I watched this Movie made in 1966 called their a weird mob about an Italian immagrating to Australia...

lots of beetles parked in streets and Aussie made Kombis etc.. plus all the other cars like hillmans- Vauxhalls- Valiant AP5 taxi - early land rover ute - holden ute - and not a seat belt to be seen.... lol

the movie was a hit back then - but apart from the old cars I wouldn't have watched it...

Showtime

LEE

You would have then, it was a bit of a classic for the time, Ed Devrow (spelling) stared in it if I recall. Bloody funny, oops there's that rude word that people couldn't believe was in it.

Kings Bloddy Cross! yeah lots of VW's in that movie and a half built Sydney Operas House at the end credits.

Not many Australian movies made in the 1960s, so yes this one is an interesting time capsule. I've read the book by John O'Grady but never seen the film, as I'm too cheap to get pay TV. I'll have to get the DVD.

Some interesting trivia - that movie featured Aussie film stars Chips Rafferty, John Meillon and Slim DeGrey. Two other actors - Ed Devereux and Tony Bonner - went on to star in Skippy the Bush Kangaroo a couple of years later. "The House That Nino Built" was 128 Greenacre Rd, Greenacre. Actors dug trenches, poured concrete, laid bricks, etc. The house was finished by George Wimpey & Co. Ltd. and then sold to raise funds for The Royal Life Saving Society. The stars' footprints were set in concrete slabs in the pathway. It would be interesting to see if they are still there. Also, the opening week attendances at the State Theatre in Sydney broke a 37-year record for the theatre. The scenes of Nino being rescued from the surf were filmed from a duck (amphibious vehicle) borrowed from the Australian Army.

Is it a better Australian film than 'Australia' - you know, the Nicole Kidman Hugh Jackman thing that I'm sick of hearing about?

Sounds interesting! Have to track it down and watch it. I wonder how many other Aussie movies are out there like this one that have been rarely aired on tv?

i watched it the other night too,but thats not the first time and i also have the book at work ,its a good read as well

Try "The Cars That Ate Paris"- a 1974 Australian made classic by Peter Weir. It was the film he made just before directing "Picnic At Hanging Rock" and among other great Australian cars of the era, stars the spiked beetle that you may have seen pictures of or people emulating at shows.

Plot- The small town of Paris, Australia deliberately causes car accidents, then sells/salvages all valuables from the wrecks as a means of economy. Funny as hell.

I have heard of the cars that ate paris but have never seen the movie... I'll have to watch out for it... lol

I suppose in 1966 Aussies didn't encounter too many Foreigners.. like the bloke in the pub and the barmaid asking did He want a Middy or a Schooner... of beer.
both looked like idiots to Me... lol
as 'Middy' and 'Schooner' were really slang terms... and still are.. the 'pony' has been lost... and no longer used.

it was like going back in time...
seeing all those beetles parked on the streets...

LEE

Shiny Running on empty mv watch the clip and look out for the little beetle


http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=OvgjEUKMlRM&feature=related 

" i can drive! "

Cars that Ate Paris is an interesting movie, filmed in Sofala. Weird story though. You have to sit most of the way through it before the spiked VW turns up, and it's only on the screen for a few moments.

I didn't like Running On Empty much - too many nice cars got wrecked for no good reason. I don't remember a VW in it at all.

Try getting out 'Travelling North' - it stars Leo McKern and Grahame Kennedy. It features an orange Kombi Campmobile that faithfully drives from Melbourne to Port Douglas several times. Bit of a chick flick though.

Click on this link and you will see it a clip from the movie
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=OvgjEUKMlRM&feature=related 

Hi

I used to work at VW dealer called Hibiscus Motors in Taren Point, in southern Sydney, they had the spiked Beetle in parking lot across the road, it was an Oval in pretty good condition apart from hundreds of pop rivet holes in to hold the spikes.

I've never seen Their Weird Mob, but I had a primary school teacher named Mr Billings, he was American or Canadian, he apparently jumped off a ferry in the film.

Steve