Cirrus@Austlit

'A beautiful young girl believes she has murdered her lover. Ryan is hired - and fired; but in between he has followed a mystifying and violent trail which ends in his discovery of Liz's chilling secret.'

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):

'LIZ MASON: 20. Attractive, sensitive, impulsive. A highly strung, appealing girl, who has something of the Mia Farrow image about her. Her delicate, nervous personality is often punctuated with moments of anger, fire and insight.

'ERIC STAHL: 50's. Liz's father. Of European origin, has built a large and profitable empire in Australia, only half of which is legitimate. A large and powerful man, used to possessing power and using it. A veneer of manners, and a genuine concern for Liz.

'JOAN MASON: 40's. Liz's mother, Stahl's ex-wife. An attractive, brittle, unstable woman. A carefully acquired sophistication and fiercely protective attitude towards Liz which is born out of guilt.

'BETTY SIMPSON: 25. An attractive nurse. One scene.

'LORNA RUSSELL: 60's. An ex-matron. Assured, human. One scene.

'GEOFFREY BAXTER: About 50. Very Australian. An aggressive, chip-on-the-shoulder, talkative person, who would always been full complaints, at great length.

'SENIOR SERGEANT KEN WADE: 45. A tough, experienced detective who used to be Ryan's boss. One scene, could recur.

'CHRIS: 20's. A ravishing American girl with few morals or scruples, but managing nevertheless to be quite an appealing character. She is on Stahl's payroll.

'JOE: 40-ish. Tough crim on Stahl's payroll.

'BILLY: 30-ish. Tough crim on Stahl's payroll.

'DR. PAUL MITCHELL: About forty. Smooth, attractive. No lines. We see him as a dead body and in a couple of subliminal flashbacks having an argument.

'POLICEWOMAN CARTER: 25. Attractive, couple of lines.

'SENIOR DETECTIVE CULLEN: 45. Tough detective. One scene.

'DETECTIVE GREEN: 30. Detective. One scene.

'BILL: 40-50. An inebriated party guest.

'WOMAN: 40-ish. Bill's wife. Few lines.

'HENCHMAN NO. 1: About 30. Tough-looking. Few lines. Must be able to run and fight.

'TWO OTHER HENCHMEN: Also in the employ of Stahl.

'PARTY GUESTS'.

'Ryan arranges a meeting between an ex-drug addict and a crusading cop. When the addict is found dead, shot with the policeman's gun, Ryan vows to find the man responsible. He had promised the addict protection - the pathetic little man died, and now someone is going to pay for it.

'Ryan moves into the Melbourne underworld, meets the pimps and thugs and junkies on their own ground - sleazy nightclubs and back alleys. He's on the move - hammering his way through to find the killer.

'When the policeman's son dies from a drug overdose, Ryan's sympathy is mixed with cold suspicion - the cop had a motive for the killing. And the fact that the policeman was once Ryan's best friend counts for nothing.'

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):

'JACK NELSON: Until recently he was an average cop, a good friend to have. His fairly normal middle-age blues and career frustrations were offset by a satisfying family life. Now his son is a dying drug addict and his wife is leaving him. He's a strong man eroding fast. (45).

'JAN TAYLOR: On the surface she's a brassy stripper; cynical, not too bright. Beneath the stage make-up she's a vulnerable, sensitive girl .... and a frightened one, out of her depth. She's a semi-reformed drug addict and though we'd like to believe otherwise, she will never be fully cured. (27).

'BILLY MAXWELL: Fat, slimy, physically repulsive, fringe crim, morally depraved - you name it, if it's nasty - he's it. He likes being around the big crims, and blusters a lot to kid himself he's one of them; but inside he's scared. The audience has to squirm when he fondles Jan and cheer when Ryan king-hits him. (30).

'ERIC FRASER: Another reformed addict, but again he'll never overcome the damage done by drug abuse ... he'll be physically and psychologically frail for the rest of his life (which proves to be short anyway). Had he lived, he and Jan Taylor may have been able to lean on each other enough to make a go of it. We only meet him once but we're sorry when he dies. (30).

'PAUL THOMPSON: On the surface he's a well educated man, a concerned, responsible citizen who has devoted his life to helping addicts. In fact he gained his university degrees which combine to qualify him as a "sociologist" because his wealthy grandmother virtually paid him to be a "professional student". When he got too old for that, and his grandmother died, he had to get a job - but was ill-equipped for most business positions. His family connections got him into the privately endowed Drug Action Group organisation. His work brought him into contact with hundreds of addicts, and dozens of suppliers. He picked the "best" of them to form his own organisation. He is totally amoral. (40).

'FLIP MITCHELL: A thug, though fractionally more intelligent than most. He is one of Thompson's key pushers. (35).

'NOBBY WALKER: Hangs around with Flip Mitchell, dresses a bit better. He has a greater sense of cause and effect than Mitchell, and lacks his friend's stupid courage. He is therefore a less successful "fringe crim". Some people claim there is a homosexual relationship between them, and it might be true. (35).

'MARGARET NELSON: Rather plain, not very bright, suburban housewife. She is a tense, nervous person, who for the first twenty years of their married life relied on the strength of her husband. Not that's going, and so is she. (42).

'DAVID NELSON: Sensitive boy, scared of life. Has one line only, but we should care when he dies. (20).

'VICKIE ANDERSON: She's a drug addict. She'll probably be dead within five years. She used to be a stripper, but as she says, "Nobody would pay to see it now" - the drugs have had their effect. (One scene.) (25).

'ADDICT: As with all the other addicts in this episode there is about him an air of sadness, of pathos - an inevitability of death - such that some young people watching the show might be discouraged from experimenting with hard drugs. (One scene.) 25.

'CABBIE: Not much education but lots of native cunning. Enjoys life, loves his job, an old mate of Ryan's (Two scenes.) (30).

'BOB CLARK: A very good policeman, but also a bit conservative and authoritarian - his way is the right way. He's Jack Nelson's boss, and used to be his friend. (50).

'GREG WILLIAMS: Jack's partner. A vestige of friendship remains, but it's strained. (40)

'BARTENDER:

'UNIFORMED POLICEMAN 1: One line.

'UNIFORMED POLICEMAN 2:

'DOCTOR: (Maybe an extra)

'UNIFORMED POLICEMAN: (Maybe an extra)

'NEWSBOY: Extra.

'GREEK: Extra.

'DRINKER IN BAR: Extra.'

'We open on a scrap metal foundry - a place of flames and furnaces, molten metal, brooding violence - this mood permeates the episode. The Staphopoulos family owns and operates the foundry, and Ryan is quickly drawn into a bitter conflict between father and son, ensnared in a web of jealousy and hatred dating back twenty-five years - to the Greek civil war.

'The conflict escalates as the old man becomes the victim of a bomb attack, the son is terrorised by threats and funeral wreaths - and Ryan loses patience with the Mediterranean temperaments involved.

'The tension peaks when the patriarch is kidnapped - until Ryan proves that it's a fake, that the old man arranged it himself - and he's delighted to be off the case. Then the double twist redoubles and Ryan is at work again - outsiders have become involved, it isn't a family matter any more - and the kidnap is no longer a fake.'

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):

'MIKLOS PAPADOPOULOS: 70. Greek. Physically powerful. Scarred face. Was a resistance leader during World War 2 and a communist guerilla in the Greek civil war. Fled to Australia at the cessation of hostilities. Feels he has let his country and his dead son down.

'NANA PAPADOPOULOS: His wife. 60's. Greek. Her relationship with her husband has not been good since she sided with the rest of the family against him in a business deal. She loves him and tries to re-establish contact with him.

'DEMETRIOS PAPADOPOULOS: Third son and the main opponent of Miklos in the business deal through which he now has control of the family business having deposed Miklos. 34. No accent necessary. Drives.

'MELINA SKOVROS: Demetrios' sister. Supported him against her father initially but now supports her father. Cannot afford financially to reverse the earlier stand. Early 20's. No accent.

'PETER SKOVROS: Her husband. 30's. Greek. Works at the foundry.

'JOHNSON: 30's. Heavy. Hired by Miklos and Peter for kidnap but decides to double-cross them both. Drives.

'DAVIES: 30's. Heavy. Helps Johnson. Drives.

'GEORGE: 60's. Little tired, weak Greek. Worships Miklos and resents Demetrios. A small, tired man.

'FLORIST: 50's.

'TWO WORKMEN: Extras.

'STUNT DRIVERS: Two.'

Note: Melina's name was later changed to 'Katarina' and the family name to 'Staphopoulos'.

'Ryan has shrugged off a recent series of threatening crack calls. One night, emerging from a building, he is met by a hail of bullets from a passing car. Two passers-by are hit - a woman who is killed instantly, and her small son, who is rushed to hospital.

'Julie King, Ryan's secretary, witnesses the event, and is sickened and shattered by the raw danger associated with Ryan's life-style.

'Ryan, driven by a clawing conscience and an obsessive commitment to revenge, works around the clock to track down the killer. His "Nut File" provides him with a list of suspects - a detailed catalogue of psychopaths and criminals who have "sworn to get him." Relentlessly, he checks them out. Each confrontation has its own flash-point, and the trail eventually leads to Mr. Ward - the monolithic crime Czar who must surely know the answer.

'Meanwhile, Julie King has her own crisis to resolve. Her outraged parents have demanded that she leave Ryan's employ - remove herself from what they consider an atmosphere of sordid violence. Julie feels a strong emotional commitment to Ryan, but has, herself, been alarmed by recent events.'

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):

'DR. GORDON KING: Early fifties. Julie's father. Conservative, paternal; seemingly hard exterior which softens to genuine and real concern that his daughter had experienced such a horrible tragedy.

'ELAINE KING: Late 40's. Good-looking in a rather genteel way. She has shared her husband's fears and has become over-protective. She infringes on Julie's privacy believing Julie's motive for staying with Ryan is primarily romantic. She is deeply hurt by the gap growing between herself and Julie.

'THEODORE WARD: Early fifties. Controlling figure of the underworld. Huge, neat man with a disturbing aura of ruthlessness surrounding him. He is "The Boss", ruling the underworld with an iron fist. A man with his own rather strange code of ethics regarding who can be murdered and who can't. Sticklet [sic] for professionalism.

'COLIN BROWN: Mid-late thirties, attractive to women. When we first meet him, Brown appears kind, sincere, shattered by the horrible deaths of his wife and son. We later learn this is not the full story. Should drive.

'HELEN: 20's. Beautiful young girl. Devoted to Brown. The unconscious cause of the Brown tragedy.

'MRS. BROWN: Homely, maternal type who could not compete with Brown's younger women. Finally left to live alone with her son. Mid thirties. Few lines but her image and impact is important to story.

'BARRY BROWN: Ordinary boy, 8 - 10 years. Few lines.

'DR. LEO HUGHES: 40's. A rather unbalanced bogus hypnotherapist who has an obsessive hatred for Ryan, unpleasant, unwholesome individual.

