{{short description|1978 Australian made-for-TV film}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2015}} {{Infobox television | image = | image_alt = | caption = | genre = | writer = James Henerson | director = Norman Panama | starring = Sid Caesar<br>Juliet Mills<br>Hugh Keays-Byrne<br>Sally Boyden | music = | country = Australia | language = English | producer = Matthew Herman | editor = | cinematography = | runtime = 90 mins | company = Trans-Atlantic Enterprises | budget = | network = Australian Broadcasting Corporation | released = {{start date|1978}} }} '''''Barnaby and Me''''' is a 1978 Australian made-for-television film. It features a girl and her talking koala, Barnaby, who are pursued by criminals.<ref name="scott">Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p11</ref>
The film was one of six TV movies made in Australia by Transatlantic Enterprises along with the ABC. ''Barnaby and Me'' was made in association with Six Flags, presented as the theme park company's first foray into the movie business.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Six Flags Produces Motion Pictures|date=April 21, 1978|publisher=The Taylor Daily Press |url=https://archive.org/details/six-flags-producing-movies}}</ref>
It was the final film directed by Norman Panama.<ref>Norman Panama, 88, Half of Duo Who Wrote Many Film Comedies: [Obituary (Obit)] Lyman, Rick. New York Times 27 Jan 2003: A.23.</ref>
==Cast== *Sid Caesar as Leo Fisk *Juliet Mills as Jennifer, young widow<ref name="EPT">{{Cite news|title= Unpredictable Koala Making Starring Debut |last= Normann |first= Debra |date= 14 May 1978 |publisher= El Paso Times}}</ref> *Sally Boyden as Linda *Hugh Keays-Byrne as Huggins * Rangi Nicols as Ko * John Newcombe as himself * Michael Beecher as French Reporter * Bruce Spence as Tall Baddie * Ivar Kants as Boris * Daws Butler as Barnaby * John McTernan as Secretary
==Production== It was the second film from Transatlantic Enterprises, following ''No Room to Run''. The film was announced in November 1976 as ''Billy''.<ref>Pillow Company Spreads Out Kilday, Gregg. Los Angeles Times 3 Nov 1976: f9.</ref> Another working title was ''Fuzzy''.<ref name="aww"/>
Australian singer Sally Boyden turned down the chance to tour with Liberace to make the movie.<ref name="aww">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51196437 |title=People. |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly | date=10 November 1976 |accessdate=14 July 2013 |page=9 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> John Newcombe has a cameo where he plays a game of tennis against Caesar.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55475712 |title=People. |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly | date=19 January 1977 |accessdate=14 July 2013 |page=9 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
Filming took place from mid November 1976 to mid January 1977.<ref name="aww"/>
Caesar was addicted to alcohol and pills at the time and later wrote in his memoirs that on the flight out "I took my usual ration of booze and pills and passed out completely. When the plane landed in New Zealand Caesar could not be woken up so they took him to hospital.<ref>Caesar p 6</ref> His wife Florence was flown to Auckland but by the time she arrived Caesar had gone to Sydney. Norman Panama requested Florence stay on the set to ensure Caesar completed the film. Caesar wrote "she did and she got me to work every day, in reasonably usable condition."<ref name="Caesar p 188">Caesar p 188</ref> However Caesar said he could not remember anything about making the movie or any of the time he spent in Australia.<ref name="Caesar p 188"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==Notes== *{{cite book|title=Where have I been? : an autobiography|last1=Caesar|first1= Sid|last2=Davidson|first2= Bill|year=1982 |publisher=Crown Publishers }}
==External links== *{{IMDb title|0075728}} *[https://letterboxd.com/film/barnaby-and-me/ Barnaby and Me] at Letterbox DVD *[http://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C808559?mainTabTemplate=workPublicationDetails ''Barnaby and Me''] at AustLit {{Norman Panama}}{{Six Flags (1961–2024)}} Category:Australian television films Category:Australian crime comedy films Category:1978 television films Category:1978 films Category:1978 crime films Category:Australian adventure films Category:1978 adventure films Category:1978 English-language films Category:Films directed by Norman Panama Category:1978 Australian films Category:English-language crime films Category:English-language adventure films