Age of Consent

- It's been a great success, Mr. Morahan. - Yes.

- Shall I tell Mr. Godfrey you're here? - No. I can find him.

What are those little red stickers in the corners?

That means they're sold.

- Hey, that one doesn't have a sticker. - Yeah.

I wonder why that one hasn't been sold.

- It's a tapestry. - Yeah.

It's very nice.

I think it's good.

It'll look good in that place above the fireplace, you know.

Look, it's not too big and it's not too small.

I guess so.

- I wonder what they want for it. - Well, how shall I know?

Well, find out, can't you?

Hey, Miss...

I was wondering about these pictures here.

I imagine they're worth a buck or two.

I mean, do they rate high?

Well, that's a matter of opinion, isn't it?

As you can see, most of them have been sold.

Well, this one hasn't.

- I like it. - Yes.

Yes, you won't find a better Brad Morahan than that.

Actually, there is someone after it, but it hasn't been sold

yet.

How much is it?

This one? Just let me find out.

Tai. Tai.

This one's five.

Five, eh?

$5,000.

It's very nice.

Perhaps you'd like to talk it over together.

Well, dear...

Godfrey!

Excuse me.

I see it hasn't gone yet.

No. No, it hasn't. Not actually.

Well, it has now.

Let me see. You said five for this one, didn't you?

Good. It's a deal.

I suppose you want to keep it until the end of the exhibition.

Well, yes. Yes, I do.

Well, you can't, bubeleh.

I got a buyer for it already.

- It is sold? - Yes.

It was really marvelous, wasn't it?

Yes, it was quite a good one.

I could never understand why nobody bought it.

Bradley Morahan does something to me.

Maybe it's because he's an Australian.

- He seems to have a vision... - Brad! Brad, wait a minute. Brad.

Was that him?

If somebody had told me when I first wanted to be a painter

that I'd end up living the way I do, I'd never have started.

I might just as well be making chronometers.

I sit here all day in this bloody little studio,

meticulously devising these things that I make.

Beautiful things, Brad, lovely things.

Beautiful, yes. Clever.

Beautiful and cheap at the price.

Godfrey, that's a load of bull.

There isn't a painter alive who's worth the fancy prices that you charge.

It's just lucky for you that people have a blind faith in what they don't understand.

You need a holiday.

I started painting because it was my way of responding to the things that I love.

Light, color, life,

people, sensuality.

But I'm out of touch with them now.

I'm indoors behind bars, and I want to get out.

I suppose you'll think it in bad taste for me to mention it,

but I must point out that your share alone

from the November exhibition will come to $30,000.

And with your chronic alimony situation, I'm sure you can use it.

Godfrey, my friend, I find you revolting.

Take your sketchbook.

You just don't want to understand, do you?

This isn't a bloody sketching expedition!

- Could we have a forwarding address? - Australia.

Yes, I saw that one coming. Could you be a little more specific?

Brisbane, points north up the Queensland coast.

- That's where I belong. - But do you belong there anymore?

That's what I'm gonna find out.

Paper! Paper! Get your paper!

Daily! Daily Mail! Paper!

Paper, mister?

- Paper, mister? - I don't read.

You don't have to. Wrap your peas and pies in it, you big nong.

The first blow in a fresh onslaught against the old enemy drought

is being struck in the Emerald district.

Preliminary work has just started on the site

of the Commonwealth Government's $28 million Maraboon Dam, Nogoa River.

People in Central Queensland say

the scheme is the greatest thing that ever happened in that area.

The beef cattle population now stands at two million,

but the new scheme is expected to double that in a few years.

That is a lot of cattle. Let's hope there is a lot of water.

Of more than local interest is the arrival in our midst

of world-famous painter Bradley Morahan.

Case of local boy makes good.

Brad had his first exhibition in Sydney in 1946

and now has paintings in the London Tate Gallery,

- The Richard Gallery in New York... - Brad, look, you're on telly.

...and other galleries all over both hemispheres. Right, Brad?

Yes, that's right, Fred.

