In 1975 Ken G Hall wrote that the one proper star of the Australian film revival in box office terms was Jack Thompson. And he was right - Graeme Blundell and Bruce Spence had been in hits, but they felt "one off". Thompson had star all over him - handsome, charismatic, acting ability, fantastic voice, swagger. And a definite star persona and successful films - the heroic ocker, successful with the ladies, loyal to his mates, great in a fight etc etc. It really started with Spyforce and was developed through Libido, Petersen and Sunday Too Far Away. Scobie Malone was a major stumble but those things happen - and he had a choice support role in Caddie; although not the lead the film was a bit hit and the role very much within the Thompson persona.
But how did he follow it up? The villain in Mad Dog Morgan, then two years off then he played a reverend in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith and a support role in Because He's My Friend. Then The Journalist, Breaker Morant and The Club - then The Earthling, Bad Blood and The Man from Snowy River.
He kind of stopped being a star. The only of these roles that was recogniseably "Jack Thompson was The Journalist and I guess Snowy - the latter was a glorified cameo.
I can make a case for the films he did - Mad Dog, Because His My Friend and Earthling had him support American actors, which would've increased his exposure to Hollywood. Chant was going to be a major movie - there was no typical "Jack Thompson" part in it.
But it is odd he would be the one star in Australian cinema in 1975, then leap into character roles.
I think basically the Australian industry didn't know how to exploit him as a star - and neither did Thompson.
Compare it with Mel Gibson. His career got cracking with Tim and Mad Max in 1979 - then he followed it up with Gallipoli and The Year of Living Dangerously and he was off to the races.
Now I'm not sure Thompson would've suited any of these roles - too old, too worldly. Gibson specialised in young innocents for a long time. He would've been weird in My Brilliant Career.
And also the films weren't really there. What else could Thompson have been in in 1976? Don't Party would've been good - an ensemble piece. In 1977 the films that would've suited the Thompson persona were poor - Raw Deal, High Rolling. He would've been miscast in say The Last Wave. They wanted him for Newsfront as Bill Hunter's brother but it was a support role. He would've been fantastic in Money Movers and The Last of the Knucklemen - but the both flopped.
He turned down the Mike Preston role in Maybe This Time. Presumably also Duet for Four... (ever Mike Preston role of this time feels like it was meant for Jack Thompson.)
I heard he auditioned for Flash Gordon. That would've been interesting. I'm not sure he would've fell in with the view they had of Flash in that movie - naive, opened faced. Thompson always felt cocky.
The man with the career most analogous to Thompson, apart from Mike Preston who looked like him, would be Bryan Brown. You can imagine Thompson in every role Brown played - which at first were support parts but from Stir onwards were leads. Thompson would've been incredible in A Town Like Alice, Far East, Thorn Birds. Mind you, Brown was pretty good.
And Thompson had some good moments in the 80s. He did TV overseas in the early 80s. Had the lead in Waterfront and Burke and Wills.
But he got fat. By the early 80s he ceased to become sexy Jack Thompson - he became chubby Jack Thompson. So he drifted to character roles.
Anyway, so Jack Thompson has had a great career. But still you feel his value as a star was never quite exploited. In particular that period in the late 70s where he played no star roles fora number of years. A massive asset for the industry and it was not used.
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