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They're a Weird Mob is a classic and very popular Australian novel published in 1957, and a 1966 film based on the book. The novel was written by John O'Grady, although it was published under the pen name "Nino Culotta", the name of the main character. The subsequent film was one of the last collaborations by the British filmmakers Powell & Pressburger.
Story
Nino Culotta is an Italian immigrant, newly arrived in Australia. He is expecting to work for his cousin as a sports writer on the Italian magazine his cousin has been producing. But when he gets there he discovers that his cousin has left leaving a substantial debt to Kay Kelly. Nino declares that he will get a job and pay back the debt.
The film tells how he does this, making new mates, and the growing attraction between Nino & Kay. All this despite some difficulties with Australian slang and Kay's father and his dislike of Italians.
Film cast
- Walter Chiari (Nino Culotta)
- Clare Dunne (Kay Kelly)
- Chips Rafferty (Kay's father)
Film production
The book was optioned many times by filmmakers before a workable treatment was arrived at. Michael Powell managed to make it into a film that showed Australia from the point of view of an outsider while still avoiding many of the worse sterotypes.
There were a few attempts at writing the script but none of them worked until Powell brought in his old friend and frequent collaborator Emeric Pressburger who wrote it under the pseudonym Richard Imrie.
The film is said to have been one of the factors that led to an Australian Film Industry.
External links
1966 films | British films | Australian films | Films by Powell and Pressburger
"They're a Weird Mob"