The Newman Shame

1977 Australian TV series or program
The Newman Shame
Written byBruce A. Wishart
Directed byJulian Pringle
StarringGeorge Lazenby
Diane Craig
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerRobert Bruning
CinematographyRichard Wallace
EditorRon Williams
Running time87 minutes
Production companiesReg Grundy Productions
Gemini Productions
Swan Television
Budget$150,000[1]
Original release
Release1977 (1977)

The Newman Shame is a 1977 Australian television film starring George Lazenby and produced by Robert Bruning who previously worked together on Is There Anybody There? (1976).[2] Bruning made it for his Gemini Productions, which was owned by Reg Grundy Productions.[3]

Synopsis

John Brandy is an ex-cop on holiday in Singapore with his girlfriend Ginger and their friend Betty Newman when Betty's husband, Frank, calls them just before the latter commits suicide.

The three of them return to Perth where Betty is told Frank starred in a pornographic movie. Betty asks John to investigate what happened.

John discovers that Newman killed himself after being drugged at a party and found himself in a pornographic film; he was blackmailed and embezzled money to pay off his tormentors, but when the film was distributed anyway he decided to take his own life.

Cast

  • George Lazenby as John Brandy
  • Diane Craig as Ginger
  • Joan Bruce as Betty Newman
  • Ken Goodlet as Frank Newman
  • Alwyn Kurts as Steven Ogilvie
  • Judy Nunn as Veronica
  • Terry Willesee

Production

Most of Bruning's films for Gemini Productions were filmed in Sydney but The Newman Shame was made in Perth with some finance from Swan TV.[4] There was also some location work in Singapore.[5]

Lazenby made two films in Australia, The Man from Hong Kong and Is There Anybody There? as well as appearing on TV shows. He then relocated to the US but returned temporarily to Australia to make The Newman Shame.[1]

Joan Bruce called Lazenby "the most unprofesional [sic?] man I have ever had the displeasure to work with."[6]

References

  1. ^ a b "People: Lazenby gets through his "10-year sentence"". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 7 December 1977. p. 8. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  2. ^ Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p110
  3. ^ Beilby, Peter; Murray, Scott (September–October 1979). "Robert Bruning". Cinema Papers. pp. 517–519.
  4. ^ "Judy 'bungs it on'". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 July 1978. p. 83.
  5. ^ "Sweet Girl for Tougher Roles". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 December 1977. p. 88.
  6. ^ "Joan's played a lot of mothers". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2 April 1978. p. 84.
  • The Newman Shame at IMDb
  • The Newman Shame at the British Film Institute[better source needed]
  • The Newman Shame at Oz Movies
  • The Newman Shame at Letterboxd
  • The Newman Shame at Screen Australia
  • The Newman Shame at AustLit (subscription required)
  • The Newman Shame at National Film and Sound Archive


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