Funny Things Happen Down Under

This is an odd little kid's movie that looks more like a 60s TV show. In fact, it is a spin-off of a popular long-running Channel Nine children's program The Adventures of the Terrible Ten (1959-60), which was repeated on the ABC until 1964, and overseas for several more years.

The story involves a group of children living in rural Australia, who embark on several projects to raise money to save their clubhouse, and end up discovering a chemical that can make sheep grow coloured wool.

The film includes several rather smaltzey musical interludes where a number of ring-ins sing uplifting Christmas songs - the film's highlight is a 16 year-old Olivia Newton-John singing 'Christmas Time Down Under', but there is also an unfortunate love-song ('She's the Girl') by Ian Turpie, who serenades two doe-eyed teenagers simultaneously, as well as an uplifting Maori song by Kiwi star Howard Morrison, and a group version of 'Click Go the Shears'.

It may have pleased the under-ten crowd in the 60s, but now it's corny to the max. Apart from the appearance of ONJ, the film does offer some insight into what passed for family entertainment in Australia at the time, given that so few films were made at the time. But it is all a bit contrived and silly to take very seriously. (Admittedly the poor You-Tube version available today may not do it justice)