'JOE "THE FINGER": Small time crim, with small time ideas. His hate for Ryan is like a drug he feeds upon. The typical crim turned fizz with a record "as long as your arm". Early thirties.

'THE KILLER: Impassive ruthless face, rather foreign looking. Balding - which he disguises with a beret. A professional killer. Must drive. No lines.

'CLUB MANAGER: 35-45. Manages a seedy Nightclub. Tall, no-nonsense. One scene.

'MAX / JERRY (WARD'S HENCHMEN): Both early 30's. Max must drive. Both hard, tough, powerful. Frightened of Ward but nobody else. Both would kill without hesitation at Ward's direction. Act as Ward's bodyguard servants.

'TURNER: Late 30's. Dangerous crim. No lines. Gets killed.

'MAN 1: Chinese. Thirtyish. No lines. One Montage scene.

'MAN 2: Heavy set, probably wharf labourer, bad tempered. No lines. One Montage scene.

'WOMAN: No lines. Late 40's. Typical housewife in lower class part of town. One Montage scene.

'DOCTOR: Professional, doesn't give too much away, but is obviously deeply worried about the boy. It shows on his face. Late 40's.

'UNIFORMED POLICEMAN: That type. No lines.'

'When an ex-member of Parliament comes to Ryan with compromising photographs of his wife's activities with a group of bikies, Ryan thinks it's either divorce or a case of simple but sordid blackmail.

'But, as he works deeper and deeper into the case, he discovers viciousness and double-dealing at every level of society - from the primitive, inhuman bikies to the manipulating millionaires who are destroying the politician, his marriage, and most of all, his wife.

'Ryan blackmails the blackmailer to get possession of the negatives - and thinks he's finished with the case. But by now he too has become a pawn in the millionaires' game. He keeps his cool while they try to manipulate him but, when a final shocking twist occurs and the politician's wife is really put out of circulation, Ryan commits himself to revenge.'

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):

'KATE MORRIS: Married to a different man she'd be a happy, laughing, beautiful woman. Marriage to John has meant five years of unrelieved tension and she's ready to break. When her baby died, the one time she really needed a strong man, John was concerned only with his career; was no help at all. She has become a neurotic drinker. Ryan almost immediately sees the woman who was - and the woman who could be - rather than the taut, fragile drinker she now is. Intelligent, sensitive, very beautiful. 28 -32.

'JOHN MORRIS: When we first meet him he's a strong, resolute man, concerned with important public affairs. He's a little impatient with his neurotic wife, but perhaps that's not unreasonable. Later we begin to realise he's a frightened man - afraid of failure, equally afraid of the responsiblities which would accompany success - which will never come. He's a loser. Not vital, but a few tennis strokes may be called for. Drives. 35.

'MATT VINCENT: To make several million dollars in less than ten years required some sacrifices - one of which was a degree of personal integrity. He's aware of it and regrets it - "I used to just kid I was tough and cynical. It's getting to be a habit." He's admirable. Under different circumstances he and Ryan could become good friends - though they'd never stop competing. Should play tennis or squash. 35.

'SIR DAVID FARNHAM: He inherited great wealth and power, and has trebled it in his own lifetime. Almost all his associates work for him, and that of employer/employee is the only human relationship he really understands. He'd be shocked if anyone suggested that he do something illegal - but in fact he's more despicable than half the crims in Pentridge. He avoids responsibility for the things he does by hinting to others what he wants, then letting them do it. One or two strokes of tennis may be called for. 60.

'FRANK PALMER: Sleazy, small-time private enquiry agent. Operates on the fringe of the law. Ryan despises him and probably would have put him out of business years ago - but he's too petty to worry about. 40.

'PADDY MORGAN: Should be something of a "character". He's a wealthy stockbroker but doesn't really look or act the part. He rather envies Ryan's image and lifestyle, but freely admits he couldn't handle it. Gets some vicarious thrills through his association with Ryan. They're very good friends. Should play tennis, squash, or royal tennis. 40.

'SAM MYER: Sir David's chauffeur-bodyguard. He regards Ryan as something of a colleague, and even while he's thumping him he sees it as a professional relationship - there's no animosity. Ryan has pretty much the same attitude - it's just part of the job. Drives. 40.

'BARNEY: Sir David sometimes hires him to help Sam when there's "heavy" work to be done. He's vicious, enjoys the work. 40.

'SQUIB / TOBY / BOB: Bikies (Toby drives a car as well). They're predatory animals, vicious, inhumane, totally lacking in morals. We can tell ourselves it's not their fault, but it doesn't help much, they're still despicable. Toby may have fractionally more sensitivity than the others, and is therefore not quite so tough. 20 -25.

'RECEPTIONIST: Cool, confident. Enjoys her power a bit too much, but doesn't really abuse it. 30.

'BUSINESSMAN: A drunk. Timid, but gets his thrills by drinking with the bikies. 30 -40.

'STEVE VINCENT: Nine years old, loves his dad, no lines.

'BARTENDER I: Extra.

'BARTENDER II:

'MATRON: Extra.

'EXTRAS IN SALOON BAR (MAINLY BIKIES) (5)

'EXTRAS IN BAR (3)

'ROYAL TENNIS COMMENTATOR (ACTUAL)

'ROYAL TENNIS PLAYER (ACTUAL)'.

'The kidnapping of their young daughter causes Harry and Jean Thompson to seek help from Ryan, and his investigations disclose a tense emotional situation in which the Thompson's [sic] marriage is seen to fall apart under the stress.'

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):

'JEAN THOMPSON A woman of thirty-nine, who has never had a child of her own. She has a husband who ignores her as a lover, and so has taken a younger man, with whom she plans to get money by extortion from her own husband. During the course of the story she begins to get an insight into her husband, and loses interest in the lover, and the plan, at a time when it is far too late.

'HARRY THOMPSON A man in his 40's. He is frigid, and his marriage has suffered. Despite its temporary horror, the kidnapping of his daughter is probably the best thing that ever happened to his marriage. Harry is tense, talkative, eager to prove himself.

'JODIE THOMPSON Their kidnapped adopted daughter, whose kidnapping acts as a catalyst in the development of their own relationship, and in Harry's final knowledge of his own inadequacy. We see very little of her, but she is the motivation for all the other characters.

'TIM O'BRIEN 20's. A psychotic killer. A period of psychiatric care and shock treatment has just made him worse and more dangerous. Drives a car.

'GEOFF BURNS The young man who professes love for Jean. He is several years her junior, and his love for her is somewhat influenced by the fact that he can get money from her. Drives.

'BILL 50's. A talkative neighbour. Two scenes, one in which he helps Tony.

'WARBUTON 50's. An undertaker with a criminal sideline. Professionally mournful, finds Ryan's health depressing. One cameo scene with lots of lines.

'MECHANIC 20's, early 30's. A surly, unlikeable, uncooperative type who gives Ryan no help.

'OLD MAN 60's. A derelict, pathetic, one important scene when he stumbles on the ransom money and thinks his prayers have been answered.

'DOBSON 40's. A real detective. Few lines, looks capable.

'SECRETARY (MALE) 40's. Secretary to a drag strip club. Helps Ryan, one scene.

'VINCENT 40's. Harry's next door neighbour. Two scenes, few lines - Mr. Ordinary.

'DR. WALSH 50ish. Tim'e ex-psychiatrist who still haunts his twisted mind. Walsh's face will be seen in Tim's subliminals, so it should have an arresting quality. Two dialogue scenes.

'OLD FARMER 60's. No lines. Tim shoots him. A sympathetic face would help.

'PLAIN CLOTHES POLICEMAN Few lines.

'FINGERPRINT MAN No lines.

'POLICE DRIVER Few lines. Drives.

'DUTY POLICEMAN One scene. No lines.

'TRAFFIC POLICEMAN No lines.'

'Ryan is engaged to protect a wealthy industrialist who is living in constant fear of attacks on his life'.

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):

'BRADLEY: About 35. A man whose mind is dedicated exclusively to the acquisition of wealth through an ever-increasing ownership of diverse business enterprises. It has got to the point where he regards surplus money simply as a commodity to be re-invested in further expansion. His work is his one hobby, and he indulges himself for seven long days a week. He derives little pleasure from association with human beings, and long ago decided that he can achieve his ends without worrying about other people's feelings.

'ALAN ROBERTS: Early thirties. Bradley's secretary. Very capable, and gives the impression that he is an admiring, sycophantic employee; but in fact is deeply resentful of Bradley's attitude towards him. Drives car.

'VERNON SMITH: Early forties. A tall, powerful man who has always dreamed of holding a position of authority and prestige. Has been hindered by a lack of real ability. Believes he can achieve his ambitions if he makes a spectacular success in his job as Bradley's bodyguard. (Drives car, runs, fights.)

'GARDINER: A rugged looking youth, but not morally tough enough to put up any resistance to Smith. (One scene.)

'THOMPSON: About 28. Appears to be a sinister character, but is actually an amiable drop out. Drives.

'HARRINGTON: A middle aged business man - a rather pathetic contrast to Bradley ... lacking his ruthless drive and astuteness.

'TOM SINCLAIR: A conventional private detective. (Drives car.)

'PAMELA VAUGHAN: Attractive call girl. Bright personality.

'MRS. GREEN: An efficient looking housekeeper. Business-like manner. (One scene.)

'GREEN: Mrs. Green's husband. A gardener. (One scene - little dialogue.) Drives car.

'WORKMAN: Extra.'

'Tom Jessup, a hack journalist recently returned from the United States, is murdered in a sleazy hotel room. He is buried, apparently penniless and unmourned.

'But then, into Melbourne's International Airport, jets Ms. Terry Davis, a castrating American in the Germaine Greer mould, who presides over an international fashion empire. She summons Ryan and instructs him to find Jessup's murderer and the $250,000 she gave Jessup to set up an Australian branch of her organisation.

'Ryan - his masculinity bristling - does just that, but meantime there are two bizarre attempts on Terry's life and the exposure of a gigantic confidence trick. Ryan discovers elements in Ms. Davis' background and submits her to an emotional exorcism which leaves her older, sadder, - and infinitely more likeable.

'A feature of this episode is a quite unscheduled scene in which Ryan's Valiant Charger plunges into a lake at 70 m.p.h. The footage was so exciting (and, miraculously, no-one was hurt) that the script was hastily ammended [sic] to accommodate the event.'

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):

'TERRY DAVIS: American, early thirties, a Germaine Greer type. Extremely attractive, dynamic business woman who has built an empire. At the end of her association with Ryan, she softens considerably.

'ROBERT PRICE: 25-30. Practically everyone loathes him except his lover, Tom Jessup. He is a queer and there is some evidence of the fascination he holds for Jessup. He is given to hysterics, and forced to commit a murder. Drives a car.

'JOE MARTIN: 50's, a hardened, cynical but rather likeable newspaper editor who helps Ryan. Two solid scenes.

'THE CARETAKER: 40's - a large, brutish thug who has co-operated with Robert Price. The caretaker tangles with Ryan, so should look capable of fighting. He also has a dry line in stock criminal dialogue.

'JOHNNY QUINN: 35-45. A reporter acquaintance who helps Ryan. One scene, smart patter.

