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The Getting of Wisdom is a 1977[2] Australian film directed by Bruce Beresford and based on the 1910 novel of the same title by Henry Handel Richardson.

The Getting of Wisdom
Directed by	Bruce Beresford
Written by	Eleanor Witcombe
Based on	The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson
Produced by	Phillip Adams
Starring	Susannah Fowle Hilary Ryan Barry Humphries
Cinematography	Donald McAlpine
Edited by	William M. Anderson
Production company	Southern Cross Films
Distributed by	Roadshow
Release date	15 June 1977
Running time	101 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English
Budget	A$525,000[1]
Box office	A$982,000

The film is set in 1890s Victoria, when Laura (Susannah Fowle) enters an exclusive Melbourne ladies' college based on Methodist Ladies' College. The film follows her struggle for acceptance, conformity, romance, friendship and achievement over the next four years. Lesbian overtones between a schoolgirl and a music teacher are made explicit in the film, more so than in Richardson's novel.

It also starred Barry Humphries, John Waters and Terence Donovan, and featured early career appearances by Kerry Armstrong, Sigrid Thornton, Noni Hazlehurst, Maggie Kirkpatrick and Julia Blake.

A musical theme runs through the story, with piano works by Beethoven, Schubert and Thalberg played by Sarah Grunstein.

Plot

Laura Rambotham is sent to attend boarding school in Melbourne at the turn of the century. During her second year she tells everyone about a made-up romance between herself and the school's minister, Reverend Shepherd. She forms an attachment with her music teacher, Evelyn. When Evelyn leaves, Laura throws herself into her studies and wins the school literary and music prizes.

Cast

• Susannah Fowle as Laura Tweedle Rambotham
• Hilary Ryan as Evelyn
• Terence Donovan as Tom McNamara
• Patricia Kennedy as Miss Chapman
• Sheila Helpmann as Mrs. Gurley
• Candy Raymond as Miss Zielinski
• Barry Humphries as Rev. Strachey
• John Waters as Rev. Shepherd
• Julia Blake as Isabella Shepherd
• Diana Greentree as Maisie Shepherd
• Monica Maughan as Miss Day
• Dorothy Bradley as Miss Hicks
• Kay Eklund as Mrs. Rambotham
• Maggie Kirkpatrick as Sarah
• Phillip Adams, cameo role as mathematics teacher
• Kerry Armstrong as Kate, one of the worldly-wise students
• Sigrid Thornton as Maria, one of the worldly-wise students
• Celia De Burgh as M.P.
• Kim Deacon as Lilith
• Alix Longman as Chinky
• Jo-Anne Moore as Tilly
• Amanda Ring as Cupid
• Janet Shaw as Bertha
• Karen Sutton as Pin, Laura's sister

Production

Bruce Beresford wanted to make the film after The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972) and tried to get finance from Reg Grundy. Grundy said he would think about it if Beresford made a McKenzie sequel. Beresford made Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974) but Grundy declined to make Wisdom.[3]

The film was the first production from the newly formed Victorian Film Corporation, who provided $100,000 with additional funding from the Australian Film Commission and the Nine Network. Six thousand girls were interviewed for the school pupil roles. It was shot at the Methodist Ladies' College and in the town of Eddington in January and February 1977.[1]

Production crew

• Bruce Beresford – Director
• Michael Lake- Assistant Director
• Russel Karel – Production Manager
• Donald Alpine – Director of Photography
• John Stoddart – Production Designer
• William Anderson- Editor
• Anna Senior – Costume Designer
• Desmond Bone-Sound Recording
• Gary Wilkins- Sound Recording
• Peter Fenton-Sound Mixing
• Moya Iceton – Continuity

Box office

The Getting of Wisdom grossed $982,000 at the box office in Australia,[4] which is equivalent to $4,517,200 in 2009 dollars.

Awards

The Getting of Wisdom was nominated for five AFI Awards in 1978 and won in the Best Adapted Screenplay (Eleanor Witcombe) category.

See also

• Cinema of Australia

References

Further reading

• Murray and Scott, ed. (1994). Australian Cinema. St.Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin/AFC. p. 255. ISBN 1-86373-311-6.
• Tibbetts, John C., and James M. Welsh, eds. The Encyclopedia of Novels into Film (2nd ed. 2005) pp 150–151.

External links

• The Getting of Wisdom at IMDb
• The Getting of Wisdom at the Australian screen
• The Getting of Wisdom at Oz Movies

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