- "That's right, Fred." - Brad Morahan,

like Australian painters, William Dobell, Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd...

- You don't want to watch that. - I do want to watch it!

...fabulous Whitechapel Art Gallery, has come back to revisit old scenes...

- Brad, stop it! "That's right, Fred." - Come on.

...to settle down and work.

Come on!

No! Brad!

The viewers would like to hear from you, Brad.

I'm very glad to be back in Queensland where I was born.

I don't have any plans, just wander around a bit and take a look.

Find a beach, maybe, and comb it.

- Like Gauguin, huh? - No, not like Gauguin.

Like me.

- Hello. - Meg, this is Nat.

- Who? - Nat Kelly.

Hello, Nat.

Hello, Meg, how's the girl? Can I speak to Brad Morahan?

Brad Morahan here with me? Whatever gave you that idea?

Don't kid me. The grapevine says you two met at Leonard's last week

and haven't been seen since.

Well, the grapevine is wrong, doll.

Well, tell him when he calls I'm looking for him.

He may call. What's the message?

Want to buy him a beer.

Put him in the scene.

- I'll tell him. - Thanks, Meg. You're a mate.

Bye.

Old friends unite. Nat's back in town.

- Nat, Nat who? - Nat Kelly.

The grapevine says we met for dinner a week ago and haven't been seen since.

He wants to buy you a beer.

Talk over old times.

I remember him. He was a nice young fellow.

Nice, shy, quiet sort of joker.

Pal, make way. Make way, please.

Brad, you old bastard!

How about it, Brad? Can you loan us, say, $50?

Jeez, you've done all right for yourself.

Got to make this last. $25 any use?

Fair enough. Hey, Susie! She's a real good pal, is Susie.

She likes it, really.

Now, first of all, we find the birds, take them to the turf club later,

and tomorrow we'll take them down to Surfers Paradise. Leave it all to me, sport.

Susie, this is Brad Morahan, an old mate of mine.

He's an artist. Take your clothes off, and he'll immortalize you.

Need one, please, I'm in a hurry.

Excuse me.

Evens on the field, evens.

Come on!

Come on.

That's a sham. Take a swab!

- What were you on, Brad? - I had the winner.

Even money. Yeah, the game stinks!

Hey, Brad, meet the Birds!

This is the Edna Bird, and this is the Grace Bird.

- No, I'm Grace. - I'm Edna.

Hi, Brad. Pleased to meet you.

The famous Brad, one of my oldest friends.

Are you really going to paint us, Brad?

Now, that depends, girls, if you do the right thing.

You're a devil, Nat! Isn't he a devil, Brad?

Yes, he's a devil, all right.

Now, why don't you two girls go park yourselves up in the stands, eh?

We'll find the grog, right?

- Okay. Bye! - Yeah.

I was only kidding you, Brad.

You know what women are like about painters.

They just love the excuse to strip off.

Well, you'll have to find another way to get their clothes off.

- No! I've got plans! - I've got a train to catch.

- Where to? - Checkabarame.

You can send me that 25 care of the post office.

Now, sugar, believe me. You'll need a bird in Checkabarame. You'll go off your rocker.

It's a morgue. It's a dump. It's a desert island.

All you ever think about is birds. You're out of your mind!

Now, with me, it's entirely different. I'm like a camel when it comes to sex.

Especially right now, after a week in Brisbane.

You'll come to your senses one of these days.

Oh, no, I won't! Checka-bloody-barame.

Without a bird?

You're in tune with Foreign Kay McKie, the voice of the Great Barrier Reef.

Eastern time is 25 minutes after 3.; oo.

The shack's on the other side of the sand bar.

Take it easy with those eggs.

It's only a couple of hundred yards. You think you'll need a hand?

No, I can manage, thanks.

Cast her off, will you?

I'll be over most days with the mail. I'm out fishing every morning.

I hope it doesn't get you down. This season, the island's pretty dead.

I like it dead.

Cheerio!

Godfrey.

Come on. Let's find the shack. Godfrey!

Come on out. Come on out.