'LINDSAY: 50ish. Poses successfully as a man servant and conspires to kill Terry Davis. Handful of lines.

'MRS. AMES: 40ish - poses as a cook. One scene, no lines.

'MRS. DEWEY: 40-50. Prim and proper secretarial type at an employment agency. One scene with Tony in which she airs her views with impatience and without humour.

'MR. HEDLEY: 40-50. Everyone's idea of the manager of a funeral parlour. Solemn, solicitous, professionally mournful. One longish scene with Julie.

'THE FAKE TOM JESSUP: 40ish. Should be the same height and general type as the real one. Is murdered in the first segment but has a few lines with the caretaker and Price, and should be well cast to get the show off to a good start.

'THE REAL TOM JESSUP: 40ish. His main contribution is an extended chase and fight with Ryan. We don't see much of his face, but the glimpses we do get should suggest a ruthless attractiveness.

'SGT. CULLEN: Established.

'8/9 EXTRAS: (check budget) for airport arrival scene.'

'Signor Jaconelli arrives from Italy to be reunited with his daughter-in-law Melina, and his tiny grandson. Inexplicably they are not there to meet the ship. Where are they ...?

'They are currently the subject of a state-wide police hunt, and Melina is suspected of murder.

'Ryan is called in, and in an atmosphere complicated by Mediterranean emotionalism, eventually solves the murder, uncovers an elaborate call-girl racket, and most importantly, reunites Signor Jaconelli with his loved ones.'

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):

'MELINA JACONELLI: She is a young Italian widow who lost her husband in a car smash before the birth of their son, Pietro. She works for the Pegasus Messenger Service and lives with her son in a small, single-fronted weatherboard house in an inner suburb. She is about 25, dark, long hair, good looking and shapely. Speaks English with Italian accent. Does not smoke. Must be able to drive.

'PIETRO JACONELLI: Melina's son. About 4 months old. A very good-looking Italian type babe.

'ENZO JACONELLI: Early fifties. Average height, broad build, dark hair now turning to grey. He speaks English with a pronounced Italian accent. He has come from Italy to meet his grandson for the first time. He is a smart but old-fashioned dresser, likes cigars. His one big interest is his grandson who will carry on the family name. He likes Melina but Pietro is more important to him.

'ELSA HARVEY: Late twenties. Prostitute. One scene.

'JOHN HILLIER: Australian, about 45. A mean man, possessing sufficient business acumen to run a prostitution racket under the cover of legitimate business.

'FATHER DALTON: About 35. Good-looking priest, not afraid to use his fists. A very capable down-to-earth man.

'MRS. MURPHY: Father Dalton's Irish housekeeper. Mid fifties. Inclined to fret and mother her charge, and so comes in for a certain amount of ribbing from Father Dalton.

'CARL HOFFMAN: A big blonde mountain of a man. About 30. Lower class Australian of German extraction. He is Hillier's standover man. He is particularly brutal with women but enjoys bashing anyone. Smokes. Must be able to drive.

'CHRIS TURNER: A hard-faced prostitute known to Ryan from his Police days. She smokes. She is in her late thirties. Once good looking, now worn, but holds her shape well. She speaks with a middle-class accent but uses crim parlance at times. Must be able to drive. Has blonde hair.

'MOTOR CYCLE POLICEMAN:

'DETECTIVE CULLEN: Stock character.

'CAB DRIVER: Australian of Italian descent. One scene, few speeches.'

'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)'.

'Ryan's client is 10 years old. Maria Bitov is worried because some men have been frightening her daddy.

'Thus, Ryan is drawn into the nightmare world of Anton Bitov - a proud, secretive, tormented Russian immigrant. Why does he fiercely reject Ryan's help? Why does he endure the bashings and the bombings?

'Ryan finds the answers, but by then Anton has suicided, Maria is being held hostage, and Ryan is given an impossible deadline to produce the ransom money.

'An interesting feature of this episode is a sequence shot during an Australina Rules football match.'

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):

'RHODA BITOV. Anton Bitov's second wife. Is 24ish. Pretty. An Australian girl of limited education but with feeling and perception. She fell into instant love with Anton and Maria. She thinks him a fine man, respecting his ideals, his concern for others.

'ANTON BITOV. Is 40. Born and raised in Yalta, on the Crimea. A Russian Russian despite his years in Australia - arrived in 1962. Was a teacher in Russia, but has worked as a process worker in Australia. A man of conscience forced into a nightmare of guilt. Actor able to drive.

'MARIA BITOV. Is 10. Raised by her father, a little precocious, she tends to "take care" of the adults in her life. Born in Australia.

'NATALIA BITOV. Anton Bitov's first wife. Is 39ish. Has been in Australia the same length of time as Anton, but though she still has an accent, she is much more "Australianised" than Anton. She has no love for Anton or Maria. She wanted freedom and the fun life in Australia - and now she is lonely, fat, and totally lethargic and apathetic.

'ANDREW TAYLOR. Mid 20's. Bank teller wounded in a hold-up who is permanently disabled. Used to fly light aircraft as a hobby. Sly and secretive man.

'BILLY HALL. 22ish. Psychopathic little youth, lacking empathy or guilt. His sexual identification is with Jack Bell. Actor able to drive.

'JACK BELL. 30ish. Heavier build. More quietly dominating type. Nicer, more normal sort of criminal but very hard and vicious just the same. Actor able to drive.

'FATS. Is 40ish. Fat. A gentle criminal who works for the big men and knows exactly what goes on. One scene.

'MR. GARDENER. 60ish. A hard, thin man, wears glasses, used to working outdoors and skilled with his hands. Respected by all crims. One scene.

'TOM MOORE. Outdoor type. Ruddy. Finds body. No lines.

'CAR DRIVER. Just a fast driver. Stuntman, perhaps.

[...]

'TWO DOGS; ONE BIG, ONE SMALL.'

'Sue Ogilvie is a high-class call girl with more charm than brains. She stumbles onto an industrial espionage incident without even knowing it.

'Ryan becomes involved with one of the lesser criminals, who fearing for the girls' safety - hires him to trace Sue Ogilvie. Soon Ryan is acting for the girl herself. She has become the victim of a terror campaign and is bashed while in Ryan's care.

'Ryan uncovers the industrial espionage and finds himself in violent conflict with a large and supposedly reputable company.'

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):

'SUE OGILVIE Early 20's. A charming dumb-blonde. Nature too friendly and trusting for her own safety. Has worked as a call girl but now regrets it.

'STEVE ROBERTS Thirtyish, heavy hornrimmed glasses, scholarly. A rather nervous man, who possesses a genuine concern for Sue's welfare.

'SHEILA A year or two older than Sue with similar physical attractions. An intelligent woman, but without Sue's attractively screwball personality.

'TONY MOSS 30. Julie's actor friend. A likeable but unreliable extrovert who doesn't hide his interest in Sue.

'FITCH 40. The brains behind the industrial espionage. An extremely ruthless and impatient man. Physically impressive with a sense of polished ruthlessness.

'TOPLEY 50. Slightly balding, too youthfully dressed. A servile man who understands well the requirements of his business (an escort service).

'IAN HAGERTY 30. Stockbroker. Good looking, conservative gentleman. Values his money and position.

'DETECTIVE CULLEN Late thirties. A tough policeman (Senior Sergeant) who doesn't hide his dislike for Private Detectives.

'DOCTOR THOMAS 40ish. Tends to over-dramatise his position and the patient's condition. But a good doctor.

'PHOTOGRAPHER Late 20's. Works in Fitch's office. A few lines.

'ALBERT 25. Almost completely bald with fringes of longish hair. An intelligent thug. Drives well, loses fights.

'GUARD Any age. A few lines.

'TERRY 20's. Thug. Must drive well. (Could be a stunt man)

'NURSE Young. No lines.

'BARTENDER 30's. A few lines.

'TWO MEN IN BAR Extras.

'KIOSK ATTENDANT Any age, few lines.'

'An investigation into the death of an old friend has Ryan moving in two different worlds. He follows his leads from the depths of derelict humanity to the glitter of high society.'

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):

'HORACE CHAPMAN: A reformed criminal with a history of crime and drunkenness of which he is now ashamed. He is a big, once powerful man now showing his 70 years. He moves slowly, talks slowly and, at times, seems vague. After coming out of jail at the age of 55 his wife's devotion to him in spite of his many trips to jail made him resolve to go straight.

'ELSIE CHAPMAN: Horace's wife, about 65-70, small, work-worn, weary but happy in the work she does with her husband. She feels that Horace has found his way at last and that his work at the mission is wiping out the iniquities of his past.

'TREVOR ARMSTRONG: Tall good-looking Englishman, about 35. A plausible con-man, he has made good with the Toorak set and extracts large sums of money from them, ostensibly to help the mission. Ostensibly dedicated to helping his fellow man, he is in fact helping himself. A polished, vivid personality. Must drive.

'DONALD ANDERSON: Mid-50's. A solicitor. Well educated Australian accent. Conservative dresser.

'MRS. FELICITY CLARKE: About 30. A beautiful, shapely young widow who falls for Armstrong's line. Well educated, well dressed, drives a late model luxury sports car. Should look good in a bikini.

'JACK BAKER: Tough, rough, about 25-30, working the racket with Armstrong. Must be able to drive and fight.

'MINISTER: No lines.

'ALF CLARRIE: Deadbeat, 30-50, disreputable. Couple of lines.

'BILLIARD SALOON OWNER - About 50 / CAB DRIVER - About 40 / PROSTITUTE - About 30: These three characters appear in a brief montage sequence, each speaking to Tony. But the sequence is covered by music, so none of their lines will be heard.

'UNIFORMED POLICE SERGEANT: About 40, solid type, few lines. One scene.

'UNIFORMED POLICE CONSTABLE: One scene, no lines.

'A GARDENER: About 50-60. Two lines.

'10 DEADBEATS: Varying ages. To appear in three mission scenes.

'6 SOCIETY LADIES: From the Toorak set. Ages 30-60. Appear in one scene.'

'John Mitchell is a killing-machine, sent into the city to search out and destroy the killer of a major's young daughter. But, the major has turned loose a man no-one can stop., [sic] so he hires Ryan to go in after him.'

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):

'JOHN MITCHELL. A man of thirty. A corporal in a special unit in the Vietnam war, operating behind enemy lines. This man is physically strong and threatening, but capable of great charm and slyness. He has two mainsprings driving everything he does: one his desire to destroy everything---literally everything. The other his mistrust of women, repressed hatred of them. Drives.

'GOLDI TAYLOR. Mid-twenties. Should be a blonde. This is a girl with a disturbed childhood. Now she's a model her greatest success so far is in ads. Her husband is dead and she has a small daughter. What emerges from Goldi's character, what binds her irrevocably to Mitchell, is her own desire for destruction, to hurt the people who all her life have hurt her. And through Mitchell, she can do it. Drives.

