The Slim Dusty Movie

The Slim Dusty Movie is a 1984 Australian feature film directed by Rob Stewart and starring Slim Dusty, Joy McKean, Jon Blake and Mary Charleston.

The film
The film dramatises the early life and career of Australian country music singer/songwriter Slim Dusty, interspersed with footage of a 1980s round Australia tour by the Slim Dusty family and featuring several songs from Dusty's long career, including Pub With No Beer, When the Rain Tumbles Down in July, Lights on the Hill and Indian Pacific. Slim Dusty was Australia's most prolific musical artist, who died in 2003 while working on his 106th album for EMI Records. His wife Joy McKean and children Anne Kirkpatrick and David Kirpatrick are all accomplished country music singers who perform in the film on stage with Dusty. A number of Dusty's songwriters and old friends appear in the film, including Stan Coster and Gordon Parsons.

Directed by Rob Stewart (whose credits include 1983's For the Term of His Natural Life) and with cinematography by David Eggby (Mad Max, 1979), the film features Australian landscapes prominently and is essentially a biographical documentary. Shot in diverse locations, it includes live performances at the Sydney Opera House, Bowen, Charters Towers, Mount Isa, the Peppimenarti, Northern Territory aboriginal settlement and elsewhere.

Cast

 * Slim Dusty as himself
 * Joy McKean as herself
 * Anne Kirkpatrick as herself
 * David Kirkpatrick as himself
 * Brett Lewis as Shorty Ranger
 * Dean Stidworthy as Young Slim Dusty
 * Jon Blake as Young Slim Dusty
 * Mary Charleston as Young Heather McKean
 * Earl Francis as the Country Radio announcer
 * Jeanette Leigh as Milkbar waitress
 * Sandy Paul as Young Joy McKean
 * Beverley Phillips as Slim's mother
 * Jimmy Sharman as himself
 * Tom Travers as Slim's father
 * James Wright as City Radio announcer

Crew

 * Director: Rob Stewart
 * Producer: Kent Chadwick
 * Cinematography: David Eggby
 * Music Producer: Rod Coe
 * Audio Post: Roger Savage
 * Sound Recordist: Paul Clarke
 * Sound Assistant: Chris Piper
 * Concert Sound Mixer: Clive Jones

Box office
The Slim Dusty Movie grossed $225,000 at the box office in Australia.

Soundtrack
A soundtrack was released from the movie. It peaked at number 73 on the Australian Kent Music Report.

Track listing

 * LP/Cassette