Dennis Paul Dennis Paul i(A148535 works by)
Gender: Male
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1 1 form y separately published work icon Ryan John Edwards , Michael Harvey , Peter Schreck , David William Boutland , Everett de Roche , Terry Stapleton , Luis Bayonas , Neil Atkinson , Ron McLean , Phil Freedman , James Wulf Simmonds , Dennis Paul , Ian Jones , Jock Blair , Colin Eggleston , William Froug , Mort Fine , ( dir. Ian Bennett et. al. )agent Melbourne : Crawford Productions , 1973 Z1814827 1973 series - publisher film/TV crime thriller

Ryan focused on the titular Michael Ryan, a private detective with a stringent code of ethics and a background as a soldier, police officer, and social worker. Ryan's work doesn't focus on divorce and domestic problems, but on serious crimes that, for some reason, the victims are unwilling to take to the police. He is supported by his secretary Julie King (who often becomes involved in fieldwork), cab driver and later assistant Tony Angelini, and police liaison Detective Sergeant Dan Cullen.

According to Don Storey in Classic Australian Television,

'The production standards of Ryan are very high -- good writing, solid acting performances, smooth direction and excellent camera and editing work combined to form a polished and professional product. And Ryan was very successful overseas -- proportional to the number of episodes made, Ryan has probably done better overseas than most other Crawford shows. Yet it was the first Crawford show not to do well locally'.

2 form y separately published work icon Hamlet's Horse Dennis Paul , 1972 (Manuscript version)x402564 Z1939461 1972 single work film/TV crime thriller

'Ryan is puzzled when an evening's quiet drinking interrupted by a slightly crazy, beautiful girl, who wants to know all about Adam Parker, and won't believe that Ryan has never heard of him.

'He's even more puzzled next morning when a copy of Hamlet arrives in the post, with a ten dollar bill and a note from Adam Parker asking Ryan to keep the book safe for collection. From that point on, he has no time to be puzzled, or anything else, for he holds the book - and the key to two million dollars worth of smuggled heroin. Adam Parker turns up dead, and Ryan himself becomes the target of a deadly gang of drug smugglers. Rival factions of the gang are willing to bribe, seduce, or kill him in order to get the two suitcases of heroin. Neither they nor Ryan know that one of the cases is packed with high explosives ...'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

 

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'JANA MARSH: Late 20's. A stunner. Mercurial, bright, vivacious. A high class whore. A consuming interest in money and sex - in that order.

'NEIL BISHOP: 40's. Handsomely built man, greying hair, erudite, wealthy. A smooth and charming manipulator without scruples.

'ADAM PARKER: Mid 20's. Medium build. An adventurer caught up in heroin smuggling. Shot when he attempts a double cross.

'LYNCH: Early 40's. Rugged, dangerous hatchet man for Bishop. Drives, fights.

'McLEOD: Early 40's. Slight and sharp featured, a contrast with Lynch but equally dangerous and ruthless.

'SAILOR: Mid 20's. One of Bishop's loyal henchmen - looks capable and tough.

'CRANDAL: 35-40. A policeman who works with the Bomb Squad. A friend of Ryan's with a good sense of humour.

'JIM: 45-50. A weatherbeaten salt who knows the nautical scene and helps Tony with some relevant gossip.

'NURSE: 20's. Attractive, charming - everyone's ideal of a nurse.

'BARTENDER: 30ish. Works at the Waratah Bar - Ryan's favourite drinking haunt.'

2 form y separately published work icon Tribe Peter Schreck , Dennis Paul , 1972 (Manuscript version)x402562 Z1939391 1972 single work film/TV crime thriller

'Ryan traces a missing person to "Warialda" - an unlikely and bizarre artists colony where creative people (and reluctant husbands) can get away from it all.

'Ryan discovers that the husband doesn't want to be found and that the colony is occupied by a group of hippies, whose main goal in life seems to be to make his life hell. He's ambushed, beaten and almost killed by a vicious man-trap, before he unravels the mystery of the colony. What he has taken to be sinister is, in fact, a simple and beautiful experiment. He is drawn to the young people, and especially to Bill Palmer, the backbone of the colony - the man he is hired to find. Ryan tries to help them protect their idyllic life-style, but Bill Palmer's past catches up with him in a way which has a tragic result for both Bill and the colony.'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).


The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'BILL PALMER: About thirty-five. Ryan is going to remember him for the rest of his life - he's that kind of man - he has an impact on you. He should be a big man, but even if he isn't, he has "presence". He's self-educated in the best and broadest sense - the sort of education which gives you self-knowledge, and in its turn, serenity. He's confident, competent, close to the earth - the salt of the earth. Very fit, moves well. Handles an axe and a crowbar well. A really beautiful man.

'JOAN PALMER: A suitable partner for Bill - even though they aren't partners. Early thirties, wealthy, well educated, very feminine. Bill left her two years ago, but she's still in love with him - she's that sort of person.

'NOTE: All the members of the "Tribe" are tanned and fit. Their wardrobes, attitudes, movements, combine to create a somewhat primitive air - that of a lost, and possibly dangerous, tribe. They aren't flower children, they're harder than that. They grow their own vegetables, hunt much of their own meat.

'TRICIA: 20, very attractive, lithe and competent - at least while she's in the colony. When we see her in the city we realise she's naive and child-like ... she's a bit the same whenever she's around Bill. She loves him - as do all the members of the tribe, especially ...

'HARRY: 25, strapping physique, simple-minded. A mental age of about twelve. Fantastic abilities as a hunter. To him, Bill is a God - it's as simple as that.

'BUCK: Mid twenties, a hard young man - something of the cowboy about him, a wild streak. In the end we like him.

'DON: Maybe thirty. Must be huge - and very fit. Bigger and stronger than Ryan. He's not intellectual giant, but the other members of the tribe respect his slow, well considered judgements - and his strength. He's not sinister. He has some of Bill's serenity. Must be able to fight.

'STEVE: Mid-twenties, not so wild as Buck, but you wouldn't like to go up against him in a brawl.

'NIKI: Mid twenties, a wild fawn.

'JAN: Similar to Niki.

'STAN KAMEN: About forty, handsome, makes a good impression when you first meet him - just a hint of his mean spirit and weakness. A solicitor.

'CULLEN:

'VINCE: A ratty little crim. Only one scene, but it should be an effective cameo.

'MAN IN CAR: Similar size, shape, colouring to Bill. (1 line).

'WOMAN IN CAR: A bit tarty, thirty. (No lines)

'CONSTABLE (EXTRA)'.

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