Remembering Graham Kennedy

The launch of our online curated collections dedicated to Graham Kennedy:The King, included a special event screening with guest panellists at the 2017 St Kilda Film Festival on 21 May.

During the panel, the packed house at the St Kilda Town Hall was treated to some behind-the-scenes tales from four people who worked closely with Graham both in front of and behind the TV cameras on In Melbourne Tonight and the Graham Kennedy Show.

The panellists were: Patti Newton, Pete Smith, Philip Brady and Mike McColl Jones. You can watch highlights from the panel in the playlist below:

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Joy Westmore, who was a regular on The Graham Kennedy Show, was part of the audience and joined the guests on the couch during the panel.

The panel was preceded by an hour of footage from the Graham Kennedy curated collections, including Graham’s first on-screen performance in a film advertisement for Sennitt’s ice cream. 

The event was held in what was the ballroom of the historic St Kilda Town Hall, on the corner of Carlisle St and Nepean Highway, St Kilda. The location has a special resonance for 'the King', being the environment of Graham’s childhood and youth. A plaque at 32 Nelson St Balaclava, installed by the City of Port Phillip, acknowledges the connection:

Graham Kennedy, ‘The King’ of Melbourne radio and television, lived here from about 1940. As a young child, he moved with his mother into his grandparents’ house at this address. He attended Euston College, on the corner of Chapel and Carlisle Streets, then Caulfield North Central School. Kennedy lived here until at least 1957, when he first appeared on In Melbourne Tonight.

For more about Graham Kennedy's life and career, including rare footage and memorabilia, see our online curated collections Graham Kennedy Highlights, Graham Kennedy TV, Graham Kennedy Film and Graham Kennedy Radio.