'MAJOR WILSON. Middle-aged. Put into a family law firm when he was young, but his interests lie elsewhere---he's a collector of South-East Asian carvings. Wife dead long ago, and his main love is his daughter who kills herself with an overdose of heroin. A gentle human man [sic] who just once, in a state of temporary insanity, is capable of turning John Mitchell loose to kill a man.

'JULIET MITCHELL. Young. Twentyish. Very beautiful, outwardly calm girl. But she's close to a complete breakdown, precipitated by life with Mitchell. She suffers from extreme anxiety, hates to go out, even to meet her neighbours. Has children.

'MR. ROBINSON. He's running a drug racket, and can control men but with slipping authority. A very rough man who has now developed some finer tastes. A man used to power in criminal circles. Slim build, not heavily built, and middle-aged. Entirely ruthless when necessary. Drives.

'PICKER. A heavy who picks his nose. A man capable of a terrifying outburst of violence and rage. A man who bears grudges. A coward, ultimately. Drives.

'ERIC. Another heavy. Quieter, steadier than Picker. A follower, but worth a little bit more in a tight spot. But a killer as well. No compassion whatsoever. Drives.

'JENNIFER. Twentyish or younger. Pale ghost of a once-beautiful girl. She is killing herself by heroin addiction.

'THIN MAN. A thin, sly, treacherous heavy who drives and has only one scene.

'FAT MAN. A fat, sly, treacherous heavy who drives and has only one scene.

'POLICE CONSTABLE. Young, fresh-faced, has few feelings, no wisdom or compassion. One scene.

'PLAIN CLOTHESMAN. A young tough detective, intent on doing his job. Couple of lines.

'STAN PARSONS. Early thirties. Good looking. One line.

'CAROLINE WILSON. Twentyish. Once-beautiful, now a corpse. Seen alive and fresh in one scene without dialogue.

'CAROLINE WILSON: Ten years old. Seen in a flashback riding her two-wheeler bike. No dialogue and only one scene.

'HIPPIE. One scene. Few lines.

'A DETECTIVE. Drives. No dialogue.

'2 HEAVIES. One drives. Neither has dialogue.

'CUSTOMS OFFICER. Perhaps actual. No dialogue.

'3 EXTRAS. Bystanders at scene of death.

'3 HEAVY EXTRAS.

'STUNTMAN. Ryan Part. 1 Scene. Fall from moving car.

'BABY. V.O. only (crying)'.

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

'VEDAT AVDI: (40's) Stern, proud, austere migrant and doctor of medicine. He carries a heavy burden. He left a good practice in his homeland to follow a dream: to migrate to this new "land of opportunity" and start a new life for his family. The plan backfired. He cannot find work, he is being evicted from his home, pressured into crime, and his wife blames him for everything. The rough edges of his accent are dominated by pedantic university English.

'MURPHY: (50's) A short, solid, unattractive man with a Carlton-United gut and a TV Ringside face. He is the heavy - the villain. Should handle himself well in a scuffle, should smoke, must drive.

'MOYA AVDI: Vedat's wife. Noticeably pregnant, but otherwise lean, hard, and only moderately attractive. She seldom speaks, is withdrawn, suspicious of all Australians. She blames her husband for their troubles, but would not think of raising her voice to him except in private.

'BRIAN BUCKNER: (Late 40's) Trim, fit, tanned, and enjoys playing squash. Buckner is campaigning to dethrone Bell, who has been the local member for Bega Park for 12 years. He is aloof, cocky, often vague - tends to make speeches out of sentences. He thinks he can use everyone (including Ryan) to achieve success in the election. He is more concerned with posing for publicity photos and ordering posters than in helping his voters. Should drive.

'LARRY: (30's) Buckner's campaign manager and squash partner. Sturdy, dependable, even likeable character, with the ominous job of getting Buckner to look and act like a politician.

'PAM: (15) Was raped by Murphy some time ago, and has now discovered she is pregnant. Fragile, bloodless, alone in her misfortune. Limited intelligence.

'ARMSTRONG: (50's) Puppet head of a construction company. He is a bland, limp-wristed man, who deals in graphs and quarterly reports, and wouldn't know a jack-hammer from a pogo stick. Manipulated by everyone, respected by no-one.

'FRANK BELL: (50's) Hard, no-nonsense politician that Buckner is out to defeat. Knows the political scene inside out.

'SPIDER: Foreman at the Dermott Construction Company. Thug.

'STEVE: Worker for Dermott Constructions and thug.

'CILLA AVDI: (10) Vedat's daughter.

'SECRETARY: Works for Buckner. Overworked and underpaid.

'DILMEN: Migrant who works at Mecca Travel Centre. Weak man, tired of hearing complaints from unhappy clients. Heavy European accent.

'RECEPTIONIST: Two scenes, but important part.

'INTERVIEWER: Small important part.

'COMPANION: Bell's beautiful girlfriend. No lines. Very small part.

'EXTRAS: Two photographers and seven migrants.'

'Drinking too much, taking bribes, gambling and thumping policemen won't solve anybody's problems. Or maybe it will. Who knows. Ryan seems to know.'

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):

'JACKIE WEBB: About 35. Little scared crim. A reasonable con man. A failure. A million priors.

'ENZO: About 35, 40. Despite Italian descent he speaks perfect "strine" without a foreign accent. A professional, intelligent, experienced crook who manages to stay always out of trouble. The opposite to Jackie. No priors at all.

'JONATHON "FATHER" SMITH: Benign, placid, round faced. Moves and talks and looks like a priest. Capable of crash transition into hard, brutal man.

'AMALIA: Subdued and attractive and nice in a Shirley McLaine [sic] style. Must be both sexy and warm and confidence inspiring. The sort of woman you'd open your heart to when you're full to the eyeballs.

'INSPECTOR MULLIGAN: A police inspector. (Lack of description doesn't mean lack of importance. On the contrary).

'JOHNSTON: Late 30's or early 40's. A good policeman. A good family man. A good man period. The sort of man who'd spend the evening playing with the kids or fixing a broken chair rather than go to the pub and have a beer with mates.

'BILL: Good looker in an old fashioned, muscled way. Father Smith's bodyguard.

'POLICE SUPERINTENDENT: What I said about Mulligan applies to him.

'FREDDIE: Other muscle man from Smith's mob.

'HILLMAN: A police detective.

'JENNY: Johnston's wife. Late twenties or early thirties. Sexy blonde with mole on cheek and big boobs.

'WADE: Established.

'POKER PLAYERS (2): Toughies.

'FEMALE EXTRA: Pretty girl.

'CROOK: Smartly dressed. Pickpocket who doesn't look like one. (The man who gives Jackie the dough at the racecourse, opening scene)'.

'The murder of a young girl involves Ryan in a bewildering web of sexual intrigue and Julie's life is threatened.'

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):

'ALAN TAYLOR Boyish 19 year old. Able to drive. Well-built, has boyish charm, but deeply and emotionally disturbed.

'WALTER TAYLOR Late 40's. A solid-built man, practical, appreciative of Australian art, architecture. Has built a big-time building business. Rough-edged but intelligent man. Able to drive.

'GRAHAM ANDERSON About 40. A very ordinary, sympathetic man, an accountant - but no indication whatsoever in voice or physical make up that he is also a homosexual.

'JOE COOK About 35. Very strong, muscular man. Has been a homosexual all his life, but no campness at all. Works as a builder's labourer for Walter Taylor.

'RHODA ANDERSON About 35. Gentle person, caught in a nightmare and trying to protect her husband. She loves him, has the courage to stand by him.

'YOUNG DETECTIVE He looks about 22. Cool, quiet, well-mannered and neat appearance.

'JACK HILL An untidy, heavy drinking, friendly gossip. Worked as an accountant with Graham Anderson. Small man with a big thirst.

'CILLA About 24. Willowy, but beautiful body. Has exasperating, untidy habits. Must have long hair of any colour.

'CHRISTINE TAYLOR About 23. Quite a pretty girl, slim, good figure, nice sense of fun. Must have long hair.

'MORRIE About 50. Walter Taylor's foreman. Tough exterior, gentle heart.

'NEIGHBOUR Woman about 40. Nasty gossip type.

'WOMAN WITH SHOPPING A mature woman, grateful for any courtesy.

'ELDERLY BYSTANDERS (2) An elderly retired seaside couple.

'WOMAN IN BLACK An Italian mama, swathed in dress, stockings, shawl. No lines, no movement.'

'The long distance road transport industry provides us with a change of pace and locale, a chance to exploit the vastness of the Australian bush, and to depict the colourful characters involved in the trucking business - the 'truckies' who push their giant rigs through thousand mile runs, and back again.

'We meet "Fibber", a loquacious truckie of the old school, when his load of cigarettes is stolen in an incredible "travelling hijack" - in which the thieves jump from one truck to another, and offload the cigarettes while the trucks move at high speed.

'(This incident is based on an actual Australian case.)

'Ryan is hired to find out how the cigarettes could have "disappeared", and then to track down the men responsible for the daring theft.

"Meanwhile, we're getting to know "Fibber" - he's an old larrikin and we come to love him and sympathise with his problems. He won't admit that he's getting too old to drive, that the industry is changing .. [sic] he'd rather bore anyone who will listen with his interminable stories about the "old days" - "When we pushed a rig from Perth to Port Hedland in record time - and an hour off for beer and oysters."

'One serious problem is that his old driving partner, now the Manager of the company, is going to sack him - until Ryan establishes Fibber's innocence. But, by that time, Fibber is out on the highway with a twenty-five ton truck - and no brakes.'

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):

'FIBBER: 55. Real name is Don Stewart, but is nicknamed "Fibber" for reasons that will be obvious. He has driven heavy trucks all his life, knows nothing else, and is a wealth of yarns about the good old days. This is part of his problem; he lives in the past, and is almost completely insensitive to the present - even toward his wife and his best mate. He is a simple man, but a man who - despite his outward insensitivity - occasionally comes up with some remarkable insights. He is loud and rough and crude and sometimes loveable. Physically he should be stocky but solid, tall, reasonably fit, with a tanned, outdoorish complexion. Should smoke.

'JACK HAYES: 55. Jack and Fibber used to co-drive heavy rigs between Perth and Port Hedland back in the old days, and because of the difference in their sizes (Jeff is much shorter than Fibber) they were known as Mutt and Jeff. They were the top drivers at the time; they had a lot of good times together, most of which Jack would now like to forget. Ten years ago Jack quit driving and took an indoor job. He worked hard, polished the right boots, and was eventually promoted to General Manager of the company. He likes his job, but deeply regrets that it has thrown him into a situation of conflict with his old mate Fibber, who continually ignores safety regulations for the sake of speed. As the story begins, Jack has just about made up his mind that he will have to sack Fibber, but doesn't know how to go about it.

'LANCE: 30's. Dispatch officer at trucking company. A responsible, likeable man with no obviously unusual characteristics. Should look like a truckie.

'WIFE: 50's. Fibber's wife. She's put up with a lot in her married life, and has never really been satisifed with her role as a truckie's wife. When Fibber is away she counts the hours, but when he arrives home she pretends to be as insensitive as he is. Where he has tried to keep himself young and fit, she has let herself go; where he has never accepted old age as a reality, she is willing to face it bravely; where he lives in dreams, she lives in harsh reality. Despite all this, deep down she loves him.

