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 About Face: A Fitting Tribute
 Flight of Fancy
 The New Adventures of Black Beauty - The Birdman
 Wildtrack - Otago Harbour
 Jack Brown Genius
 Forgotten Silver

Synopsis

Around 31st March 1903 eccentric farmer Richard Pearse climbed into a self-built monoplane and flew for about 140 metres before crashing into a Waitohi gorse bush. The amount of control he maintained and exact date (before the Wright bros?) has been oft-debated, memorably by a speculative zoom in Forgotten Silver. This TV film dramatises the life of the reclusive young inventor and his flying machine, from his youth to events leading up to take off and the flight itself. Actor Martyn Sanderson captures "Mad Dick's" obsession in a Feltex-winning performance.

Credits (19)

 Peter Muxlow

Peter Muxlow
Producer

 Jeff Simpson

Jeff Simpson
Actor

 John Bach

John Bach
Actor

See all credits ›

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 TVNZ

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Source

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Related Titles (6)

 Forgotten Silver

Forgotten Silver

Television, 1995 (Trailer)

Peter Jackson and Costa Botes capture Pearse's famous flight (maybe)

 About Face: A Fitting Tribute

About Face: A Fitting Tribute

Television, 1985 (Full Length)

Another dreamer with a lust for lift off

 Jack Brown Genius

Jack Brown Genius

Film, 1995 (Trailer)

Tim Balme plays an inventor who yearns to fly

 Flight of Fancy

Flight of Fancy

Short Film, 1987 (Excerpts)

Artist Michael Smither attempts to fly

 Wildtrack - Otago Harbour

Wildtrack - Otago Harbour

Television, 1990 (Full Length Episode)

Features nature's great flyers: royal albatross

 The New Adventures of Black Beauty - The Birdman

The New Adventures of Black Beauty - The Birdman

Television, 1990 (Excerpts)

A fictional attempt at powered flight

Quotes

Hey Dicky Bird show us your wings — show us how you can fly! 

– A mob of local teenagers taunt Pearse (Martyn Sanderson)

I’m afraid Richard’s more interested in his inventions than he is in social diversions; he’s never one for joining in ... 

– Rose (Allannah O'Sullivan) on Pearse’s lack of romantic focus

The only way you’ll fly me boy-o is on angel’s wings, and the way you’re going that’s not too far off at all! 

– Mr O’Shea (Harold Pointer) to Pearse, crashed in a ditch

Awards

1976 Feltex Awards
Best Performance (Martyn Sanderson)

Tags

pioneer, gordon ogilvie, south canterbury, no.8 wire, mad pearse, gorse, inventor, flying, inventions, timaru, temuka, number eight wire, flight, bamboo dick