PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK -The Movie

• The Movie
• Cast & Crew
• Production Notes
• Music

The Movie

PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK © 1975 Picnic Productions Pty Ltd.
Starring Rachel Roberts Dominic Guard with Helen Morse and Jackie Weaver
A McElroy & McElroy Production produced in association with Patricia Lovell
A film by Peter Weir
Screenplay by Cliff Green based on a novel by Joan Lindsay
Filmed with the South Australian Film Corporation & B.E.F. Distributors.

On Saturday 14th February 1900 a party of schoolgirls from Appleyard College picknicked at Hanging Rock, near Mt. Macedon in the State of Victoria. During the afternoon several members of the party disappeared without a trace …

Joan Lindsay's mysterious story was first published by F. W. Cheshire in 1967. While successful at the time, it was not until the adaptation of the story as a feature film by Producers Patricia Lovell, Hal & Jim McElroy, and Director Peter Weir in 1975 that the narrative became more widely known and acclaimed.

Precise and evocative, Lindsay's narrative captures all too well the unique feeling at the Rock on a hot summers day - and this atmosphere, as well as the environment of a strict boarding school in 1900 were powerfully translated by director Peter Weir in a film that is now regarded as an Australian Classic.

The stunning visuals of the film won Director of Photography Russell Boyd a BAFTA for his Cinematography and were well combined with an impressively adapted screenplay, and unique blend of score. The film is also remembered for its iconic costumes, art direction and editing.

A critical and box office success in Australia and Europe upon its release, the film was part of a renaissance of Australian Cinema – and became a foundational work in the careers of many promident Australian cast and crew.

The film was re-released in 1998 with a slightly shorter running time. It is screened after twilight in the Picnic Grounds at the Rock each Valentine's day. Both the book and movie are available for sale at the Hanging Rock Picnic Cafe.

A limited edition reprint of the novel illustrated with images from the film and containing excerpts from the screenplay was commissioned by the Macedon Ranges Shire Council in 2001. Featuring many never-before-seen images from the production of the film it too is available for sale at the Hanging Rock Picnic Cafe, the Macedon Ranges Shire Council and at selected bookstores in the region. All proceeds from the sale of this book go toward the upkeep of the Hanging Rock Reserve.

	PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK THEATRICAL TRAILER
	4'50" – 11.4 MB – 320x240 – Quicktime Movie © 1975 Picnic Productions Pty Ltd. Aside from individual desktop viewing by website visitors, this trailer may not be further copied, used, sold or distributed without the permission of the copyright owner.

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Cast and Crew

Please download full list here

PRODUCTION NOTES

Shooting began on location at Hanging Rock 50 km. north west of Melbourne on February 4th, 1975. The weather was fine and shooting proceeded on schedule with Director Peter Weir extremely pleased with the way both the cast and crew settled down.

There was, however, one eerie note. The watches and clocks of the cast and crew behaved in an erratic manner as Executive Producer, Patricia Lovell reported at the time - "We are having trouble with time here. All our watches seem to be playing up. Mine stopped at 6.00 p.m. on the Rock, and a brand new alarm clock is either early or slow, but never correct, no matter what time we set it. Everyone seems to be having the same trouble and to ask the time has become quite a joke". This note will have a rather chilling overtone to those familiar with the story of PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK. In both the book and the film the watches of the schoolgirls stopped at noon when they were on the rock and this was the cue for the strange and terrifying events that followed.

The cast and crew travelled to Adelaide and arrived co-incidentally on February 14th - St. Valentine's Day, the day on which the action starts in both the book and film in the year 1900.

The first location in South Australia was at Strathalbyn where the Art Director David Copping and his assistants transferred Albyn Terrace into a street of the turn of the century Australian country town complete with 400 tonnes of earth spread over the asphalt road surface to give authenticity.

In the film Strathalbyn is "Woodend" a small country town not far from Hanging Rock. Unfortunately, the real Woodend has become too modernized to appear in a film set in the 1900's. However, Woodend's misfortune was Strathalbyn's good-fortune and many of the Strathalbyn residents appeared in the film as extras in period costume.

The next location in South Australia was Marbury School in Stirling in the Adelaide Hills. The fine main building of Marbury appears as the home of Col. and Mrs. Fitzhubert in the film. This time it was the school children who became deeply interested in the production of the film and the crew were kept busy answering their questions. 'Hamish", the School's pet labrador had a "bit" role in the film and we are sure everybody at Marbury will be looking out for him.

The most important location in the film, next to Hanging Rock itself, was Martindale Hall at Clare, South Australia. This magnificent two storey mansion was built for the Bowman family in 1877/79 and was the home of one of Australia's leading grazier families for many years. In the film Martindale Hall becomes Appleyard College presided over by the dominating presence of Mrs. Appleyard played by Rachel Roberts who took over the role at a few days notice when Vivian Merchant who was travelling to Australia became ill in Hong Kong.

Most of the interiors were shot at Martindale Hall, however, it was necessary that a complete duplicate of Mrs. Appleyard's study be constructed in the South Australian Film Corporation's Studio at Norwood. This study is a precise replica of one of the main rooms in Martindale Hall. The duplication was complete in every detail - down to the carved mouldings around the windows and was yet another achievement of David Copping and his assistant Chris Webster.

Of the schoolgirls' cast, 12 were budding young talent from South Australia most of whom had never acted before and 2/3rds of the sizable crew were also South Australian technicians.

PRODUCTION NOTES – MUSIC

PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK's music track has three major elements.

The most distinctive and unique is the sound of pan pipes or pipes of pan, one of the world's most ancient instruments. These pipes are played by Roumanian Gheorghe Zamfir, considered to be the finest pan pipe player in the world. This unique sound was discovered by accident by Jim McElroy, Co-Producer, whilst at a friend's place. As soon as Jim played it to the Director, Peter Weir, and his Co-Producer, Hal McElroy, they realised instantly that this extraordinarily beautiful, but even perhaps pagan sound, ideally suited the film. Contact was established with Mr. Zamfir in Switzerland, and he graciously agreed to allow us to use the music from one of his albums. This album will be re-released in Australia to enable the general public to enjoy Mr. Zamfir's talents.

The second section of the music is associated with the Rock itself. This original music was composed and arranged by leading Australian composer, Bruce Smeaton. Working on a limited budget, Bruce managed to produce an extraordinarily effective rich sound that captured exactly the terrifying eerie atmosphere of the Rock.

The third choice was Beethoven's Emperor Concerto. This incredibly sad musical classic was an irresistable choice.

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