'VICKI: 20's. Young, pretty, shapely bitch. She sleeps with Jack so as to gain information about valuable shipments for her three male accomplices.

'FREEMAN: 20's. One of the robbers. Few speaking scenes, but a lot of physical action. Drives.

'ROGERS: 20's. Another robber. Rogers has no speaking lines, and for this reason he may be an actual stuntman. In fact, he will have to be a bloody good stuntman.

'WALSH: Solicitor who hires Ryan on behalf of an insurance company.

'SLADE: Head mechanic at the truck depot.

'CHESTER: A short, pudgy, spectacled little maggot, with whom Ryan has had prior dealings. A coward and petty hood. Should swim.

'STUNTMAN: Friend of Ryan's who works as a stuntman. A bit of a clown at times. Need not be an actual stuntman.

'BARMAN: 50'S. That type. Knows and likes Fibber.

'POLICEMAN: One uniformed constable with very small speaking part. Must drive.

'2 THUGS: Two great heaving gorillas. No dialogue, but some heavy action. Their size is very important. Two T.V. wrestlers would be ideal.

'WOMAN: Tiny part. Must drive. One scene.

'STOP-GO MAN: Tiny part. One scene.

'EXTRAS: Line of motorists held up on highway.'

'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.'

'"Kun-gara-mundah" is the name of a large farming property in one of the most visually beautiful areas of Victoria. The name is Aboriginal. It means - "The place where thunder sleeps".

'Ryan is hospitalised - recovering from a car accident - so when there is an urgent and desperate summons from Elaine Duncan, the owner of Kun-gara-mundah, Julie King must handle the problem alone.

'As to the "the problem" - is it in Elaine's mind, or is the property, as Elaine claims, the subject of a "campaign of terror"? Certainly Julie witnesses some inexplicable and terrifying events and quickly seems quite inadequate to deal with the vast, brooding, alien hostility of Kun-gara-mundah.'

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):

'ELAINE DUNCAN 30's, an attractive woman whose life has been eroded by a personal nightmare ... a constant dualism tearing her between town and country, love and hate. Eventually, between sanity and insanity. Drives a Land Rover or similar four-wheel drive.

'BRIAN DUNCAN 30's, a fit, good-looking, latter-day squatter. He treats his wife with a smothering protectiveness which seems to cloak some dark undercurrent of their relationship.

'ROBIN CAVANAGH 30's, a good-looking, good-natured, thoroughly urbane character who is physically and intellectually unsuited to country life, but who breezes through it all with ineffable good humour and self-deprecation. Beneath it all, a valuable ally or - perhaps - a dangerous enemy.

'DOUG KINSMAN 20's to 30's, an aboriginal [sic] station hand. Taciturn to the point of being sinister. Drives a Land Rover or similar four-wheel drive.

'DOCTOR 40's - a no-bloody-nonsense operator who knows Ryan well and won't tolerate any carry-on.

'SISTER Attractive, efficient-looking.

'TWO PUB LADIES Middle-aged patrons in the ladies lounge of a country pub.

'GEORGE AMOS 50's, a good-looking professional man. Two short scenes.

'TWO HEAVIES Junior-executive thugs. One drives, one shoots in one brief scene.

'MRS PATTERSON Middle-aged cook.'

'The mind of a wistful young girl is nearly destroyed when Ryan investigates the events surrounding the mysterious disappearance of her father three years ago.'

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):

'ANASTASIA JONES 18. A warm, beautiful young girl, with an air of childish innocence. Cruelly manipulated and used as a pawn by a gang who are looking for her father. For part of the episode she is drugged and her behaviour is highly charged and irrational.

'JACOB JONES Late 50's. Anastasia's father. Carrying a heavy burden of guilt and wanting only to be reunited with Anastasia. Basically a warm, shy, compassionate man.

'DOCTOR SAUNDERS 50's. A weak, nervous alcoholic, unwittingly involved in a plot he cannot escape from. We feel a sympathy for Saunders as the pressure around him builds to a climax.

'NURSE PORTER Mid 30's. Coldly attractive. On the surface she appears an efficient nurse, with great devotion to Anastasia. Beneath this thin veneer, she is cold, ruthless and deadly.

'MR QUINN Late 50's. Anastasia's solicitor and legal guardian. An old friend of Jacob's. A worrier with a kind heart.

'ROLLO Early 40's. Second in command for the Syndicate. Ruthless, efficient, brutal. Fights and kills.

'WARD 50-60. Head of the Syndicate. An all powerful man. He has a style and calmness about him only great men inherit after years of success. Crime is a business he runs with outstanding ability. Has a gentlemen's agreement with Ryan. (Same character as in "Nut File".)

'HARRY Late 30's. A tough stand-over merchant working for the Syndicate. He takes his orders from Rollo without question. There is an air of cruel violence about him. Drives a car.

'SAM Late 30's. Harry's off-sider. Equally dangerous and committed to Rollo. Drives a car.

'DRIVER Gives Anastasia a lift. Any age.'

'Brennan says he is surrounded by conspirators bent on his destruction. Death could come from his jealous boardroom colleagues .... his faithless wife, or from his own dark and tortured mind. And Ryan must sort the facts from the fantasies.'

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):

'STEVE BRENNAN: 60ish. Thin. Little. Insignificant looking, kind, strong personality. Capable of spectacular transition from commanding authority to nervous wreck. Maniac, depressive. Good education. A lot of class.

'PATRICK: Late 20's. Playing against. He's a dangerous killer, a drug user. Amusing, lazy, humorous, bored personality. We must laugh with him without ever losing the scary feeling.

'ANNE BRENNAN: About 28. Attractive, sexy, beautiful without affectation. Gentle, sweet personality, very understated. Exactly the opposite to the unfaithful wife, frivolous - tart cliche.

'BILL HENNIGAN: 35-40. Impressive looking director. Big, strong, ambitious, ruthless, violent. Mild, quiet front.

'JASON SCOTT: Early 20's. Attractive, sweet, gentle, nice, understated.

'BETTY: Late 20's or early 30's. A psychiatric nurse. Plump, warm-hearted, sweet. Lovely personality.

'SERGEANT KNUDSEN: A cop. Ryan's age.

'TOM BRENNAN: About 24. Small, thin, studious, quiet, pleasant personality.

'DAISY SMITH: Late 50's or early 60's. Dear old paraplegic woman. Good cameo part.

'DR. JONES: Psychiatrist. Mid 30's. Long hair, young type.

'CABBIE: Extra.

'TWO DRUNKEN BOYS: One must.

'TWO NUTS: Extras.

'FOUR DIRECTORS: Extras.

'ONE MAN IN UNIFORM: One line.

'WOMAN WITH BABY IN PRAM: Extra.

'PATIENTS: Extras.'

'An ordinary little man decides to leave his wife and so draws Ryan into an extraordinary mesh of plots and counter-plots.

'Ryan is able to trace the man to a mysterious travel agency called 'Escape International' and from there to the airport - only to learn that he had a heart attack before catching his flight out of the country. Ryan learns that he was rushed to a public hospital, but transferred almost immediately to a private institution which turns out not to be a hospital at all. Now he has disappeared.

'So Ryan decided to enter the 'Pipeline' himself; to book an overseas tour through 'Escape International'. He soon learns that he is being used as some sort of courier - but he doesn't know he is also a decoy.

'He finds himself entangled with not one, but two international espionage agencies.'

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

The script for this episode held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection does not contain character notes.

'Danny Scott, the hot tempered skipper of a fishing trawler, is lost at sea.

'Is it murder, as the grieving widow claims? Was it accidental? Or is Danny still alive, hiding out, until his "widow" joins him with the insurance money? Ryan finds out, treading a narrow and dangerous path through a maze of callousness, double-dealing and treachery.'

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):

'OTTO SILVESKI: 30's Peter Aanesson type. Possibly Scandinavian. Professional fisherman, powerful, commanding, no-nonsense.

'GAIL SCOTT: 20's. Physically attractive wife of missing fisherman. It's hard to imagine why a woman like Gail ever married a pig like Danny ... until we get to know her better. Must drive. Should smoke.

'WALLY SCOTT: 30's. Roger Ward type. Dim-witted brother of missing fisherman. Physically imposing, but with a predominately gentle nature. Like some lumbering dinosaur that doesn't realise it's [sic] own strength. Suffers from claustrophobia, and stutters severely when under stress. Must drive.

'SENIOR SERGEANT WADE: Established character.

'NIGEL COX: Over-zealous, underhanded insurance investigator. The antithesis of everything that Ryan should be.

'HOOKER: Crew member and professional fisherman. Reasonably likeable man.

'DANNY SCOTT: 30's. The missing fisherman, Gail's husband and Wally's brother. His crew refers to him as Captain Bligh, Julie refers to him as a monster, and his own wife says quite certainly that everyone hated his guts. All are true. Drives.

'NAPOLEON: 60's. Professional fisherman of the "Old Salt" variety.

'BARMAN: At local pub.

'SECRETARY: Early 20's, few lines.

'HOTEL DRINKERS.'

'A passover of narcotics goes wrong. A migrant couple run into a hundred thousand dollars worth of trouble. What's money to God. Anyway?' [sic]

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):

'MARIO FABRIZZI: Italian. Mid thirties. Or late thirties. Similar type to Tony (accent not essential but mannerisms yes.), but looking different. He was a Flamenco dancer and busted his gut one day when he got carried away with the stomping. Since then he has occasional brick-laying jobs, but even that stopped because he claims the crowbar is too heavy for his hernia. A bit of a bludger. A charmer. A good Catholic.

'ANGELA FABRIZZI: Italian. A bit younger than Mario. A Saint. Patient and understanding and loving, no matter what. Also a good Catholic, but keeps her feet on the ground. When we first find them, they're in a desperate situation. No job, no money for a long time. This should show in their attitude, expression, clothes. Accent not essential, but mannerisms, yes.

'FRED JONES: Little, inoffensive, likeable man, in suit and tie. Looking like any nine to five civil service man. An "honest" crook. A specialist. Late fifties. This would be his last job "because he can't cope any more. He's getting old."

'McNAMARA: McNamara has two images: one, when he's doing his part-time work (big scale pusher), then he looks like a "family man doing his weekend shopping while the wife minds the kids". The other image is an impeccable, smart, classy, businessman. Big, honest business. And dressed accordingly. Subdued class, a nice soft pleasant voice. Always like that. Never ironic or sarcastic but for real. A lot of violence under his cool, polite grin. McNamara is violent to inanimate objects (as well as people), and this sort of cruelty is as terrifying as the ordinary basher, or maybe more. Thirties or forties.

'JIM: About thirty. A tough crook since he was ten. A lot of latent danger in Jim's forced co-operation.

'STEVE: Another young crook. Man of many talents - Car lifter, fizz and many more. Anything for a quick buck. Must be reasonably tall and strong for contrast with little skinny old Fred.

