Summary

Paperback book issued to coincide with the release of the motion picture `Phar Lap - Hero to a Nation' in 1983. On the front cover is a photograph of actor Tom Burlinson as Tommy Woodcock and the horse Towering Inferno playing the part of Phar Lap. The book is signed by the author Michael Wilkinson.
It was published by Budget Books P/L for William Collins.

Physical Description

Rectangular paperback book with thin card covers and 252 printed pages. The front cover is decorated with a photograph of a man with a horse and extensive text, whilst the backcover shows a crowd and a presentation scene at the 1930 Melbourne cup recreated for the film.

Significance

In the lead-up to the Australian Bicentennial (of white settlement) celebrations in 1988, a number of motion pictures and television mini-series were produced looking at particular episodes from Australian history. These often focused on people and events considered `heroic' or `iconic', such as Gallipoli (Gallipoli, 1981), Donald Bradman (Bodyline, 1984), Nellie Melba (Melba, 1987) and Captain Cook (Captain James Cook, 1987). These often lavish period productions were funded by the generous tax incentive scheme (officially known as `Division 10BA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936'). `Phar Lap - Hero to a Nation' was one of the first films to be financed under this new arrangement, with a budget of 7 millions dollars (a year before, the average had been 2-3 million dollars), with around 1 millions dollars being spent on the pre and post production publicity campaign. The David Williamson scripted film, based on this book, was highly successful in Australia, grossing over 10 millions dollars at the box office.

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