Ginger Meggs (1982)

Not sure why I haven't looked this up before! I was a "Paid extra" in Ginger Meggs at the age of 10 and certainly remember the time fondly. We were all kids... So played together during filming! I remember being envious of Shelly's pink muffs and beautiful hair that was constantly in curlers on set! I remember sitting next to Gwen Plumb and Miss Sharp who played the piano in the school concert scenes that I was in. The concert scenes were filmed in what was an old convent in Moss Vale (now a private school). The days were long, so we entertained ourselves with stories that the convent was haunted (mind you it may well have been... I recall some odd things happening!!!). I recall the feasts we enjoyed from the catering van... I'd never seen such a spread! I was there at least a week and earned a fortune (ahem... Well in the eyes of a ten year old!!!). I was filmed in many scenes, and had the role of the lead ballet dancer on stage... I was meant to go in the wrong direction and Mr Crackett chased me with his stick! Clearly my acting didn't transcend because it ended on the cutting room floor and I'm in the actual movie very briefly!!!

This is an absolute Australian classic. It's up there with Fortress (Rachael Ward).I had this on video tape when I was just a girl about 15 years ago. I LOVED it so much and so did my entire family and any friends who stopped by and viewed it.It's such a tragedy that this is not available on DVD.It is definitely bright (but not too bright), and a little weird and wonderful but that's why I loved it.It's rare to see a family friendly movie these days that's full of innocence and adventure. This is a must see!..............But, good luck finding a copy of it.

It's good to see that someone else saw this movie as well, because I remember as a kid watching it, and again when I was about 14, for old time's sake...I remember thinking 'oh my gosh, the acting is SOOOOOO bad!'But the happy ending was what sucked me into watching the movie again and again as a child. I used to have such a crush on the kid who played Eddie Coogan, but was shocked to see that he was sadly hit by a train not too long after Ginger Meggs was made.I can still vaguely remember the song that plays at the beginning and end of the movie, it went something like, 'Ginger Ginger Meggs...hey there Ginger!'I remember the tune, just not the lyrics...but would love to hire it out again one day, just for a laugh, although I'm not sure whether it is still available. Definitely a movie to watch when you're not sober, makes it all the more funnier :-)

Having worked as a projectionist during an L.A. Film Market way back around 1982 (LA- the Tiffany on Sunset Strip), I had the thrill of showing this bit of Aussie weirdness one day. Yeah, there's quite not-so-subtle cultural differences, but who can tell what. Must've been something I ate, like mushrooms or some forbidden fruit, 'cause this oddity left me befuddled but amused by the intense (and I do mean intense) beyondo color palette employed. Quirky and surreal, this baby never made it onto the American market. Someone out there has to have seen this one, too, please tell me, anyone.... Strange but not terribly fascinating. Had the same experience with a 3-D wonder called "Rottweiller," which has somehow slipped under the radar and been on TV. If "Ginger" shows anywhere, watch this truly bizarre kids film unfold in all of its pre-Pee-Wee near Fellini-esque glory.