Who is going to the 50th anniversary of the Tom Kruise thing?
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EVENT: 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
The Back of Beyond (BoB) & Launch of The Tom Kruse Collection on DVD
PURPOSE: To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first showing of The Back of Beyond at
Marree, to pay tribute to the life of
Birdsville Track mailman EG (Tom) Kruse MBE in his 90th year and to raise funds for the
Marree Hospital and the RFDS.
LOCATION:
Marree, South Australia
Main Street and
Marree Community Hall
DATES: 12.00 noon Saturday July 24th to
2.00 pm Sunday July 25th 2004
IN SUPPORT OF:
Marree Hospital and Royal Flying Doctor Service
ATTENTION: Keith Webb – Image Control
PREPARED BY: Ian Doyle
Corrugated Air Productions
0417 819 189
dms@portal.net.au
www.lastmailfrombirdsville.com
Transport and accommodation packages are being arranged by Dave Burge from Back of Beyond Tours ph 0417 833 982 or visit www.backofbeyondtours.com.au
For local bookings and information ring Penny or Lizzie at the
Marree Telecentre ph 08 8675 8222 / email outback.
marree@bigpond.com
ORDER OF EVENTS:
Date Time Activity Location
Sat 24th 12.00 noon Close road from Irene’s to
Western end of
Marree Hotel
1.00 pm Ticket sales BBQ & Films Front of Hotel
2.00 pm Tom & Valma arrive
Marree Airstrip
4.00 pm Official opening Front of Hotel
4.20 pm Presentation to Tom & Valma from
the
Marree Community
4.25 pm Official 2004 photographs of people
who appeared in The Back of Beyond /
families of those who appeared in BoB
4.45 pm BBQ dinner
6.30 pm 1st screening of BoB Community Hall
7.45 pm Supper #1
8.00 pm 1st screening of LMFB
9.00 pm 1st Session ends
9.30 pm 2nd screening of BoB
10.30 pm Supper #2
10.45 pm 2nd Screening of LMFB and
other Tom Kruse films
12.30 am 2nd session ends
Sun 25th 8.00 am Recovery BBQ Breakfast Front of Hotel
12.00 noon VIP Lunch Hotel Dining Rom
Re-open Road
2.00 pm Tom & Valma and party
Airstrip
depart for
Adelaide
Badger and ‘Henry’ depart
south
MEDIA RELEASE 15th April 2004
The Back of Beyond celebrates 50 years
On July 24th 1954 at the
Marree Town Hall, the multi award winning classic Australian film The Back of Beyond was screened for the first time in outback Australia. Fifty years later to the day, a double DVD of the four major film and television stories about legendary outback mailman EG (Tom) Kruse MBE will be launched to commemorate this historic screening.
“We are delighted Tom and Valma Kruse and other cast members, the fully restored 1936 Back of Beyond Leyland Badger and ‘Henry’, the replica Back of Beyond Blitz truck (named after Tom’s mail run travelling companion Henry Butler) will be in
Marree for the celebratory weekend on July 24th. It will be a memorable celebration, a significant tribute to Tom in his 90th year and the town is right behind the event,” Executive Producer Ian Doyle said.
Outback mailman Tom Kruse was a film star before his Top Gun Hollywood namesake Tom Cruise was born. The 1954 Australian film classic The Back of Beyond introduced Tom Kruse and his 1936 Leyland Badger mail truck to a generation of Australians. Most never forgot the extraordinary images of the man and his battered trucks doing battle each fortnight with the sand and isolation along the
Birdsville Track - outback Australia’s toughest mail run.
The 500-kilometre track runs from
Marree in northern South Australia to
Birdsville in southwest Queensland. Tom Kruse played himself, delivering mail, fuel and supplies to the isolated families along the world famous track. Produced by the Shell Company Film Unit, directed by John Heyer and shot in black and white, The Back of Beyond remains one of the most critically acclaimed and awarded films ever produced in Australia. It won Best Film at the Venice Film Festival in 1954, as well as many other international awards. The impressive 1954 Venice Film Festival trophy, loaned by the Shell Company, will be on display at the screening in
Marree.
The 50-year tribute double DVD The Tom Kruse Collection includes The Back of Beyond (Film Australia 1954), The Outback Mailmen (ABC Countrywide 1986), The Postman
(ABC TV Australian Story 1996) and Last Mail From
Birdsville – the Story of Tom Kruse (Corrugated Air Productions 1999).
“The project is a joint production between Film Australia, ABC TV, the RFDS, the CMV Foundation and Corrugated Air Productions and is of national significance. Tom Kruse is a dogged, tough giant of a man who was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth in 1955 for
services to the people of the outback. We recognise far too few of our heroes. This double anniversary DVD will celebrate the life of one of this country’s living legends,” Ian Doyle said.
The main street in
Marree will be closed from 12 noon on Saturday for the official opening at 4.00 pm, followed by a community BBQ in front of the
Marree Hotel. The screenings at the
Marree Community Hall will start at 6.30 pm. Funds raised from the BBQ, the recovery breakfast on Sunday morning and the film evening are in support of the
Marree Hospital and the RFDS.
Transport and accommodation packages are being arranged by Dave Burge from Back of Beyond Tours ph 0417 833 982 www.backofbeyondtours.com.au or ring Penny or Lizzie at the
Marree Telecentre ph 08 8675 8222 / email outback.
marree@bigpond.com for local bookings and information.
More Information:
Ian Doyle
Executive Producer
0417 819 189 www.lastmailfrombirdsville.com