Joy Dunstan
Encyclopedia
Joy Dunstan is a retired Australian film and television actress. She is best remembered as the teenage star of Chris Löfvén's 1976
film Oz, a modern-day remake
of the 1939
film The Wizard of Oz
, with Graham Matters, Bruce Spence
, Gary Waddell, and Robin Ramsay
.
The then 25-year-old former school teacher and part-time cabaret
dancer had been working in a musical comedy act at Melbourne's Flying Trapeze Cafe when she was discovered by director Chris Löfvén. Löfvén, in offering the part to Dunstan, had said to her "Come with me and I'll make you a star". Dunstan replied "I don't believe it but yes". She had no prior experience in film or photographic modeling prior to the film.
She also had minor roles in the 1983 television film A Descant for Gossips and in the cult soap opera Prisoner
where she portrayed two characters, Penny Seymour
in 1982 and Marnie Taylor
in 1985. This was her last performance, reportedly "having grown disillusioned with the business", and she retired soon after.
According to a Film Buffs Podcast interview on 21 November 2006, Dunstan currently lives in the United Kingdom. During that interview songwriter and musician Gary Young
discussed his memories of working with Dunstan on the film. Young also claimed that following the film, his band the Rockin’ Emus released their sole album with one of the songs he had written, Beautiful Joy, having been about the actress.
1976 in film
The year 1976 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*March 22 - Filming begins on George Lucas' Star Wars science fiction film...
film Oz, a modern-day remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
of the 1939
1939 in film
The year 1939 in motion pictures can be justified as being called the most outstanding one ever, when it comes to the high quality and high attendance at the large set of the best films that premiered in the year .- Events :Motion picture historians and film often rate...
film The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
, with Graham Matters, Bruce Spence
Bruce Spence
Bruce Spence, born September 17, 1945 is an actor, having spent most of his career performing in Australia. Bruce attended Henderson High School in West Auckland....
, Gary Waddell, and Robin Ramsay
Robin Ramsay
Robin Ramsay is a political author and British magazine editor. Ramsay writes about politics and conspiracy theories. His books have been published by HarperCollins and Pocket Essentials....
.
The then 25-year-old former school teacher and part-time cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
dancer had been working in a musical comedy act at Melbourne's Flying Trapeze Cafe when she was discovered by director Chris Löfvén. Löfvén, in offering the part to Dunstan, had said to her "Come with me and I'll make you a star". Dunstan replied "I don't believe it but yes". She had no prior experience in film or photographic modeling prior to the film.
She also had minor roles in the 1983 television film A Descant for Gossips and in the cult soap opera Prisoner
Prisoner (TV series)
Prisoner is an Australian television soap opera which was set in the Wentworth Detention Centre, a fictional women's prison. The series was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation and ran on Network Ten for 692 episodes from 27 February 1979 to 11 December 1986.The series was inspired by the 1970s...
where she portrayed two characters, Penny Seymour
Prisoner characters - Inmates
A list of all inmates of Wentworth Detention Centre in the television series Prisoner.Note that episode numbers cited are for first and last appearances; many characters had spells where they were absent and subsequently returned....
in 1982 and Marnie Taylor
Prisoner characters - Miscellaneous
A list of miscellaneous characters in the television series Prisoner.Listed in order of appearance:* Eddie Cook , an electrician contracted to do repair work at the prison...
in 1985. This was her last performance, reportedly "having grown disillusioned with the business", and she retired soon after.
According to a Film Buffs Podcast interview on 21 November 2006, Dunstan currently lives in the United Kingdom. During that interview songwriter and musician Gary Young
Gary Young (Australian musician)
Gary Young was a founding member of Australian rock band Daddy Cool in which he played the drums and sang backing vocals. He also played drums with Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons amongst other bands...
discussed his memories of working with Dunstan on the film. Young also claimed that following the film, his band the Rockin’ Emus released their sole album with one of the songs he had written, Beautiful Joy, having been about the actress.