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Memoirs of a

FILM DISTRIBUTOR

by Peter Broome
Part Five - Small Screen, Big Dollars

TV Week was sponsor of the Logie On a visit to Hong Kong I met
Awards, always a big event in George Mooratoff, appointed by MCA
Melbourne. Publicity benefits meant about the same time as me. George
that I always attended, hosting became the brother I never had, and his
personalities such as Dennis Cole, Glen friendship changed my life. Now both
Ford - the cause of untold trouble - retired and living 20,000 km. distant,
Juliet Mills, and Loretta Swit. we are still best friends. We travelled
I brought Loretta to Australia three together to all corners of the globe,
times and twice escorted her around well in excess of one million miles of
South East Asia. My wife and I companionship. We became known as
developed a firm friendship with ‘The Gold Dust Twins’, or ‘Two Nice
Loretta, often visiting her at home in Fella’s Inc.’. We learned how to do
Los Angeles. Loretta called me her pincer movements on clients and
“Australian Uncle Peter.” invariably got the result we desired.
Loretta Swit, who played ‘Hot Lips’
Fox produced and distributed The Houlihan for the 13 seasons of TV’s In every city I always called on the
Dinah Shore Show, five days a week. M*A*S*H. Fox theatrical manager, knowing that I
After a supreme effort I sold it to the might need their help, particularly for the
Nine Network as a morning program. clearance of feature films for TV sale.
Air New Zealand complained that
Ratings were languishing with our they were not getting value from The rapid growth of television in
housewife viewers, but as 1976 Women’s Weekly, so I referred this to the region was politically driven. TV
approached I could see that in the Kerry Packer. Next thing, I had an signals do not recognise state
forthcoming American Bicentennial abusive phone call from Ita Buttrose boundaries, and when a government
celebrations there was a great tie-in to asking why had I gone over her head. realized that a neighbour’s propaganda
Australia - Arthur Phillip would not We have not spoken since. was crossing the border, they
have been sent to Australia with his determined that they had better get their
When Dinah sang America the
boatloads of convicts if they could have own message across.
Beautiful in the Hilton Ballroom in
been sent to America. I became known in an unlikely way:
Melbourne, there was not a dry eye in
I suggested that Dinah Shore visit the house. conducting a concert with the Taiwan
Australia. Fox in the States replied that TV Orchestra in Taipei, July 1968. As a
Fox was the last major company to
Dinah would come on one condition: an long-standing amateur conductor in
appoint a supervisor for TV in South-
invitation from the Prime Minister, as a Sydney, I wanted to prove that music
east Asia and, as mentioned earlier, I
‘People to People’ ambassador. I opened could transcend language barriers. My
was given that responsibility at the end
negotiations with Gough Whitlam’s Mandarin was nil, and the only player
of 1967.
office and secured the invitation. Then I who spoke English was one of the
Before my first trip to this new
convinced the Victorian branch of the cellists.
territory I sought advice from Bill
Australian/American Association to host Television grew apace and so did
Wells of CBS. Bill told me how long to
a banquet. Until I stepped in they were the number of countries to be visited.
allow in each city, which hotels to use
leaving that to their NSW counterparts. In the 1980s and 90s the likes of
and filled me in on the buyers I would
I convinced Kerry Packer to fund Hawke and Keating bleated about the
meet.
three Dinah Shore programs at the necessity of Australians learning to do
I took off on my first business trip
Sydney Opera House; Hilton Hotels to business in Asia. As far as I know, they
to Asia on New Year’s Day 1968. As
provide accommodation in Sydney and never thought to ask those who had
Fox was the last company into this field
Melbourne; Air New Zealand to fly 36 been conducting business there
there was much catching up to do, and I
production people and musicians to successfully since the 1960s.
made four visits around my territory in
Sydney; and Women’s Weekly to do the The key was to try to understand
the first year. Frequent travel to and
publicity. and appreciate the culture of each
around south-east Asia was not a
When Whitlam and his government country, an effort always appreciated by
problem since the TV business
got the sack I had to re-organise the a customer. The ways of Australian
provided first-class air travel and suites
invitation, and Malcolm Fraser obliged. business does not always sit happily
in the best hotels.
with Asians. One must learn to bend
the rules, or sway with the wind.
30 2007 CINEMARECORD