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person or book cover
Screen cap from opening credits
form y separately published work icon Dot and the Kangaroo single work   film/TV   children's   fantasy  
Adaptation of Dot and the Kangaroo Ethel Pedley , 1899 single work children's fiction
Issue Details: First known date: 1977... 1977 Dot and the Kangaroo
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

Based on the book of the same name by Ethel Pedley, the story concerns Dot, the young child of an outback settler, who becomes lost in the bush. She is befriended by a huge female red kangaroo, leading to Dot travelling about the countryside in the kangaroo's pouch. The two meet a number of characters on their travels, including a platypus, a koala, and a kookaburra, and have several exciting adventures before the kangaroo eventually helps Dot find her way home.

Exhibitions

8110666
7627338
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Notes

  • John Palmer contributed to both the screenplay and the song lyrics. Additional lyrics were contributed by Marion von Adlerstein and Bob Young.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Sydney, New South Wales,: Yoram Gross Film Studios , 1977 .
      person or book cover
      Screen cap from opening credits
      Link: U5811Scene extracts Two digital extracts from the original cinematic release
      Series: form y separately published work icon The 'Dot' Films Yoram Gross , Australia : Yoram Gross Film Studios , 1977-1994 7386027 1977 series - publisher film/TV children's

      A series of animated films (against live-action backgrounds) produced by Yoram Gross Film Studios between 1977 (Dot and the Kangaroo) and 1994 (Dot in Space).

      Inspired by Ethel Pedley's novel Dot and the Kangaroo, the films soon branch out into unique storylines.

             Number in series: 1
VIEW PUBLICATION DETAILS FOR ALL VERSIONS ()

Works about this Work

Landscapes as Identity and Cultural Heritage in Animation – The Australian Bushland, Japanese Urban Agglomeration and Eurasian Steppes Zilia Zara-Papp , 2019 single work criticism
— Appears in: Landscapes , vol. 9 no. 1 2019;

'Animation adapted from literature, folk tales and ancient myths showcases diverse approaches towards reimagining elements of geographical landscapes as cultural identity. This paper aims to compare elements from Australian, Japanese and European animated works where geographical elements are used in order to recreate the original world of the literary work the animation is based on, where landscape defines the identity of the individuals and groups of enchanted animals and human custodians of the land and location. Case studies of Yoram Gross (Dot and the Kangaroo, 1977) Australia, Takahata Isao / Studio Ghibli (Racoon Wars Pom Poko, 1994) Japan and Marcell Jankovics (Song of the Miraculous Doe, 2002) Hungary will provide examples of the creative use of geographical elements to represent changing cultural landscapes and identities as portrayed in animation.' (Publication abstract)
Five Great Australian Children's Movies : from Babe to BMX Bandits Luke Buckmaster , 2015 single work review
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 31 October 2015;
— Review of Babe George Miller , Chris Noonan , 1995 single work film/TV ; BMX Bandits Russell Hagg , Patrick Edgeworth , 1983 single work film/TV ; Dot and the Kangaroo Yoram Gross , John Palmer , 1977 single work film/TV ; Storm Boy Sonia Borg , 1976 single work film/TV ; Red Dog Daniel Taplitz , 2011 single work film/TV
Australian Fairy-tale Films Elizabeth Bullen , Naarah Sawyers , 2015 single work criticism
— Appears in: Fairy-Tale Films Beyond Disney : International Perspectives 2015; (p. 233-245) 'In this chapter's first section, we explain why we do not include Aboriginal narratives and, therefore, why we focus on the European fairy-tale tradition's influence in regard to the Australian fairy-tale literature of the 1890s and the films we later discuss. We draw attention to the recurring trope of the "lost child" as a signifier of the anxieties of colonial identity. The centrality of national identity in Australian cinema, complicated by the fluctuating fortunes of the domestic film industry, has also had an impact on the production of fairy-tale films in Australia. We outline these matters in the second section, where we survey a range of fairy-tale films made since the 1970s, asking what makes a fairy-tale film Australian. Finally, we present three studies based on what we identify as the dominant and emergent features of Australian fairy-tale films. Our aim is to be representative, not comprehensive, and to focus on films that are distinctly Australian in flavour. The first study returns to the lost-child figure. The second discusses revisionist fairy-tale films, focusing on how an Australian cultural disposition inflects the "happily ever after" ending. The last study discusses recent developmental short films, which we suggest may herald the birth of uniquely Australian fairy tales.' (pp.233-234)
Two Animators : Yoram Gross Antoinette Starkiewicz (interviewer), 1984 single work interview
— Appears in: Cinema Papers , no. 48 1984; (p. 335-338) Interview with Yoram Gross.
'Dot and the Kangaroo' Romola Costantino , 1977 single work review
— Appears in: Sun Herald , 18 December 1977; (p. 62)
— Review of Dot and the Kangaroo Yoram Gross , John Palmer , 1977 single work film/TV
'Dot and the Kangaroo' Romola Costantino , 1977 single work review
— Appears in: Sun Herald , 18 December 1977; (p. 62)
— Review of Dot and the Kangaroo Yoram Gross , John Palmer , 1977 single work film/TV
Five Great Australian Children's Movies : from Babe to BMX Bandits Luke Buckmaster , 2015 single work review
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 31 October 2015;
— Review of Babe George Miller , Chris Noonan , 1995 single work film/TV ; BMX Bandits Russell Hagg , Patrick Edgeworth , 1983 single work film/TV ; Dot and the Kangaroo Yoram Gross , John Palmer , 1977 single work film/TV ; Storm Boy Sonia Borg , 1976 single work film/TV ; Red Dog Daniel Taplitz , 2011 single work film/TV
y separately published work icon Dot and the Kangaroo Sydney : Australian Broadcasting Commission , 1977 Z1365625 1977 single work criticism Discussion of the full length animated movie directed and co-written by Yoram Goss, based on Ethel Pedley's book, including a review by John Hend.
Two Animators : Yoram Gross Antoinette Starkiewicz (interviewer), 1984 single work interview
— Appears in: Cinema Papers , no. 48 1984; (p. 335-338) Interview with Yoram Gross.
Landscapes as Identity and Cultural Heritage in Animation – The Australian Bushland, Japanese Urban Agglomeration and Eurasian Steppes Zilia Zara-Papp , 2019 single work criticism
— Appears in: Landscapes , vol. 9 no. 1 2019;

