Adventurers in Short Shorts
January 15, 2012 11:35 PM Subscribe
Before Steve Irwin brought short shorts in Australian television documentarism to the world, there were the earworming Leyland Brothers, Malcolm Douglas, the original and literal "Crocodile Hunter" who combined conservationism with cooking, and the dry humourist Alby Mangels, who had his own personal filming curse, interviewed Caribbean drug lords, posed nude (SFW) for Cleo, filmed through minefields and warzones, and filmed more than 80 documentaries.
I grew up watching these crazy blokes and their gorgeous female companions. Thanks for the memories Fiasco!
posted by MT at 1:29 AM on January 16, 2012
posted by MT at 1:29 AM on January 16, 2012
Wow, this takes me back. I grew up watching Malcolm Douglas and Alby Mangels, especially Alby Mangels. Watching a bit of World Safari again now it looks like a fairly bizarre anachronism and kind of like it should have been a bit out of place even then but it never felt that way at the time. This makes me remember Sunday nights watching the telly at home in the 80's with my Dad.
I can honestly say I probably owe a bit of my wanderlust to Alby Mangels. I'm not ashamed of that either...
Great post.
posted by deadwax at 1:34 AM on January 16, 2012
I can honestly say I probably owe a bit of my wanderlust to Alby Mangels. I'm not ashamed of that either...
Great post.
posted by deadwax at 1:34 AM on January 16, 2012
Travel all over the countryside, ask the Leylands, ask the Leylands!
Ahhh, the memories.
posted by andraste at 1:50 AM on January 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
Ahhh, the memories.
posted by andraste at 1:50 AM on January 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
Yeah I loved Alby Mangels - great Aussie can-do attitude and he always managed to end up in an impromptu jacuzzi with some girl that he met. Wasn't there one time when he met some crocodile hunter who had made a set of false teeth with crocodile teeth ?
posted by GallonOfAlan at 2:16 AM on January 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by GallonOfAlan at 2:16 AM on January 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
You're forgetting Harry Butler!
posted by taff at 2:55 AM on January 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by taff at 2:55 AM on January 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
And Les Hiddins, aka the Bush Tucker Man!
posted by Ritchie at 3:18 AM on January 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by Ritchie at 3:18 AM on January 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
I am in awe of Alby Mangels, as an American I had no idea, just wow. I will be busy for hours finding out more about this bloke.
posted by Jaymzifer at 7:44 AM on January 16, 2012
posted by Jaymzifer at 7:44 AM on January 16, 2012
Welcome, to Leyland Brothers World
Fun facts: 'Leyland Brothers World' was both a TV series and a fairly underwhelming theme park, that featured amongst other things a scale model of Uluru about a 40 minutes drive north of my home town.
My school sent us there for a school camp when I was in year 5, all I remember about it was that it was so cold when then got us up at some ungodly hour of the morning for 'morning exercise' (wtf?) that my calf muscles cramped up. Small wonder it was the cause of their bankruptcy a mere two years after they opened it.
posted by Hello, I'm David McGahan at 8:25 AM on January 16, 2012
Fun facts: 'Leyland Brothers World' was both a TV series and a fairly underwhelming theme park, that featured amongst other things a scale model of Uluru about a 40 minutes drive north of my home town.
My school sent us there for a school camp when I was in year 5, all I remember about it was that it was so cold when then got us up at some ungodly hour of the morning for 'morning exercise' (wtf?) that my calf muscles cramped up. Small wonder it was the cause of their bankruptcy a mere two years after they opened it.
posted by Hello, I'm David McGahan at 8:25 AM on January 16, 2012
Our tiny town had no cinema and so World Safari was shown at our local hall. It was an Event, the whole town went. The threat of not being able to go and see it provided parents with the ultimate discipline tool for weeks. I'm with deadwax, he totally inspired my later wanderings.
posted by honey-barbara at 8:29 AM on January 16, 2012
posted by honey-barbara at 8:29 AM on January 16, 2012
-I am in awe of Alby Mangels, as an American I had no idea, just wow.-
I used to see his show Adventure Bound here in the states in the 90’s, I don’t remember what channel. the footage was obviously older and somewhat dated then and I was fascinated by it, this random gem that no one seemed to know anything about.
For some reason I thought he was dead. Glad to see he’s not. Now I’ve got to see those shows.
posted by bongo_x at 10:08 AM on January 16, 2012
I used to see his show Adventure Bound here in the states in the 90’s, I don’t remember what channel. the footage was obviously older and somewhat dated then and I was fascinated by it, this random gem that no one seemed to know anything about.
For some reason I thought he was dead. Glad to see he’s not. Now I’ve got to see those shows.
posted by bongo_x at 10:08 AM on January 16, 2012
Alby Mangels was one of the childhood heroes. Adventure Bound's theme song seems to bounce half remembered around my head even today: 'dumdeedumdum something of the great heart (??)'
I remember my dad taking me to see World Safari 3 at the only theatre in Melbourne that was playing it at the time. (The Valhalla/Westgarth maybe?) when I was about 7.
I'd like to think it was because he wanted to encourage my interest in exotic destinations, but when I recall all the beautiful women that Alby seemed to collect in his travels maybe my Dad had some ulterior reasons for insisting we go.
posted by TheOtherGuy at 10:28 AM on January 16, 2012
I remember my dad taking me to see World Safari 3 at the only theatre in Melbourne that was playing it at the time. (The Valhalla/Westgarth maybe?) when I was about 7.
I'd like to think it was because he wanted to encourage my interest in exotic destinations, but when I recall all the beautiful women that Alby seemed to collect in his travels maybe my Dad had some ulterior reasons for insisting we go.
posted by TheOtherGuy at 10:28 AM on January 16, 2012
I had the same experience honey-barbara (though we had a cinemaand this was outer suburban Melbourne so WTF?), the town hall was used for a special showing of Alby Mangels films that we all went along to. Must have been early 80s, so World Safari 1.
posted by wilful at 5:03 PM on January 16, 2012
posted by wilful at 5:03 PM on January 16, 2012
Travel all over the countryside, ask the Leylands, ask the Leylands!
Oh cripes, haven't heard that for *years*... all sorts of memories come rushing back. Now I'm going to be singing it non-stop for the rest of the day.
posted by illongruci at 6:59 AM on January 17, 2012
Oh cripes, haven't heard that for *years*... all sorts of memories come rushing back. Now I'm going to be singing it non-stop for the rest of the day.
posted by illongruci at 6:59 AM on January 17, 2012
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