The Empty Beach
The Empty Beach is a 1985 Australian thriller film starring Bryan Brown as private investigator Cliff Hardy inquires into the disappearance of a beautiful woman's wealthy husband from Bondi Beach. Based on the 1983 novel by Peter Corris of the same name.
| The Empty Beach | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Chris Thomson |
| Produced by | John Edwards Tim Read |
| Written by | Keith Dewhurst |
| Based on | novel by Peter Corris |
| Starring | Bryan Brown John Wood |
| Music by | Martin Armiger Red Symons |
| Cinematography | John Seale |
| Edited by | Lindsay Frazer |
Production company | Jethro Films Pty Ltd |
| Distributed by | Hoyts |
Release date | 12 September 1985 (Australia) |
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | A$1.8 million[1] |
| Box office | AU $34,341 (Australia)[2] |
Cast
- Bryan Brown as Cliff Hardy
- Anna Maria Monticelli as Anne Winter
- Belinda Giblin as Marion Singer
- Ray Barrett as McLean
- John Wood as Parker
- Peter Collingwood as Ward
- Nick Tate as Henneberry
- Kerry Mack as Hildegard
- Joss McWilliam as Tal
- Sally Cooper as Sandy Modesto
- Rhys McConnochie as Garth Green
- Steve Rackman as Rex
- Robert Alexander as Bob
- Bob Barrett as Johnno
- Christopher Lewis as Aldo
- Steve J. Spears as Manny
- Kerry Dwyer as Mary Mahoud
- Dean Nottle as Mercer
- Robert Noble as Pinball Manager
- Simone Taylor as Sharon
- Harry Lawrence as Leon
- Alexander Hay as Edgar Montefiore
- Philomena Loneragan as Peggy
- Peggy Wallach as Rose
- Brian Anderson as Clyde
- Deborah Kennedy as Newspaper Librarian
- Robert Shannon as Detective
- John Godden as Detective's Victim
- Rebecca Smart as Little Girl
- Aaron Smart as Little Boy
- Kelly Dingwall as Head Punk
- Barry Leane as John Singer
- Phillip Ross as Bill Winter
Production
In the early 1980s Bryan Brown was attached to star as Cliff Hardy in an adaptation of an earlier Corris novel, White Meat. This was to be adapted by Corris, directed by Stephen Wallace and produced by Richard Mason. However no film eventuated. Then John Edwards and Tim Read acquired the rights to the series and approached Brown again.[3]
Corris wrote the first few drafts and was unhappy with the final adaptation, although he liked Bryan Brown's performance.[4]
Release
The film performed poorly at the box office in Australia although it sold widely around the world.[4] There were plans for Brown to appear in further Hardy adventures but this did not eventuate.[3]
References
- Raffaele Caputo, "The Empty Beach", Australian Film 1978–1992, Oxford Uni Press 1993 p168
- "Australian Films at the Australian Box Office", Film Victoria accessed 24 October 2012
- Dorre Koeser, "Life of Bryan", Cinema Papers, September 1985 p16-19
- David Stratton, The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry, Pan MacMillan, 1990 p232-234