Anyone who has scanned the acknowledgments of my books will know I’m a big fan of Alby Mangels. OK, the guy had a dodgy perm. But when I was fifteen his adventures in World Safari I, II and III convinced me I had to go off and travel the world.
You see, the formula for Alby’s movies was always the same. Sail to exotic location, let everything go wrong, somehow come out unscathed. Always in the company of a cute girl in a bikini. Sometimes more than one. One of the cute girls was Judy Green, former Sale of the Century prize fondler, whose chamois bikini has gone down in Australian folklore.
In The Full Montezuma I joked that the girl who travelled with me (known only as the GND for legal reasons) was my very own Judy Green. I didn’t realise how true that was until I was sent this photo montage by a reader called Adam Bentley. It’s almost like the GND was Judy Green.
With my teenage years well and truly behind me I’d like to say that my Alby fixation is over. But sadly the highlight on my recent big trip around Australia was getting to sail through the Whitsundays on Moonlighting, the catamaran Alby used in World Safari III.
The boat is now owned by a school teacher from Mackay and with my expertise in all things Alby I was able to help him solve the mystery of the camera mounts pointing towards the master bedroom.
But more of that in Crikey …
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You’ll need to invest in some dodgy short shorts if you really wanna live the dream
Hey shermozzle,
The beauty of Alby shorts is that you don’t have to buy them. You already have them in your favourite pair of jeans. All you need is a pair of scissors and the *balls* to cut the legs off higher than decency would normally allow.
Now, on a related matter, I know I’ve got better things to be doing but couldn’t help but find some choice Alby items on eBay:
1. The Alby Mangels Autobiography DVD
2. The Alby Mangels Ladies Man T-shirt
Both must-have items, I’m sure you’ll agree!
How could I have forgotten Alby Mangels??
Thanks for reminding me
Hi. I haven’t read “The Full Montezuma” yet but Im goin to, coz’ I enjoyed the “Blind Sighted” you wrote. Keep goin. Supportin u here from Hong Kong.
Alby Mangels is a director? maybe i’ll pay attention later when anybody talks about him.
BTW, plz check out your mail I juz sent u one
After reading a few website about Alby Mangels recently, it sounds like the guy was a bit of a legend. I managed to track down a copy of the out of print Alby Mangels World Safari book, looking forward to reading it. Had to get World Safari 1 dvd on ebay as well, seems like a good starting point.
Maybe one day we`ll have a Peter Moore World Safari-esque DVD! Dodgy shorts hopefully not included. ;-P
dear peter i read one of you books. call .not shitting in the toilet.
brilliant, to say the least. very very good. your mate .jose.
After 15 years away from the media spotlight, Alby was back on Where Are They Now last night.
Check out Alby’s new Official Website at http://www.albymangels.com.au
Hey Rob,
Any ideas on how I can track down a copy of the out of print Alby Mangels World Safari book? I’ve been a massive fan of Alby’s since seeing WS1 at the Dunedoo RSL as a kid.
Lynn Santer, the author of Alby Mangels’s authorized biography, has been struggling to find a publisher for her book. At her personal request, I have created a petition addressed to Penguin Books to request that they reconsider the publishing contract of Alby’s story. If you want to see Alby’s biography on the shelves as much as I do, please sign this petition and spread the word: the goal is 20,000 names!
http://www.petitiononline.com/alby/petition.html