Don's Party - Film Version

Film Version

The play was adapted to a 1976 film by the playwright and directed by Bruce Beresford. John Hargreaves plays Don Henderson with Jeanie Drynan as Don's wife Kath. Ray Barrett plays Mal, Don's mentor, and Pat Bishop is his wife. Graham Kennedy plays Mack, Graeme Blundell is the repressed Australian Liberal Party supporter and Veronica Lang his obedient wife. Kerry (Candy Raymond) is the attractive and assertive artist and Evan (Kit Taylor) is her uptight and possessive partner. Cooley (Harold Hopkins) comes with his young girlfriend Susan (Claire Binney).

In the film the setting is relocated to the suburb of Westleigh in the northern suburbs of Sydney. The film also deviates from the stage version by increasing the level of profanity and contains full frontal nudity and sex scenes. Pat Bishop won the Best Leading Actress award, Veronica Lang won the Best Supporting Actress, Bruce Beresford won the Best Direction award, David Williamson won the Best screenplay award, and the film won the edit and sound award.

The video clip to You Am I's 1998 single "What I Don't Know 'bout You" is a tribute to 'Don's Party'. It features classic scenes from the movie re-enacted by noted Australian actors, including Stephen Curry, Ben Mendelsohn, Matt Day, Tania Lacy and Nadine Garner.