You see before you hear. Meaning enters through the eyes.
Australian director of stage and screen
1975 – THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
A LOU ADLER – MICHAEL WHITE PRODUCTION. 100 MINS.
Screenplay by Jim Sharman & Richard O’Brien
Adapted from the stage musical by Richard O’Brien
An accident! That’s how it happened! screams the mad scientist about his creation. It was no accident that Richard O’Brien came from NZ, Brian Thomson and I from Oz, or that we met in the haunted house of Europe, working on an American sci-fi play by Sam Shepard. We’d all been drenched in American pop culture through late-nite movies. My early movie – a wacky Indie no-budget B picture called Shirley Thompson versus the Aliens – was my calling card.
We loved late-nite movies and we loved to laugh about them. Something of that love and affection remains among the dress-ups, wisecracks and excuse-for-a-party atmosphere at the midnight fan screenings of the longest running cult movie of all time.
1978 – THE NIGHT THE PROWLER
PRODUCER: ANTHONY BUCKLEY. 90mins.
Screenplay by Patrick White
Another aspect of my early indie flick Shirley Thompson (written by Helmut Bakaitis) was the protagonist’s psychological drama as she confronted alienation from family and society. It was an aspect that Patrick White picked up on when we were looking to adapt one of his short stories into a movie. Shift Shirley’s predicament to an upper class milieu, and we find Felicity Bannister describing the night the prowler did, or did not, assault her. An event she cunningly exploits to achieve liberation from her stultifying background.
Felicity Bannister joins the ranks of misfits, outsiders and mystics that populate White’s fiction. Felicity is an archetypal White character. Having Patrick write the screenplay may have smacked of over-reverence but it resulted in a unique movie. It may not have found wide audience favour but it remains a personal favourite.
1970 - ARCADE
Short experimental movie. 5mins. CAST: Patrick Hickey. Camera & Edit: Garry Shead. Writer/Director: Jim Sharman. (National Film & Sound Archive, Australia.)
1972 - SHIRLEY THOMPSON VERSUS THE ALIENS
Underground Feature. 80mins. CAST: Jane Harders, John Ifkovitch, Tim Elliott, June Collis, Marion Johns, John Llewellyn, Ron Haddrick, Alexander Hay, etc. DOP: David Sanderson. Editor: Malcolm Smith. Production Design: Brian Thomson. Gary’s Song – Lyrics: Helmut Bakaitis, Music: Ralph Tyrell, Sung by Jean Lewis. Screenplay: Helmut Bakaitis & Jim Sharman. Producer: Matthew Carroll. Director: Jim Sharman. Kolossal Piktures. (National Film & Sound Archive, Australia)
1975 - THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
Musical feature. 100mins. A Lou Adler – Michael White Production. CAST: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O’Brien, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Jonathan Adams, Peter Hinwood, Meatloaf, Charles Gray, etc. Original Book, Music & Lyrics: Richard O’Brien. Musical Arrangements & Direction: Richard Hartley. Production Design: Brian Thomson. Costume Design: Sue Blane. DOP: Peter Suschitzky. Editor: Graeme Clifford. Associate Producer: John Goldstone. Original stage musical by Richard O’Brien. Screenplay: Jim Sharman & Richard O’Brien. Producers: Lou Adler & Michael White. Director: Jim Sharman. (20th Century Fox)
1976 - SUMMER OF SECRETS
Independent Feature. 100mins. CAST: Arthur Dignam, Kate Fitzpatrick, Rufus Collins, Nell Campbell, Andrew Sharp, etc. DOP: Russell Boyd. Production Design: Jane Norris. Editor: Sara Bennett. Music: Cameron Allan. Screenplay: John Aitken. Producer: Michael Thornhill. Director: Jim Sharman. (GUO Distribution)
