Let the Balloon Go

Let the Balloon Go
Directed by	Oliver Howes
Written by	Cliff Green Oliver Howes Richard Mason
Based on	novel by Ivan Southall
Produced by	Richard Mason; Hal and Jim McElroy, associate producers
Starring	Robert Bettles Janet Kingsbury John Ewart
Cinematography	Dean Semler
Edited by	Max Lemon
Music by	George Dreyfus
Production company	Film Australia
Distributed by	20th Century-Fox
Release date	16 December 1976 (1976-12-16)
Running time	92 mins
Country	Australia
Language	English
Budget	AU$400,000[1] or $285,000[2]

Let the Balloon Go is a 1976 Australian children's film about a young boy with polio in 1917.

Plot

In 1917 rural New South Wales, a young boy with polio struggles to break free of his overprotective mother.

Cast

• Robert Bettles as John Sumner
• Jan Kingsbury as Mrs Sumner
• John Ewart as Constable Baird
• Bruce Spence as Acting Fire Chief Gifford
• Ray Barrett as Dr McLeod
• Nigel Lovell
• Ben Gabriel as Mr Sumner

Production

The film was shot near the town of Carcoar.^[3]

Reception

The film sold widely overseas including to the United States.^[1]

References

1. Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, p 309
2. Australian Film Commission. (1977), "MARKETING BRANCH", Annual report, Parliamentary paper (Australia. Parliament) (1976/1977, PP no. 63 of 1979), [Canberra: Australian Govt. Pub. Service, ISSN 0816-9624, nla.obj-2754195620, retrieved 27 March 2025 – via Trove
3. "LOVELY OLD TOWN IN FILM STAR MAKE-UP". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 24 December 1975. p. 34. Retrieved 28 September 2012.

External links

• Let the Balloon Go at IMDb
• Let the Balloon Go at Oz Movies