Cell Block H: A little IMDB research goes a long way

[Sam@Cult Labs]

Cult Labs, as you're no doubt aware, is all about the cult oddities of cinema and TV, so I've spent a little time uncovering the cult careers of the fine women of Wentworth. Ozploitation is a bit of a buzz word right now and it turns that, with a limited acting pool in the 70s and 80s, our girls turned up in some raw 'classics'.

Sheila Florance who played the alcoholic who poisoned a gang of sheep shearers had a small role in Mad Max.

Elpeth Ballantyne, who played kindly screw Meg, had a cameo in nasty sex and murder caper End Play.

Amanda Muggleton, Chrissie Latham in the show, also turned up in Mad Max as an uncredited Biker's Moll but, far more interesting for me, had a part in one of Australia's weirdest entries in the annals of trash cinema, the superb and completely eccentric Vampire yarn Thirst.

Glenda Linscott, Prisoner royalty thanks to her headband touting turn as Rita Connors, also turns up in the utterly goofy The Marsupials: The Howling III

Ian Smith, the untouchable kingpin of Neighbours as Harold Bishop - a character not even the ocean could kill - starred in around 50 episodes of Prisoner, but Cult Lab members will be most interested in his apperance in the twisted Body Melt, a movie that shares a niche in the micro-genre of horrific 'Melt Movies' alongside Street Trash

Naturally, this being the wacky world of Aussie TV and cinema, the same shows pop up again and again, with cast members turning up repeatedly in shows like Neighbours, The Flying Doctors, A Country Practice and Sons and Daughters. One thing that really intrigued though, was that most of the earlier cast of Prisoner seem to do at least one episode of Chopper Squad. I knew nothing of this series, but a quick visit to Youtube unearthed the Disco-tastic opening credits....



...with that familiar Reg Grundy logo. I think this is now my second favourite TV show...

[Almar@Cult Labs]

Sheila broke her leg in Mad Max but kept on going - a true trooper and a hell of an actress - she could do a comic turn one second and switch to pathos in a heartbeat. It's one of the things that Prisoner isn't credited enough with - the fact that it boasted some supreme acting talent.

[Stephen@Cult Labs]

Ah yes, I completely forgot that she was in Mad Max.

[Inspector Tanzi]

Lizzie was in Mad Max too.

[Stephen@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Inspector Tanzi

Lizzie was in Mad Max too.

Sheila was Lizzie

[Wilson Bros]

Originally Posted by Almar@Cult Labs

Sheila broke her leg in Mad Max but kept on going - a true trooper and a hell of an actress.

Why, Almar - you fountain of knowledge, you!

The late Ms Florence was at the Old Vic during WW2, but her infant son was killed when the Luftewaffe bombed Bristol train station - her child was literally blown out of her hands by the force of the explosion.

Kev W

[prisonerjohn]

Carol Burns (Franky Doyle) appeared in the third Taggart story 'Murder in Season' from 1985, playing Molly Barron, a relation of a murder victim.

[Stephen@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Wilson Bros

The late Ms Florence was at the Old Vic during WW2, but her infant son was killed when the Luftewaffe bombed Bristol train station - her child was literally blown out of her hands by the force of the explosion.

I didn't know that. A terrible thing to happen to anyone.

[Prisoner00001]

Originally Posted by Wilson Bros

Why, Almar - you fountain of knowledge, you!

The late Ms Florence was at the Old Vic during WW2, but her infant son was killed when the Luftewaffe bombed Bristol train station - her child was literally blown out of her hands by the force of the explosion.

Kev W

If you read the wonderful biography on Sheila (written by Helen Martineau), as well as watching A Woman's Tale, you might end up questioning whether this really happened.....interesting stuff.

[Sam@Cult Labs]

Re: Chopper Squad. Has anyone seen any episodes of the show? Just curious.