Morning of the Earth

Fifty years ago, Albert Falzon premiered what would become one of the greatest surf films of all time: Morning of the Earth. The film first screened on February 25th, 1972 at the Manly Silver Screen Theatre in Sydney, Australia and much to everyone’s surprise became an instant hit at the box office with sold-out shows for months to come. The story was inspiring, visuals stunning, and the editing cutting edge; but, a big contribution to the film’s success was G. Wayne Thomas’ legendary soundtrack (released under Warner Brothers), which became the first Australian soundtrack to sell over a million copies and go Gold. The film’s counter-culture approach and its country-soul soundtrack resonated deeply with Australia’s youth culture and solidified it into Australian history as a national treasure.