'EDDIE: Late forties. Smartly dressed in a suit about four sizes too big. Flogs fake gold watches without a licence. Not enough guts to steal openly. Not bad as an informer and this is his main source of income.

'CHARLIE: Fifties. Friendly taxi driver who acts as an informer (only for Ryan, not a regular).

'ABDUL: Preferably Oriental or olive-skinned, but not essential. Flashy, almost distinguished man. Smokes gold-tipped cigarettes. Wears big rings. If we could we would smell a strong, incense-cinammon scented after-shave on Abdul. Thirties.

'TWO C.I. MEN:

'UNIFORMED COP'.

'Ryan is involved in a war between two rival mobs when a beautiful woman, the daughter of a gangster, is kidnapped.

'Knight is the leader of one of the mobs involved. Down through years of organising coercion, bribery and standover tactics, the one clean thing in his life is his love for his daughter, Barbara. The great thorn in his side is that she married Lewis, who claims he loves her, but is sinking towards alcoholism, freely spending the money that flows from Knight's rackets, and envious of the power that his father-in-law commands.

'Barbara is abducted and Knight believes that the man responsible is Hackman, a rival gang leader who is out to take over the Knight "empire".

'As Knight cannot go to the police, he forces Ryan to help him find his daughter. Ryan weaves through the world of petty criminals, hatchet men, and racecourse hangers on, always in danger, and at one point nearly blown to pieces.

'Knight's wrath knows no bounds when he finds out that Lewis and Hackman have joined forces to destroy him, and that Barbara's life has been placed in jeopardy as a result. During a shoot-out in a quarry where Barbara is being held, Knight deliberately kills the son-in-law he has always despised and now hates. Even a charge of murder is not too great to preserve the welfare of the daughter he loves.'

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):

'KNIGHT: Early fifties. Controlling figure of the underworld. Huge, neat man with an aura of ruthlessness that is usually polished. But sometimes we see evidence of his cheap crim background. He must be a powerful, dominating figure. Devoted to his daughter.

'BARBARA: Lovely girl, middle twenties. Knight's daughter, Lewis' wife. Living in the corruption of the underworld hasn't spoiled her. Considerable strength of character and sensitivity. Devoted to her father - "Love is blind". Should be able to ride a horse.

'FRANK: Middle forties. Knight's prize bodyguard. Advisor cum friend. He is a graduate killer. His whole attitude should be one of menace. He has been with Knight "from the beginning" and is genuinely devoted. A superb marksman, a cool professional.

'LEWIS: 35 (approx). Alcoholic. Barbara's husband. Clever, scheming, he relishes the money and power which Knight's influence brings. Greedy - it leads to his eventual downfall. He married only to "bludge" and his plan is to remain in a happily drunken, affluent state for the remainder of his life.

'MURRAY: About thirty. Another of Knight's bodyguards. Looks tough - no lines.

'HARRY: Middle forties. Knight's chaffeur cum bodyguard ... Apparently devoted to Knight, but patiently awaiting Knight's downfall. He's tired of being a "foot-stool" Must drive. [sic]

'ALEX HACKMAN: Middle forties. Knight's competition. More "basic" than Knight, lacking his polish. He's a true gang "boss". Joined with Lewis to destroy Knight - then take over his organisation. Must drive. Some knowledge of archery might help.

'STARKEY: Thirtyish. Hackman's bodyguard - overly eager but no real match for Ryan.

'MAX: One of Hackmen's men. Hard, tough, powerful. No lines. Is killed.

'HUNT: Another of Hackman's men. Again tough, powerful looking. Kidnaps Barbara. No nonsense type.

'BARNEY: 50ish. Ex-crim. Hates Ryan. An ex-boxer and looks it - tends to Knight's horses at training track.

'HOLLAND: 40's. Also in Knight's employ to tend his horses. Some polish. Appears to co-operate with Ryan but he's a good liar.

'RAY: One of Knight's men. Really under Lewis' control. Looks tough. Must drive.

'TAXI DRIVER: Actual.

'SAM: Bodyguard. One scene only.'

'Marshall is a man with secrets ... secrets that he's tried to keep for thirteen years. Ryan's efforts to get at the truth are complicated by a nervous doctor, an alcoholic wife, a crooked lawyer, a strange gunman and a sweet 18 year old named Susan - who is the key to the biggest secret of all.'

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):

'JACK MARSHALL. 50-ish. Just released from gaol after spending 13 years inside on a murder charge. Large man, full of rough edges. Basically warm, compassionate, but for much of the episode he will appear sinister and threatening. Drives a car.

'SUSAN MORRISON. About 18. Attractive, likeable, uncomplicated. A couple of emotional scenes but not an enormous amount of dialogue.

'LORNA MORRISON. Late 30's. Hard drinking, brittle, bitchy. Still attractive but it's taking longer.

'DR. HOWARD MORRISON. Late 40's. Life and Lorna have taken their toll. Beset with worries and anxieties.

'FRANK POWELL. 40's. A solicitor who works on the shady side of the street. Devious, full of deals, forever manipulating. Drives a car.

'DANNY CARTER. Early thirties. Sees himself as Melbourne's answer to Bogart - a killer who probably rehearses in front of the mirror. But a killer nonetheless. And a queer. Narcissistic. Drives a car, runs, fights.

'ALAN ARCHER. Mid-twenties. Susan Morrison's boyfriend. An estimable young man who manages the local Drive-In Cinema. Drives a car.

'SERVICE STATION ATTENDANT. Early 20's. Likeable and a bit cheeky.

'BARMAN. One liner.'

'Two apparently unrelated cases, one involving blackmail and the other murder, draw Ryan into everything from domestic drama to trouble with the police.

'The first case seems straightforward enough: Mrs. Davis, a convention hostess, has been photographed in compromising situations with a man during a weekend at Mount Kosciosko. Though she confesses to her husband, the blackmail note contains a threat to send some of the photos to her business associates, who might not be so understanding.

'The second case has come to court when we first meet the people involved: Phillip Jackson is being tried for fraud for evidence largely supplied by Ryan, who is sure that Jackson also killed his partner. The private investigator's unconventional methods may well prove this whereas the police cannot.

'Ryan attempts to get the incriminating negatives for Mrs. Davis, but is framed for safe breaking. This brings Ryan into conflict with the police.

'The robbery set-up does prove that the two cases are linked together: the safe involved was full of Jackson's papers and Ryan discovers that Mrs. Davis has been used by Jackson, who has promised her that if she helps him beat the murder charge, he will take her away from the dull boredom of life with her husband. But the Davises know too much about Jackson now, and he threatens to kill them. Ryan manages to clear himself of the robbery charge and enlist the aid of the police in catching Jackson and saving the lives of Davis and his wife, enabling them to give their marriage another chance.'

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):

'SUSAN DAVIS: 30ish. Very attractive, intelligent. Has a veneer of poise and sophistication acquired during the performance of her job as a P.R. Organiser cum hostess at International Trade Conventions. After two years of happy marriage she became swept up in the whirl of cocktails and conferences. She does not hate her husband. He has become just another part of the dull, quiet times between the more exciting interludes of her work. She is totally "in love" with Jackson. Her performance as the blackmail "victim" is made is easier because her confession to her husband is, for her, almost a true statement of her feelings.

'STAN DAVIS: Early forties. A pleasant, successful, professional man. Tends more to pipe and slippers than the gay life, although he is not as dull and set in his ways as his wife believes. He loves Sue very deeply, understands the situation in which she has found herself. A quiet, compassionate man fighting to save his marriage.

'PHILIP JACKSON: Mid 30's. Attractive to women, successful in business and capable of great charm. To those who meet him in everyday life this description is entirely accurate. To the very few people who really know him (And Susan Davis didn't) Jackson is ruthless, cold blooded, calculating. A man who has killed for gain once and who will not hesitate to do so again, if and when it becomes necessary. He found Susan Davis a pleasant sexually satisfying companion he would [sic] inevitably be tired of her but maintains their liason [sic] as a means to ruining Ryan.

'EDWARD COLE: 35, an employee of Jackson, well paid because he knows about and actively participates in Jackson's illegal activities. He speaks with an insinuating "Pommie" accent. Basically a bully and a coward he enjoys seeing Ryan's discomfort but runs when the going gets really tough.

'BERNIE LYNCH: 45-50 Small of Stature. A Jewish criminal who acts rather like a Theatrical Agent. Booking criminals for various jobs and taking his ten percent.

'HARRY CHAPMAN: 28. A likeable, unpretentious criminal. He specialises in Photography - Porno - Blackmail - to him it's all the same - if other people pay for his services who is he to argue or concern himself with their motives.

'PETER ANDREWS: Late twenties. - Good looking, fancies himself as an actor. Never had a regular job in his life, he is just as much at home starring in a blue movie as he is robbing an old age pensioner or giving false evidence.

'THUG: (HARRY) Jackson's - Chauffeur - Body Guard - Man Friday. Not a very large man. He has an almost immobile face. He would probably have the same expression when cleaning shoes as he would when beating up someone.

'THUG TWO:

'BARRISTER: Small part.

'BARMAN: No lines.

'UNIFORMED POLICEMAN:

'SECURITY MAN:

'TWO MOBILE POLICEMAN [sic]'.

'Ellen Cornell seems to be every inch a "lady". She hires Ryan to find her missing husband so she can divorce him and marry the man who wants to become "a father to her children".

'It seems a straightforward case - until Ryan is threatened by a psychotic young man, his office is ransacked, an attractive night-club singer attempts to seduce him and a wealthy dealer offers him a bribe of $100,000 - all to obtain some mysterious object they refer to as "The Prize" and Ryan has never even heard of it.

'Ryan realises that his client isn't all she seems to be. She has no children, and her husband died recently in a drowning accident. The Prize is a precious ruby stolen from the young night-club singer and Ryan is being used as a decoy by his own client.'

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):

'LACEY GLEN: No age mentioned in dialogue, but should be about 21, very attractive, sexy, magnetic. Life has been rough on her - she has been working in nightclubs for several years - there is a brittle, almost cynical quality about her when we first meet her, and when she is with Walter. But Walter's death strips this shield away, and we see the vulnerable, sensitive girl.

'ELLEN CORNELL: An extraordinarily beautiful, soft-featured young woman of just under thirty years. Her manner is subdued, sincere, with a touching genuineness. She is every inch a lady - until we discover otherwise.

'RONNIE METCALF: About 35. He's big, heavy-set, even massive. Should be bigger than Ryan. Fights well - rough-house style. Not dumb, but no mental wizard either. Has more faith in his brawn than his brain.

'WALTER NEWBOY: 19. A hot-headed, ill-mannered young man. Does everything with a touch of frenzy. He feels life has cheated him, and he's right - he thinks the answer is to lash out. Even at his most vicious, there is a pathos about him.

'R.B. SHIELDS: He's described in the script as thin, distinguished, about 70, suffering from gout - but this description should not be allowed to restrict casting. Whatever he looks like, he should be a vivid character.

