The Scarecrow is a 1982 New Zealand film, also known as Klynham Summer in America. It was directed by Sam Pillsbury based on the 1963 horror novel by New Zealand author Ronald Hugh Morrieson.
Contents
Plot
Set in the fictitious New Zealand small town of Klynham in the early 1950s, teenagers Ned Poindexter (Jonathan Smith) and his friend Les (Daniel McLaren) start raising chickens, only to have them stolen. While stealing them back from Victor, the school bully, they inadvertently cross the path of a murderer who had slain a girl in the woods.
When more girls in the town are killed, and Ned's 16-year old sister, Prudence (Tracy Mann) becomes the new target, Ned begins to suspect that an unsettling town newcomer – travelling magician and hypnotist Hubert Salter (John Carradine), who is living at the undertaker’s place, is responsible. Meanwhile. the police suspect Ned’s alcoholic uncle, Athol.
Prudence’s friend Angela goes missing, and the Fitzherbert mansion is burned to the ground, killing Mr Fitzherbert. Angela’s dead body is found, having been raped and murdered.
Ned’s older brother Herbert goes into Dabney’s funeral parlor to play cards with Dabney and Athol. Dabney accuses Athol of stealing brandy, but they hear an empty bottle clink.
Prudence doesn’t come home the next day. Ned, convinced Pru is in trouble, fetches officer Ramsbottom. As they search around town, Ned finds a piece of Salter’s bow tie, and they go to the dump to ask Dabney. The trio keep silent, eventually revealing that Salter is staying at the funeral parlor. Ramsbottom searches through Dabney’s, finding a hidden backroom containing Sam’s body, as well as a bound and gagged Prudence.
A flashback shows what happened at the funeral parlor. When they hear the bottle clink, the three investigate, finding Salter hiding in the back. They fight, and Salter is killed in the struggle. They were at the dump to bury Salter’s body. They, as well as Prudence, know what really happened, and keep it a secret.
The tagline for the film was: "The same night our fowls were taken, Daphne Moran had her throat cut".
According to Sam Edwards the film is not as bleak as the novel. Small-town New Zealand in the 1950s is puritanical on the surface but depraved to its depths.
Cast
Jonathan Smith as Ned Poindexter
Tracy Mann as Prudence Poindexter
Daniel McLaren as Les Wilson
John Carradine as Hubert Salter
Bruce Allpress as Uncle Athol
Philip Holder as Constable Ramsbottom
Stephen Taylor as Herbert Poindexter
Desmond Kelly as Mr. Poindexter
Anne Flannery as Mrs. Poindexter
Denise O'Connell as Angela Potroz
Jonathan Hardy as Charlie Dabney
Martyn Sanderson as Ned as Adult (voice)
Greer Robson as Lynette
Roy Billing as Mr. Potroz
Greg Naughton as Victor Lynch
Mark Hadlow as Sam Finn
Awards
Source:
The Scarecrow was the first film from New Zealand to win official selection at the Cannes Film Festival.
Production
The Scarecrow was part of the wave of New Zealand cinema that followed the establishment of the New Zealand Film Commission in 1978.
The film was produced by the National Film Unit and Oasis Films.