John Meillon’s laconic Australians seem at home in their surroundings, even when those surroundings frighten us. We rate his unshowy supporting work, though the smallest parts give only a partial account of what he could do.
Fi1m perspective
In Wake in Fright (1971), John Meillon’s Charlie is a pub-keeper whose presence contributes to the oppressive outback atmosphere. It is a useful place to start with an actor often cast as laconic, working-class Australians: here, an ordinary figure helps make an ordinary setting uncomfortable. We were frightened by the pressure to accept a drink, because Ted Kotcheff makes hospitality feel hard to escape. Meillon has only a brief appearance, but it matters to the unease that makes the film worth watching.
Nicolas Roeg’s Walkabout (1971) also makes consequential use of him in a small part. As the father in the opening, he sets the story in motion before the young cast and desert images take our attention. We find the film moving and disquieting, though its contrast between wilderness and civilisation sometimes makes the people too simple. Meillon’s contribution is striking, but we would not mistake an important place in the story for a fully explored character. There is more to the actor than these two films have room to show.
His work in Australian television comedy during the 1960s preceded the Australian New Wave features of the 1970s. The Fourth Wish (1976), in which he plays Casey, gave him a leading dramatic role; it is a useful corrective to the idea of Meillon as only a supporting actor. The wider recognition came with Crocodile Dundee (1986), playing Walter Reilly, Paul Hogan’s loyal sidekick. His reliable comic timing and everyday presence suit that job, and explain why the comedy belongs in any account of his work alongside the disquieting outback films.
The reservation is that some supporting roles are too brief or undemanding to reveal much beyond his fitness for them. We should not have to invent hidden depths to value an actor who does the job properly. Start with Wake in Fright for the unsettling company, but take the warning about its real animal cruelty seriously.
Biography
John Meillon (1 May 1934 – 11 August 1989) was an Australian character actor. He is best known internationally for playing Walter Reilly in the films Crocodile Dundee (1986) and Crocodile Dundee II (1988). He also voiced Victoria Bitter beer commercials. His credits include the role of Charlie in Wake in Fright (1971) and the Man in Walkabout (1971).
Meillon began his career as a child in Australian radio and stage productions. He worked in England from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s before returning to Australia. He appeared in several Australian New Wave films, including They're a Weird Mob (1966) and The Cars That Ate Paris (1974). In 1976 he won the AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for The Fourth Wish.
Meillon was appointed an OBE in 1979 for services to theatre.
