Production
Feb 1, 1941
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia
John Cornell
Production
Biography
John Cornell (born 2 February 1941) a film producer, actor and businessman. An Australian icon, he was born in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Cornell once managed Paul Hogan and often appeared alongside Hogan in his popular television show The Paul Hogan Show as Strop, a dim-witted dinkum Aussie surf lifesaver. He produced and co-wrote the screenplay for Hogan's 1986 film, Crocodile Dundee that became the highest grossing Australian film ever. He also produced and directed the successful 1988 sequel, Crocodile Dundee II. Cornell was also involved in the initial stages of World Series Cricket. He was, in fact, one of the prime-movers in the setting up of WSC, working closely with Kerry Packer and Austin Robertson. Cornell married Australian television personality Delvene Delaney with two children together, Allira and Liana. His daughter Melissa was from a previous marriage. Until its sale for a record price of $65 million in 2007, Cornell owned the Beach Hotel, the most recognised pub in Byron Bay. He had built it for $9 million in 1990.
Feature Films (1)
Nearly 40 years on, Crocodile Dundee remains Australia’s biggest film—what made it a cultural icon, and why does it still mean so much today?
Love of an Icon: The Legend of Crocodile Dundee
Television & Series (1)
The Paul Hogan Show is a popular Australian comedy show which aired on Australian television from 1973 until 1984. It made a star of Paul Hogan, who later appeared in "Crocodile" Dundee. Hogan's friend John Cornell also appeared in the show, playing Hogan's dim flatmate Strop. The show also aired on the New York Tri-State area television WWOR channel 9, in the early 1980s. Episodes of the series generally opened with Hogan, playing a version of himself he called 'Hoges', presenting a stand-up comedy routine dressed in his bridge rigger's costume of boots, shorts, and shirt with sleeves cut off. The show then presented a series of comedy sketches, usually with Hogan in the lead role and playing various recurring characters, these include: ⁕Leo Wanker: an inept daredevil stuntman; ⁕George Fungus: a take-off of real-life television journalist George Negus of the Australian 60 Minutes; ⁕Super Dag: an ocker superhero complete with terry-towelling hat and zinc-creamed nose. His powers include his ability to use his esky in innovative ways; ⁕Perce the Wino: an old drunken derro who starred in a series of silent, Benny Hill-style, sketches; ⁕Donger: variants of this beer-gutted character include Sgt Donger, the tough cop with a bionic beer-gut, and Arthur Dunger, a caricature of the suburban tinny-chugging Australian male.