelican form a special bond. Mr Percival is shot by hunters and dies. The story also looks at the conflict between Storm Boy's lifestyle and the externally imposed requirement for him to attend school.
Storm Boy's real name in the film is Mike—the moniker "Storm Boy" was given to him by Fingerbone Bill (David Gulpilil), an Aboriginal man who becomes his friend.
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 the pelican, Mr Percival died at Royal Adelaide Zoo. He was 33 years old.
It was a popular children's film both in Australia and Britain and won a medal at the Moscow Film Festival in 1977 for best children's film.
Storm Boy was a hit, grossing $2,645,000 at the box office in Australia, which is equivalent to $13,674,650 in 2009 dollars. The same team later reunited on Blue Fin (1978).
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