Jean paget, an adolescent englishwoman, becomes romantically involved with a fellow wwii prisoner, joe harmon, in malaya now the western portion of malaysia. We particularly liked the two part aspect to the story war and post war, and the misunderstanding which arose. A town like alice is a fivehour 1981 australian television adaptation of nevil shutes novel of the same name. A town like alice, more than any other work, reveals shutes feelings about australia. A town like alice 1 is an episode from season 11 of the pbs tv series masterpiece theater in which joe harmon and jean paget fall in love during world war iis japanese occupation of malaya. A town like alice is a 1950 novel by british author nevil shute other works based on the novel. The men are sent off to labor camps, but they have no plan on what to do with the women and children of the british. Jean paget, a prisoner in a japanese pow camp, is forced to trek through malaya at bayonet point during the occupation. He thought it might add a little more authenticity to the film if some scenes were shot on location in. Referenced in a profile of a town like alice 2001 see more. Jean paget, an englishwoman living in malaya at the time of the japanese invasion, is taken prisoner and, along with a number of other women and children, is forced to march around malaya because the japanese do not know what to do with them. A town like alice dvd 1956 network distributing 2017. Nevertheless, the quality of this film is not that great.
A town like alice 1956 cast and crew this drama, based on the book by nevil shute, focuses on jean paget virginia mckenna, a british office worker captured by the japanese in malaysia during. In 1981, a town like alice was adapted into a popular television miniseries, starring helen morse and bryan brownwith the late gordon jackson as noel strachan. I found part of a town like alice in kuala selangor, another part of it at kota bharu, and a great hunk of it at palembang in sumatra. Joe harman an australian cattleman who is a prisoner of war in malaya. A town like alice is an economic development and romance novel by nevil shute, published in 1950.
A town like alice dvd from network and the british film. Jean paget, an english woman taken prisoner by the japanese, is among a group of women and children. It opened in the us in 1958 under the title the rape of malaya. An englishwoman is captured by japanese forces during wwii and befriends an australian pow, in this gritty adaptation of nevile shutes novel. The film makers attitude toward the japanese appears to go like this. Rent, buy or watch a town like alice dvd movie now.
A town like alice 1956 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. A town like alice, a 1956 film, also known as rape of malaya in u. Produced by the seven network, and directed by david stevens, it. A town like alice is a romance novel by nevil shute, published in 1950 when shute had newly settled in australia. A town like alice rape of malaya 1956 rotten tomatoes. A town like alice 1956 not rated 1h 57min drama, romance, war 1 june 1956 ireland a newly wealthy english woman returns to malaya to build a well for the villagers who helped her during war. The sixpart british tv adaptation of 1980, first shown in the us on pbs masterpiece theatre beginning october 4, 1981, is more inclusive and sweeping in its adaptation.
During her ordeal she meets captive australian joe harman and there is an instant magnetism between them. Temporarily, they find a place that has running water and they can. A town like alice dvd region 1 complete 1981 miniseries. The book portrays a community and how it deals with the changes due to world conflicts. Exploring themes of war, womens place in society, race relations, entrepreneurship, and resurrection, a town like alice, considered one of the greatest australian novels of the era, has been adapted multiple times, most famously as a 1956 feature film starring virginia mckenna and peter finch, as well as a 1981 television drama that aired on. A town like alice, a novel written in 1950, is intertwined with romance and economic development. Characters jean paget a young englishwoman who is a prisoner of war in malaya and later finds love. It is the story of how lives can be changed by the intriguing combination of loveand economics. A town like alice appears to be a war novel on the surface, being published in 1950, but it was written when he was presumably doing some traveling in southeast asia and australia.
