Melvin: Son of Alvin
1 9 8 4 (Australia)
This second and final sequel to the 1973 hit comedy Alvin
Purple followed Alvin Rides
Again (1974) and a short lived television series (1976).
Gerry Sont (best known in Australia for the television
soap, Waterloo Station) plays the virginal Melvin, who works as
a teenage car-wash attendant. He is irresistibly attractive to women
but cannot understand why, as he does not realise he is the son of
Alvin Purple.
Melvin becomes friendly with a Greek usherette,
Gloria, who rescues him from marauding women and becomes his
well-meaning girlfriend. Eventually a reunion of the Purple clan takes
place where all is revealed. Graeme Blundell reprises his Alvin
persona, now sadly middle-aged and burnt out, working as a singer in a
purple jumpsuit on the Club circuit, singing schmaltzy ballads to his
adoring women fans.
In thankless support roles, Tina Bursill as a
crusading 60 Minutes-style reporter and David Argue as her
bumbling cameraman, are teamed as comedy relief.
The humour is curiously old-fashioned and replete with
poofter jokes and sexual sniggering of the Benny Hill variety, the
only topicality being a dubious gag reference to the emerging AIDS
epidemic. Before the movie's release, three cuts were ordered by the
censors - the offending material contained nudity and a simulation of
oral sex. What remained in the final cut was innocuous enough to
ensure a brief theatrical run and public indifference. |
Melvin
Gerry Sont
Gloria
Lenita Psillakis
Burnbaum
Jon Finlayson
Dee Tanner
Tina Bursill
Cameraman
David Argue
Mrs Giannis
Arianthe Calani
Mr Simpson
Col McEwan
Mrs Simpson
Abigail
Alvin
Graeme Blundell
Matron
Patsy Martin
Miss Fosdyke
Marianne Collopy
Bullo
Steve Bastoni
Ferret
Greg Stroud
Streaky
David Beresh
Director
John Eastway
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