1978 - THE NIGHT THE PROWLER
Independent feature. 90mins. CAST: Ruth Cracknell, John Frawley, Kerry Walker, John Derum, Terry Camilleri, Maggie Kirkpatrick, June Collis, Maggie Blinco, Harry Neilson, Dorothy Hewett, Merv Lillie, Alexander Archdale, Doris Fitton, etc. DOP: David Sanderson. Production Design: Luciana Arrighi. Editor: Sara Bennett. Music: Cameron Allan. Screenplay: Patrick White. Producer: Anthony Buckley. Director: Jim Sharman. (NSW Film Corporation & Roadshow Entertainment)
1981 - SHOCK TREATMENT
Musical feature. 90mins. CAST: Jessica Harper, Cliff De Young, Richard O’Brien, Patricia Quinn, Charles Gray, Ruby Wax, Nell Campbell, Barry Humphries, Darlene Johnson, Manning Redwood, Rick Mayall, Wendy Raebeck, Jeremy Newson, Betsy Brantley, Barry Dennen, etc. DOP: Mike Molloy. Production Design: Brian Thomson. Editor: Richard Bedford. Music by Richard Hartley & Richard O’Brien. Screenplay by Richard O”Brien & Jim Sharman. Producers: Lou Adler, Michael White, John Goldstone. Directed by Jim Sharman. (20th Century Fox)
1985 - VOSS
Opera Australia. TV Recording of the premiere production of VOSS. Music: Richard Meale. Libretto: David Malouf (from the novel by Patrick White). CAST: Geoffrey Chard (Voss) & Marilyn Richardson (Laura), Robert Eddie, Anne–Maree McDonald, Robert Gard, John Pringle, Gregory Tomlinson, Cliff Grant, Heather Begg, etc. DESIGN. Sets: Brian Thomson. Costumes: Luciana Arrighi. Lighting: Nigel Levings. Choreography: Chrissie Koltai. Recorded at the State Theatre, Melbourne. Television Direction: Peter Butler: Stage production directed by Jim Sharman. Conducted by Stuart Challender. (ABC-TV & DVD)
1993 - THE BURNING PIANO: A PORTRAIT OF PATRICK WHITE
Documentary Feature. 120mins. INTERVIEWS with: David Marr, Barry Humphries, Peggy Garland, David Malouf, Betty Withycombe, Geoffrey Dutton, Nin Dutton, Neil Armfield, Harry Kippax, etc. CAST: Judy Davis, Geoffrey Rush, Robyn Nevin, Colin Friels, Kate Fitzpatrick, Kerry Walker, John Krummel, Peter Whitford, Carol Skinner, Geoff Morrell, etc. Camera: Paul Costello. Sound: Mario Pellegrino. Editor: John Pleffer. Interviewer: David Marr. Produced by Chris McCullough. Written & Directed by Jim Sharman. (ABC-TV)
2010 - COSI FAN TUTTE
ABC-TV. A telecast of the Opera Australia production from Sydney Opera House. Music: Mozart. Libretto: Da Ponte. English translation: Jeremy Sams. CAST: Rachelle Durkin (Fiordiligi), Sian Pendry (Dorabella), Henry Choo (Ferrando), Shane Lowrencev (Guglielmo), Tiffany Speight (Despina), Jose Carbo (Don Alfonso). DESIGN. Set: Ralph Myers. Costume: Gabriella Tylesova. Lighting: Damien Cooper. Directed by Jim Sharman. OA Orchestra & Chorus conducted by Simon Hewett. (ABC-TV)
2011 - SUNDAY PICTURES
Production company established by Jim Sharman and David Harmon to develop and produce the online screen musical ANDY X.
2012 - ANDY X
Online Musical. 45mins. Book, Verse, Lyrics: Stephen Sewell. Music, Lyrics, Sound Design: Basil Hogios. Screen adaptation: Jim Sharman. CAST: Akos Armont, Sheridan Harbridge, Nick Simpson-Deeks, Gillian Jones, David Denis. DOP: Bonnie Elliot. Production Design: Justin Nardella. Costume Design: Emma Kingsbury. Make-up Design: Matt Hornby. Editor: Nick Meyers. Associate Editor: Kenny Ang. Production Manager: Cathy Flannery. Executive Producer: Trevor Howell. Associate Producers: Lisa Hoppe, David Harmon. Line Producer: Michael Pontin. Directed by Jim Sharman. (Sunday Pictures – Available Online)
