August 17 2010
Holiday for Susan and Other Choice NZ On Screen Links
posted by Steven Shaw at 12:39 pm
Holiday For Susan
This month’s picks from NZ on Screen all feature women… and aircraft. First up there’s Holiday for Susan, a promotional short film made by the National Film Unit in 1962 to promote tourism. Next, Jean Batten – Garbo of the Skies, a full length documentary profiling legendary NZ aviator Jean Batten; and a classic NZ music clip – Sharon O’Neill’s “Maxine”…
Filmed in 1962, Holiday for Susan follows two girlfriends on summer holiday; the voice-over has deliciously cheesy one-liners (“Women, of course, won’t take fishing seriously, but they’ll enjoy it just the same”) and includes “tips” for romance…which is just as well because Susan finds a husband during her travels! There’s footage of the stylish departure lounge at Auckland Airport, plus the Parnell Baths and Nelson’s beaches and now-extinct tobacco plantations. After meeting some good keen lads in Nelson, the gals head south to check out Mt Cook and Milford Sound. Watch it here.
Jean Batten – Garbo of the Skies is a full-length biography of the legendary NZ aviator, who in the 1930s made a number of record-breaking international solo flights. Batten lived the life of a socialite, spurning suitors and living in exotic locales including Jamaica (she knew James Bond’s creator Ian Fleming) and Majorca… view it here.
“Maxine, case 1352, a red and green tattoo.” Teenage boys fawned over Sharon O’Neill’s tough Westie image — which was surely the template for Outrageous Fortune’s Cheryl West. But with lyrics about a King’s Cross hooker, her style was possibly a little dangerous for the young fellas. There are some outstanding fashion tips to be had in this clip, which starts with Shazza arriving at the airport. A classic song from a classy Kiwi girl. Watch it here.