'MEECHUM: A thin, oily, weasel of a man; the authentic character, a bludger - a shark among minnows. Probably about forty, but again, it is more important that he be vivid than of a particular age.

'JOE WHITE: Middle-aged, a country cop. Maybe less slick than his city counterparts, but he's no less able. He knows his business and goes about it briskly and efficiently.

'MRS. CREW: Maybe fifty. Your traditional nosy neighbour. Hard of hearing - should be a memorable cameo.

'JAMES LOGAN: Big, portly, open-faced American. Middle-aged, obviously wealthy.

'BARTENDER: Doesn't speak, but leaves us with a clear impression - of crushing boredom.

'HOTEL CLERK: A few lines.

'HEAD WAITER: One line.

'JENNY: Part-time prostitute, waitress at the Singapore Bar.

'DANCER: At the Singapore Bar - a stripper.

'WAITER: Hotel dining room. Extra.

'FIVE CUSTOMERS: Singapore Bar - rather grimy night types.

'THREE GUESTS: Hotel dining room - wealthy tourists.'

'Ryan is assigned to protect a visiting foreign Trade Minister and Premier Elect when it is learn [sic] that the Minister is the target for assassination by extremists.

'Tension mounts when the Minister's young daughter is injured in a letter bomb explosion, obviously intended for the Minister.

'During the subsequent investigation, Ryan is forced to match wits with a brilliant professional assassin.'

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):

'CONRAD: 55. Trade Minister and Premier elect for his country - based somewhere in East Europe. Conrad is a man of great power and dignity. He is determined to win an important trade deal for his country while in Australia. In spite of personal danger and family tragedy, he continues on with his work to the admiration of those surrounding him. We feel a great deal of sympathy for this man as his ideals and hopes are violently challenged by the opposing extremists.

'ZITA: 26. A naturally beautiful young woman with little or no affectation. She is Conrad's mistress and his daughter's governess. Zita is caught in a terrible dilema [sic] between love for Conrad and the totalitarian extremism of her party. Whatever she does - people she cares for are going to die. Once we realise her position we will feel sorry for her. She is a warm creature living a terrible lie.

'STEFAN KESSLER: 48. Conrad's Security Chief. A brutal man. Kills. He is prepared to take the action of a storm trooper or secret police to get what he wants. His methods and loyalty are put into question when matched with Ryan's approach to the same problems. Must drive.

'RACHEL: 9. We'll love Rachel from the first time we meet her. She's every father's daughter. Likes to help Conrad in his work and has an innocent inquiring mind.

'VALDIS: 28. East European. A student from Conrad's country. He is also a political extremist of the worst kind. He departs from standing orders to attempt Conrad's assassination himself. Valdis is prepared to kill almost without qualm. He dislikes Kane - fears him. Must drive.

'CURT: 26. East European. A student from Conrad's country. He is more sensitive, a more concerned person than Valdis. But just as deadly. His enormous fear of Kane could be judged to be his prime motivating factor. Curt is just a pawn - a lightweight - to be used and then discarded.

'KANE: 38. A superb speciman of man. Big. Rugged. A professional assassin. No trace of an accent - we don't know where he came from. There's never been one like him. A mind like a computer. Nerves of steel. Rarely, if ever, shows any emotion. He dresses well. Everything Kane does is totally professional. He's the best. It's as simple as that.

'VIC DARCY: 45. Attached to the Australian Security Force. He is cold almost a thug like figure. He gets Ryan into this gambit and sticks around to make sure there are no slip-ups.

'MARTY: 32. A working class, small time crim. Specialises in plastic explosives. Generally a cocksure little man, he sticks to a code of criminal ethics. However, under Ryan's pressue he disintegrates rapidly.

'NANCY: 25. Marty's sister. A good looking bird, with a working class background. One scene - one line.

'COURIER: Should be roughly the same age, size, and height as Valdis. Must ride a motor bike. No lines.

'GUARDS: The guards should be tough, hard looking men. The type that could be mistaken for killers. They're no pushover in a fight.

'GUARD ONE

'" TWO

'" THREE A couple of lines

'" FOUR

'" FIVE

'AMBULANCE DRIVER: Stock type - must drive - any age will do.

'AMBULANCE ATTENDANT: Stock type - any age will do - a few lines.'

'Solving a terrifying puzzle in the past is the only way Ryan can protect his rich young heiress client from a girl called Misty.'

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):

'HARRY MOORE: 34ish. Able to drive. Very good looking blonde man, with a fairly good singing voice if possible. Brought up in the country, ambitious to be a Country singer. But not enough talent, so began using his charm and looks to get places. Murderously attractive to women.

'JANE MOORE: 30ish, maybe a bit younger. Father is Sir Charles Campbell. Very wealthy well-bred woman, but very plain. Was called names at school, probably because she was fat. Has been insecure ever since. Married Harry Moore in haste, but trying hard now to make the marriage work, though deep down she knows they haven't a chance.

'MISTY WOOD: About 28. Long dark hair. Beautiful, strange, her mind warped---evil. She's Harry's sister. Brought up with her two brothers in a shack with a violent drunken father. Called 'Misty' because she made an unreal world for herself, as protection. "When Dad used to hurt us, Misty used to tell us stories, to make us happy." Her relationship with her handsome older brother is deadly with sexual undertones.

'BENNIE WOOD: About 25, but looks younger. Able to drive. Fat, baby-faced, smooth unwrinkled skin. Bennie's not right in the head. His is a fantasy world, where he enacts the stories Misty tells him.

'ALICE DAVIS: Middle-aged. Once fairly beautiful, perhaps, but gone to seed. Was involved with Harry while he was married to her sister---suffers from terrible guilt. Drinks steadily because of this---

'SIR CHARLES CAMPBELL: 50-plus. Extremely wealthy, but has been a hard man. His father probably worked day and night, and Charles has come up the same way. His relationship with his daughter, Jane, isn't a particularly good one. He's never helped her gain confidence. Very aware of her wealth, and of the attraction this has to men who go out with her. Not aware of her feelings as a person ...

'ERIC HARRIS: Good looking young man, from well-to-do family. Julie's escort one night, but not her "boyfriend" in that sense. One Scene.

'ABBY SIMPSON: 30ish. A singer with a big mouth. Not very well-educated, not much of a singer, either. Slim and sexy. Tense because she's trying to give up "pot". One Scene.

'FAT MAN: 30ish. Musician. Wears T-shirt, jeans, shades, a beard. You have to read the part. He's great. One Scene.

'MINISTER: Any age. Cofe. [sic] Eager to help Tony with his investigation. "In earlier times, you know, the local minister was invariably the solver of mysteries." One scene.

'FARMER: Young, smooth-faced, eyes city intruders with suspicion. But not without warmth--he just hasn't got a very high wattage. One Scene.

'SECURITY GUARD: 40ish. Burly, aggressive. Wears uniform. One Scene. Few lines.

'SMALL GIRL: No lines.

'STUNT DRIVER: No lines.'

'When English rock star Johnny "Cyclone" Wyatt comes to Melbourne, his first concert is sabotaged. Because Ryan was unable to prevent it due to circumstances beyond his control, Wyatt's manager blames him for the resultant fiasco.

'Ryan embarks on an investigation of the people and motive for the sabotage, while Julie King - his secretary - becomes involved with Johnny. They enjoy two days of bliss together. Then Julie learns of a tragic truth about the singer.'

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):

'JOHNNY WYATT: (23) Johnny is an English rock & roll superstar on tour in Australia. Sheltered from the "outside world" by his clever manager, he is often boyish in his behaviour, but is also sensitive, with a capacity for love and warmth. Physically he must be very attractive, and on-stage he should move like a professional.

'SNAKE: (35) Johnny's road manager. In his own words, he "made Johnny Wyatt", and he doesn't want anyone to forget that he's the man behind the man. Physically, he should be thin, gangling, and somewhat unattractive; he has attempted to look "with it" by allowing his greasy hair to grow to shoulder length.

'JONES: (50's) He manages the hall where Johnny is appearing. He has entered into some vague agreement with Leach, whereby they split costs and responsibilities for the tour. He is a straight forward, down-to-earth businessman. He is also the man who hires Ryan.

'LEACH: A well-dressed entrepreneur who sponsored Johnny's Australian tour. Probably through poor financial management, Leach has landed himself in heavy financial strife, and it looks as if his share of the profits aren't going to cover his overhead. This makes him a desperate man.

'MUNGO: (20's) Scruffy, long-haired stagehand who works in the concert hall where Johnny is appearing.

'YOGHURT: Like Mungo.

'MAN 1: At first we take him for a thug, but he later turns out to be a narcotics agent.

'MAN 2: Like Man 1.

'SAM: Friend of Ryan's who runs a recording studio and knows the music world.

'GUARD: Security guard at large city hotel.

'DATE: Julie's date for an evening.

'REPORTERS: Four if possible - all with small speaking parts.

'TWO POLICEMEN: Uniformed.

'CHEMIST: Very small part. No lines.'

'Ryan receives a call from "Nugget" Walsh, a reformed crim and friend. He claims he is being framed by one Sergeant Morgan, a member of the Police Force and former colleague of Ryan's. Ryan calls around to see Walsh and finds the man brutally bashed.

'Ryan talks to Sergeant Morgan who appears very unco-operative and expresses his innocence. Morgan has asked Walsh about an Electrical Store robbery. Ryan directs his attention to another crim who seems highly suspect. The crim only helps by saying where Walsh may have hidden the stolen goods. When Ryan goes to retrieve these, his car is spotted by a witness and consequently he finds himself accused of robbery.

'The Sergeant comes into conflict with Ryan when Morgan accuses him of using the bashing of Walsh as a frame-up.'

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):

'SERGEANT MORGAN: 40-ish. A hard, tough, rough, feared cop of the old school. Ryan worked with him on the force and they have a long history of animosity. Drives a car. Large part.

'NUGGET WALSH: 45-50. A likeable little crim, who says he's reformed. Devious, plausible, - long time acquaintance of Ryan's, and Ryan rather likes him.

'INSPECTOR GRAY: 50-60. Straight down the line, tough but fair. Under pressure because one of his senior officers is under heavy suspicion.

'MERVE: Early 30's. A bruiser. Works the racket with Nugget. Rough and ruthless and built to match. Drives, fights, runs.

'LANDLADY: 40-ish. Runs a rather dubious boarding house and is probably on with Nugget. Two scenes.

'DOCTOR: 40-ish. Tends to Nugget. A competent professional. One scene.

'HOUSEHOLDER (MALE): 50-ish. Witnesses a burglary getaway and gives brief information to police. One scene.

'DETECTIVE BAKER: Mid 20's. Morgan's offsider. Likeable, personable. A few scenes. Drives.

'3 UNIFORMED CONSTABLES. One of them has a couple of lines.

'POLICE STENOGRAPHER (FEMALE) No lines.

'TONY'S COUSIN: 30's. A bit like Tony. One scene, no lines.'

'Ned Robbins, a former workmate of Tony Angellini's, rings him at Ryan's office after being beaten up by two thugs. He is too frightened to give any details so Ryan and Tony decide to go see him.