A sixpart drama focusing on two prisoners of war helen morse, bryan brown in japanesecontrolled malaya during wwii. It takes nevil shute a long time in this novel to get around to the town of alice alice springs actually, and even longer to get around to the town like alice. When he steals a chicken to feed jean and the others, joe is caught and treated ruthlessly. Virginia mckenna in a town like alice 1956 peter finch and virginia mckenna in. Set against the brutal nightmare of world war ii, a love story begins that will take two lovers through a living chaos of captivity, across three continents and two. Please note, a multiepisode tv series was produced in australia, and although it departed from the novel. Virginia mckenna and peter finch in fact spend less than 15 minutes of screen time together. Jack lee the director of a town like alice, in preparing for the film shoot, had decided that he didnt want the entire movie to be filmed in englands pinewood film studios. A town like alice most appropriately conforms to the genre of the sociological novel.
Joe tells jean about his hometown of alice springs, an oasis in the australian outback. A town like alice is the story of the relationship between jean paget and joe harman. Thinking back, she recalls the australian man who made a great sacrifice to aid her and her fellow prisoners of war. With helen morse, bryan brown, gordon jackson, dorothy alison. A town like alice is a bonza book as one of its main characters, joe hardman of australia, would say about two love stories, two adventures and two remarkable characters inspired by a reallife man and woman who displayed remarkable bravery during wwii. The night scenes are frustratingly impossible to make out at times, and the story simply does not have the depth that it should have. A town like alice, a 1981 australian miniseries, produced by the seven network. A harrowing wwii drama that was a huge critical and commercial success in england, this british production was based on a novel by nevil shute. Set against the brutal chaos of world war ii, a love story begins that will take two lovers through a living nightmare of captivity, across three continents and two decades. A town like alice neville schute this book could be titled white girls well the good virgin ones anyway can do stuff too.
A town like alice by nevil shute, first edition abebooks. A town like alice filmed largely on location in malaya and australia, story is based on nevil shutes novel of the same name. A town like alice 1956 is a fine, if incomplete, version of the novel by nevil shute. A town like alice cries out to be made into a mini series.
Many of us may be more familiar with the fivepart miniseries that was shown on public televisions masterpiece theatre in 1981. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Previously filmed in 1956 with virginia mckenna and peter finch. A town like alice had its world premiere in the uk on 1 march 1956 and was screened in ireland and west germany retitled march through hell before premiering in australia. A town like alice tells the story of a plucky young englishwoman who becomes a legend in malaya during world war ii, inherits a fortune, marries her true love, and wisely uses her money to transform an australian ghost town into a thriving community. Unfollow town like alice dvd to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Shortly after his first visit, shute decided to move there. A town like alice by nevil shute and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
The sixpart british tv adaptation of 1980, first shown in the us on pbs masterpiece theatre beginning october 4, 1981, is. A town like alice by shute, nevil and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Add a physical copy of a town like alice from family. A town like alice 1956 singapore film locations archive.
Based on nevil shutes international bestselling novel a town like alice. A town like alice is a 1956 british drama film produced by joseph janni and starring virginia mckenna and peter finch that is based on the 1950 novel by. A town like alice is a historic romance in which the romantic relationship is the least successful thing about the movie. After they are liberated she emigrates to australia to be with him. Read it in a day, check it off your list but this book is only shrugworthy. Nevil shutes most beloved novel, a tale of love and war, foll. A town like alice, nevil shutes novel of the japanese occupation of malaya during world war ii, was first filmed as a theatrical feature in 1956. If we throw in one good jap to appease the bad day at black rock. A tale of survival in 1941, the advancing japanese army captures a lot of british territory very quickly. The level and depth of his writing in alice shows that he was indeed learning to draw upon his own experiences to create critically acclaimed works. Joe tells her that he comes from a town in australia called alice. This version stared peter finch as joe harmon as an australian pow and virginia mckenn as jean paget, an english woman being marched around the coutnry side of the malay penninsula by her japanese captors.
This original 1956 adaptation of the nevil shute book, a town like alice, is a great teaser. At every place where the women might be taken in by the japanese and given food and shelter, they are turned away. Most of the rest of it was found at normanton, in the gulf country of north queensland. The building of the new town in australia is only a minor part of a town like alice, just the climax really of a very long story arc. It is her characters tremendous struggle to survive as a japanese prisoner of war that drives the narrative. From the excellent 1981 australian miniseries, based on the neville shute novel.