Patrick (1978)

Country of Origin: Australia
Year of Production: 1977
Running Times: 115 mins
Length: 3154 metres
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: Agfacolor
Ratio:
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Australian Film Commission / Australian International Film Corp. (AIFC) / Patrick Productions / Victorian Film Corporation
Executive Producer: William Fayman
Producers: Richard Franklin, Antony I. Ginnane
Production Manager: Barbi Taylor

SCRIPT
Script: Everett De Roche

DIRECTION
Director: Richard Franklin
1st Assistant Director: Tom Burstall

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Donald McAlpine
Camera Operators: Dan Burstall, Jack Endacott
Assistant Camera: Andrew Lesnie
Colorfilm Consultant: Bill Gooley
Stills: David Parker

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Edward McQueen-Mason

MUSIC
Music: Brian May; Goblin (Italian version)

SOUND
Sound Recordist: Paul Clark
Sound Mixer: Peter Fenton

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Costume Designer: Kevin Regan

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Supervisor: Conrad Rothman

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Leslie Binns
Property Buyer: John Powditch

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Secretary: Jennifer Barty

LOCATIONS
Locations: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

STUNTS
Stunts: Grant Page

CAST
Susan Penhaligon (Kathy Jacquard)
Robert Helpmann (Dr Roget)
Rod Mullinar (Ed Jacquard)
Bruce Barry (Dr Brian Wright)
Julia Blake (Cassidy)
Helen Hemingway (Williams)
María Mercedes (Panicale)
Robert Thompson (Patrick)
Walter Pym (Captain Fraser)
Frank Wilson (Grant)
Carole-Ann Aylett (Patrick's mother)
Paul Young (lover)
Marilyn Rodgers (day desk nurse)
Peggy Nichols (night desk nurse)
John Murphy (barman)
Ray Chubb (SEC worker)
Peter Culpan (detective)
Gillian Seemer (nurse)

PLOT SUMMARY

After murdering his mother and her lover by electrocuting them in the bath, Patrick lapses into a coma and is cared for at a small private hospital. Recently arrived nurse Kathy Jacquard begins to suspect that something isn't quite right about Patrick, who is using his psychic powers to manipulate and murder those around him.

An under-rated thriller from Richard Franklin who uses it to indulge his passion for Hitchcock to great effect. By modern standards, the script may be a bit plodding, but the performances are strong and Franklin maintains a genuinely creepy atmosphere throughout. Only May's typically bombastic score detracts from the overall quality.

Australia
Theatrical Distributor: Filmways Australasian Distributors
Video Distributor: Video Classics

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Monarch; Vanguard
Video Distributors: Harmonyvision; Magnum Video; Unicorn Video; Vestron Video
DVD Distributor: Elite Entertainment (EE5225)

Australia
Rating: M

Finland
Rating: K-16

Norway
Rating: 18

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: PG

West Germany
Rating: 16

1978
Australian Film Institute, Australia
Best Achievement in Editing (Edward McQueen-Mason) - nominated
Best Film (Antony I. Ginnane, Richard Franklin) - nominated
Best Screenplay, Original (Everett De Roche) - nominated

Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival
Grand Prize (Richard Franklin) - winner

Catalonian International Film Festival, Sitges, Spain
Medalla Sitges en Oro de Ley Best Director (Richard Franklin) - winner

1978
October
1: Australia – theatrical release

1980
April
18: Finland – theatrical release

1984
April
8: UK - television broadcast (on BBC2)

1993
February
Day Unknown: UK - television broadcast (on SuperChannel)

1995
June
Day Unknown: UK - television broadcast (on UK Gold)

1996
July
Day Unknown: UK - television broadcast (on BBC1)

1998
January
8: UK - television broadcast (on BBC1)

2002
December
3: USA - DVD release (Elite Entertainment (EE5225))

Patrick's Höllentrip - West German title

SEE ALSO
Aenigma (1987)
Carrie (1976)

SEQUEL
Patrick vive ancora (1980)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Cinema Papers no.18 (October / November 1978) pp.141-142 (Australia)
review

L'Écran Fantastique no.9 (1979) pp.42-43 (France)
review

Hollywood Reporter vol.250 no.29 (3 March 1978) p.18 (USA)
credits, review

Screen International no.121 (14 January 1978) p.6 (UK)
production notes

Variety 26 July 1978 p.20 (USA)
credits, review

KEYWORDS

baths, comas, esp, hospitals, the paranormal, psychics, telekinesis

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009