'When they arrive at his home, they find Ned missing and his arthritis-stricken wife, Daisy, very distraught. She draws Ryan and Tony's attention to a drug she'd been taking and points out that Ned was on the verge of revealing something about it before he was beaten up. The drug is made at a laboratory owned by a man named Summers.

'When Ned is found dead later, Daisy is moved out of her home because Ryan and Tony now fear for her safety.

'Ryan assumes the identity of a man interested in buying the "wonder drug" from Summers, while his secretary, Julie King, poses as a sexy sports fanatic in order to con Summers into revealing the real truth behind the drugs.'

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):

'PETER SUMMERS: Mid 30's. Cool - ruthless - business man, but shy with girls. A bit insecure to play big lover boy, has the wrong image for that, maybe he's not tall and beautiful. He is preoccupied with sex. But surprisingly tender - and that is what hooks Julie. He is the type of bloke who chases women and feels the need to impress them with his big car and his millions. And women know this and use it. He resents it and withdraws until the day he falls in love with Julie (for real). Drives car.

'SIMMS: 50's. Honest, competent biochemist, good man under a lot of pressure, does his duty regardless. Strong personality. When he's about to crack up takes a swig of brandy and back to work. Drives car.

'NED ROBBINS: 50's. Ex alcoholic. That's why he left the cabs. Now works as caretaker. Good man, escape valve for Simms. Someone quiet and comfortable to have a chat and a drink with. Ned is proud of this friendship with "his mate Mr. Simms". Drives car.

'DAISY ROBBINS: 50's. Looks older. Ned's wife. Crippled by arthritis. Keeps up the good spirits. Strong woman on bad legs. Ned's death is the end of her strength.

'1ST MAN AND 2ND MAN: Difficult parts. 30's. Physical, not too much. These two bashers look like cops or like business men, not bashers. Short back and sides essential. Well spoken. Well dressed in dark suits. They are not the ordinary heavies. They must be good actors. Able to underplay the parts, control their faces. One drives, both bash.

'DR. CLARK: Late 30's - Competent, likeable, efficient. Mate of Ryan's. One scene.

'CLEANING WOMAN: Pleasant, friendly. Good eye for people. 50's or 60's. One scene.

'PUBLICITY MAN (JIM): Young and respectful and ambitious. Good at his job. One scene.

'SUSAN (LAB GIRL): Early 20's. Pretty. One might think that she's been given the job by Summers himself. (He likes to be surrounded by pretty girls). Two scenes.

'GEORGINA: A club waitress, early 20's. Extremely pretty and sexy (not tarty). Could be the main reason why Summers uses the club as an office. Until the day Julie appears. Few Scenes, little dialogue - emphasis on her face and figure.

'GATE MAN: 30's. Sort of dead-pan, tongue-in-cheek character.

'EXTRAS, CLUB: All executives with a lot of class.

'EXTRAS SUMMERLAB: The sort of people who work in a factory of drugs.'

'Holly Beckett, a high class, sensuous call girl, and one of her clients, are bashed and robbed by two thugs at her flat.

'Her client, Novak, threatens Holly when she attempts to seek assistance. However, when he leaves, she goes to Ryan, an old friend, and he agrees to help her recover her jewellery which has great sentimental value to Holly.

'Ryan's investigations uncover a crime of far greater magnitude than robbery, but unfortunately, not before there has been a kidnapping and a murder.'

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):

'HOLLY GREEN: Late twenties. A high class, sensuous call girl. She has no hangups about what she is or why she does it. For Holly, it pays well and she's good at it. That's all there is to it. She appears to be light headed, almost frivolous, but when it comes right down to it - she's got guts. She's all woman. Her relationship with Ryan is not defined - there's something - some past emotional involvement - between them that holds each close to the other.

'NOVAK: In his mid-forties - German, but only a hint of accent. He's well educated. A crisp, good looking man, wears his hair very short. Used to money and easy living. Has a passion for call girls. Probably because he's deep down, an insecure person - weak - easily frightened. It's something he can't control. Drives.

'HENDERSON: Late forties to early fifties. Rough, Australian. A professional killer. Deadly. Drives, fights, shoots.

'GRANGER: Late fifties. International accent. The all powerful boss. Magnetic, dynamic, persuasive. A fanatic who wants to set the world right.

'LARRY LEWIS: About 28. Australian, working class. A two bit crim. Larry is shifty, nervous, unpredictable. Resorts to violence when the going gets tough. Larry makes his living working over and thieving from the clients of his sister Tina. Drives.

'BERT: About 28. Works for a wrecker. Like Larry he's a small time crim. They work together on jobs. Bert's a cool, more rational person than Larry.

'TINA LEWIS: About 26. A call girl. But not in the same class as Holly. Greedy. Tough. A tart.

'RITA: About 19. A hard looking chic [sic] - the sort bikies go for. She's mean and vicious. Plays snooker.

'CHLOE: About 18. A more sensitive person than Rita. Hangs around Billiard rooms looking for pickups. She's pretty dumb. Plays snooker.

'CLAUDE: About 26. High camp. A hairdresser. Few lines.

'DAVE: A crotchity [sic] old man of 65. Runs a wrecker's yard.

'HAL: 30's - Granger's Secretary. Bodyguard. Cool, efficient.

'WLADYSLAW: 50-ish. A Polish mate of Ryan's with resistance movement experience. Likeable, amusing. One key scene

'POLICE CONSTABLE (STUDIO): About 22. Young, inexperienced, easily put off.

'SENIOR DETECTIVE (STUDIO): About 40. Easy going - professional.

'TWO UNIFORMED POLICEMEN (EXTERIOR): No lines. Could be actuals.'

'A reformed crim - and old friend of Ryan's - is caught breaking into a factory and shot dead by the security guard, but Ryan stubbornly refuses to believe that he was involved in anything illegal.

'The friend's widow is interrogated and beaten by a man posing as a police detective and Ryan pulls out all the stops. He quizzes the security guard and alienates the police, upsets the factory owner and treads on all sorts of toes in an effort to clear his friend's name. He is treading on more dangerous toes than he realises. It isn't a simple factory break-in - Ryan has stumbled into the middle of preparations for a gang war - and both sides see him as a threat to be removed.'

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):

'SHIRLEY GREEN: She's in her mid-to-late 20's. She's not pretty but is sympathetic. Had a very bad car accident once - no sign of injury but she now wears a wig. Very conscious of this when agitated. Has suffered from deadening of her personality, depression. Joe brought her out of this.

'DAVE FERGUSSON: 40ish. Heavy build, an ugly, dull, stupid man. Works as a security guard - not in uniform. Has criminal tendencies, wants to get rich. Kills a man the way most people would kill a rabbit. Able to drive.

'MAX MILLER: 40ish. A hard man, has served plenty of time in prison where he would have been number 2 or 3 in the hierarchy. Some intelligence. A lot of ambition, wants power, wants to take over the Melbourne gangs. But knows deep down he hasn't quite got what it takes.

'REGINALD CHURCH: 50ish. Church is 'the man'. Once a very tough standover man, he displayed brains, relished his work and rose fast. Totally treacherous. Now he's No. 1 in Melbourne, with all the power he wants, but always totally watchful, always afraid of losing his position. Has a veneer of style, but the rough edges show. Well dressed, but no taste for anything that isn't conservative. He got where he is by being largely unnoticed in the early days, and likes to keep it that way. Able to drive.

'SERGEANT HENRY CULLEN: Cullen, an established character is [sic] heavily built, a slow, careful and ambitious policeman. His ability doesn't match his ambition. No love for Ryan - or for many other people.

'JACK JONES: 30ish. Solid. Looks like a cop - short haired. A flat-nosed useful heavy who likes to take orders. Tough, but Ryan is too tough for him. Able to drive.

'HARRY FISHER: A nice crim, really. 29ish, slim build, some brains but not really enough guts to get near to top. Drives well, and is attached to Miller. Believes in him. Able to drive.

'CHARLIE BELL: 35ish. Squat build, a "pom" with an accent - Midlands probably. He and Fisher make a good brains/brawn team, but separated they're not so reliable. Able to drive.

'JOE GREEN: 30ish. A small man, a small time crim, anxious about everything until he met and married Shirley. Loves her. Needs her. So he reformed. But he has associated with Miller in prison, knows too much and has to die - puzzled, alone and frightened.

'WOOD: Petty crim. Thirties. One scene.

'2 DETECTIVE EXTRAS:

'POLICE EXTRA:

'2 SECURITY GUARDS:

'DRIVER:

'POLICE DRIVER:

'SPEEDBOAT DRIVER'.

'Ryan is awoken one night to find one of his friends in intense and inexplicable pain. The friend warns Ryan of a plot to kill either of two women - Jeanne Hayward or Mia Sinclair - then dies in his arms.

'Ryan sets out to find the women and the people who are plotting against them. Shortly after locating both girls, Jeanne makes an unsuccessful attempt at suicide. The other, Mia, is distraught and dangerously unstable.

'A box given to Ryan by his friend suggests some connection with black magic and when the intended victim becomes Mia, Ryan races against time to locate a Satanist sect and save her life from a savage sacrifice.'

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):

'MIA SINCLAIR: Early to mid 20's. A beautiful girl whose life has been blighted by a childhood trauma. Tense, neurotic, guilt ridden - but commands enormous sympathy.

'JOHN BLACK: Early 40's. A commanding, charismatic figure. Poses as a Minister, but in fact his activities are sinister and deadly. A powerful, persuasive, attractive man who manipulates the gullible.

'JEANNE HAYWARD: Late teens, early twenties. An attractive girl who has been duped into joining Black's weird sect. From being a relatively normal, happy young girl (we don't see this phase), she has become haunted, totally unstable.

'SAMANTHA: Early thirties. Black's wife. A handsome, impressive woman. Ostensibly warm and concerned, but actually she is a complete convert to Black's sick philosophy. Probably his first disciple.

'PROFESSOR MELTON: Mid 50's. Slightly eccentric, entertaining, talkative, enthusiastic scholar, who helps Ryan in the investigation.

'DR. ERIC McLEOD: Late 30's. A psychiatrist. Likeable, attractive, empathetic. A wise and compassionate realist.

'DR. JIM INNES: 40-50. A Doctor mate of Ryan's. Bluff, good humoured G.P.

'ROBERT ELLIOT: Late 20's. A mate of Ryan's who is killed for meddling in Black's strange world. He dies in the first segment but he is the first person we see and his impact is of vital importance. Drives.

'HAL & CHARLES: Both in their twenties. Both rather narcissistic muscle men who admire Black (probably because of the kinkiness) and do his dirty work. Both big, capable of sadism. Both drive, run, fight.

'SALESGIRL: Early 20's, attractive, works in a mod shop. Couple of scenes with Ryan whom she helps and charms.

'THE SATANISTS: Perhaps 6 of them. They appear only in black, hooded robes, and engage in a major ritual. But their only contribution is chanting and speaking in unison.

'A CAT: Sleeps, spits, scratches. Needn't drive.'