Editing Robert Helpmann (section)

===1960s===
At the start of the 1960s Helpmann worked mostly in non-ballet theatre, forgoing the opportunity to create the role of the Widow Simone in Ashton's ''[[La fille mal gardée]]'' in favour of directing Vivien Leigh and [[Mary Ure]] in [[Jean Giraudoux]]'s play ''[[Duel of Angels]]'' on Broadway.<ref>Sorley Walker (1998b), pp. 278-279</ref> In 1962 he performed again for Australian audiences in another Old Vic company, this time headed by Vivien Leigh, which appeared in the Far East, South America and Australia.<ref name=adb/><ref name=who/> In 1963 he choreographed his sixth work for The Royal Ballet, the short-lived and critically damned ''Elektra'', with music by [[Malcolm Arnold]] and featuring [[Nadia Nerina]], [[David Blair (dancer)|David Blair]], [[Monica Mason]] and [[Derek Rencher]].<ref>"Spectacular Helpmann dance-drama", ''The Times'', 27 March 1963, p. 15; Kennedy, James, "Helpmann's Elektra", ''The Guardian'', 27 March 1963, p. 7; and Bland, Alexander, "Helpmann aims too low", ''The Observer'', 31 March 1963, p. 28</ref> He also supervised a new production of ''Swan Lake'' for the company, with important new choreographic contributions from Ashton.<ref>Sorley Walker (1998b), p. 281</ref> In the same year he played Prince Tuan in the film ''[[55 Days at Peking]]''.<ref name=who/>

In 1962 [[Peggy van Praagh]], formerly of Sadler's Wells, launched a new company, the [[Australian Ballet]], which, Sorely Walker writes, steadily gained ground as "a company full of lively young Australian talent, helped along by top-level international stars like [[Erik Bruhn]], [[Rudolf Nureyev]], and [[Sonia Arova]]."<ref>Sorley Walker (1998c), pp. 411–412</ref> Van Praagh approached Helpmann to create a new work for the company and he suggested a story based around the native Australian [[lyrebird]]. He was keen to promote Australian talent, and recruited [[Sidney Nolan]] to design the costumes and scenery and [[Malcolm Williamson]] to compose the score. The work, titled ''[[The Display]]'', was premiered at the [[Adelaide Festival]] in March 1964, with [[Kathleen Gorham]] in the leading role, to an enthusiastic reception.<ref>Sorley Walker (1998c), p. 412</ref> he appeared in a TV special ''[[Half an Hour with Robert Helpmann]]''.<ref name="help">{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|magazine=Filmink|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-australian-television-plays-half-an-hour-with-robert-helpmann/|title=Forgotten Australian Television Plays – Half an Hour with Robert Helpmann|year=2023|access-date=2 August 2024}}</ref>

Back in London, Helpmann directed and choreographed the first British production of [[Lerner and Loewe]]'s musical ''[[Camelot (musical)|Camelot]]'' in 1964. He had been approached by its authors to play Merlin in the original Broadway production, but nothing came of the suggestion. For the London production he sought to recapture, more than the American production had done, the sprit of ''[[The Once and Future King]]'', the book on which the show was based.<ref>"A Camelot Made in England", ''The Times'', 10 August 1964, p. 5</ref> The musical received tepid reviews, but Helpmann's production, with designs by [[John Truscott]], was praised as a "dazzling" and "gorgeous spectacle"; the show ran for well over a year.<ref>"Theatres", ''The Times'', 1 November 1965, p. 2</ref>

[[File:The Child Catcher.jpg|thumb|Helpmann as the [[Child Catcher]] in the 1968 feature film ''[[Chitty Chitty Bang Bang]]''.|285x285px]]

The success of ''The Display'' led to Helpmann's appointment as co-director of the Australian Ballet in 1965. His biographer Christopher Sexton comments that Helpmann and van Praag "complemented each other with their different personalities and skills: she the pedagogue, teacher and administrator; he the restless 'jet-setting' star who spent six months of the year overseas and attracted international names to perform with the company".<ref name=adb/> His ballets for the company during the rest of the 1960s were ''Yugen'' (1965); an expanded version of ''Elektra'' (1966) and ''Sun Music'' (1968).<ref name=adb/>

Helpmann made two more films during the 1960s. In 1966, he played Weng in ''[[The Quiller Memorandum]]'' and in 1968 he played the [[Child Catcher]] in ''[[Chitty Chitty Bang Bang]]''; on the set of the latter film, he was the opposite of his character, as he loved children and was very kind and caring toward the child actors, often protecting them from the director's temper and profanity. In one notable on-set incident, a carriage that Helpmann was riding as the Child Catcher accidentally overturned, but he was able to swing free and "skip" across the rolling vehicle, saving himself from serious injury; his co-star [[Dick Van Dyke]] later recalled that feat as the most graceful thing that he had ever seen. The role remains Helpmann's most well-known and acclaimed performance. One critic observed, "He will eternally frighten children as the demented child catcher";<ref>Billman, p. 352</ref> others called Helpmann's performance "the most sinister presence I have ever seen on film",<ref>Chapman, Gary. "Starchoice", ''The Times'', 26 March 2005, p. 10</ref> and "a devastating turn" that would give children nightmares.<ref>Simpson, p. 18</ref>

In 1968 Helpmann was appointed artistic director designate of the Adelaide Festival of 1970, and spent much time seeking out the performers for it. As well as showcasing Australian talent he aimed to attract internationally prestigious performers.<ref>Sorley Walker (1998c), pp. 423 and 426</ref>