New Zealand’s Oscar-winner

Press, 9 April 1981, Page 16

New Zealand’s Oscar-winner

(By

HANS PETROVIC)

“The Dollar Bottom," the first film ever to have won an Oscar for a Kiwi, is in town now as the supporting short with "Ordinary People" (Savoy) and is well-worth going" to see. even if you end up enjoying it more than the main feature. The 33-minute comedy is about an insurance scheme at a Scottish public school against caning by the masters. Presented with intelligent wit. the story has everyone becoming involved in the very profitable but highly questionable syndicate — including other Scottish schools and threatening to invade England. This welcome addition to an evening's cinema entertainment was made by an expatriate New Zealand producer. 31-year-old Lloyd (of London?) Phillips, who beside winning the American Academy Award for best live action short was also nominated for a British Academy Award. Phillips was educated at Remuera Intermediate School and Auckland Grammar School. He went to London eight years ago and worked as a press officer for four years before becoming one of 25 successful applicants out of 400 for a place in the National Film School. He graduated from there in 1979 and immediately set

up the now-thriving Rocking . Horse Films. Ltd. America's J Paramount Studio was suffi- t ciently impressed b.v the * script’for "Dollar Bottom" to J back Phillips and place afew bucks on it.. ? Phillips is expected to visit ‘ New Zealand this month in ’ search of a location for his -. first feature film. It is under- ; stood that he is planning to _ make the film here soon with another New Zealand pro-, ducer. • "The Dollar Bottom" is a 1 welcome visitor at a time when such things as good,/ entertaining shorts are almost non-existent and seem ■: to be replaced by those end- * less cinema commercials we * are obliged to sit through ) before the start, of the main ' feature. The occasional good short f is often missed by the discerning cinema-goer who decides not to turn up until the ‘. main film starts, or "after interval,” mainly because the ) theatres do not bother to“‘ ( advertise (or are unaware of) j the fact that they, have got? something good to offer. ” There have been only a ’. few notable shorts recently r — "The Absent-Minded £ Waiter” comedy and “The Lake” mystery, and "Le Petomain.” which still pops up occassionally to the audience’s surprise and delight — * but they are few and far * between. «