'Animation adapted from literature, folk tales and ancient myths showcases diverse approaches towards reimagining elements of geographical landscapes as cultural identity. This paper aims to compare elements from Australian, Japanese and European animated works where geographical elements are used in order to recreate the original world of the literary work the animation is based on, where landscape defines the identity of the individuals and groups of enchanted animals and human custodians of the land and location. Case studies of Yoram Gross (Dot and the Kangaroo, 1977) Australia, Takahata Isao / Studio Ghibli (Racoon Wars Pom Poko, 1994) Japan and Marcell Jankovics (Song of the Miraculous Doe, 2002) Hungary will provide examples of the creative use of geographical elements to represent changing cultural landscapes and identities as portrayed in animation.' (Publication abstract)
Australian Fairy-tale Films Elizabeth Bullen , Naarah Sawyers , 2015 single work criticism
— Appears in: Fairy-Tale Films Beyond Disney : International Perspectives 2015; (p. 233-245) 'In this chapter's first section, we explain why we do not include Aboriginal narratives and, therefore, why we focus on the European fairy-tale tradition's influence in regard to the Australian fairy-tale literature of the 1890s and the films we later discuss. We draw attention to the recurring trope of the "lost child" as a signifier of the anxieties of colonial identity. The centrality of national identity in Australian cinema, complicated by the fluctuating fortunes of the domestic film industry, has also had an impact on the production of fairy-tale films in Australia. We outline these matters in the second section, where we survey a range of fairy-tale films made since the 1970s, asking what makes a fairy-tale film Australian. Finally, we present three studies based on what we identify as the dominant and emergent features of Australian fairy-tale films. Our aim is to be representative, not comprehensive, and to focus on films that are distinctly Australian in flavour. The first study returns to the lost-child figure. The second discusses revisionist fairy-tale films, focusing on how an Australian cultural disposition inflects the "happily ever after" ending. The last study discusses recent developmental short films, which we suggest may herald the birth of uniquely Australian fairy tales.' (pp.233-234)
VIEW ALL WORKS ABOUT (6)
Last amended 21 May 2014 14:43:26
Yoram Gross
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