Skippy Behind-the-scenes test film

This is rare, silent footage of the production of Skippy. The clip shows most of the main actors outside and inside Ranger Headquarters.

It is of interest for its behind-the-scenes glimpse of Liza Goddard, Ken James, Tony Bonner and Ed Devereaux preparing for and performing takes on set and on location.

The clapper board reads, 'Techniscope tests. Menzies'. Peter Menzies was the cinematographer on 63 episodes of Skippy and the feature film Skippy and The Intruders (1969).

This film suggests he was testing the Techniscope film stock, either for the television show or the feature film. The widescreen format suggests it was more likely the latter.

Techniscope was a development of the Italian Technicolor Corporation in 1960 aimed at providing an economical film stock. The Techniscope format used a two film-perforation negative pulldown per frame instead of the more familiar four-perforation frame that is found in 35mm film. It was a very successful system and was used to produce hundreds of films.

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen and Adam Blackshaw