form y separately published work icon It's a Man's Life single work   film/TV   crime  
Issue Details: First known date: 1969... 1969 It's a Man's Life
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

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

'CONSTABLE DAVE SMYTH Early 20's, big, burly and tough-looking. He worked briefly on the wharves before joining the police force. As the story opens, he has just completed initial training and he is still full of enthusiasm and idealism for the job. He is soon in trouble because of his family background and his hot temper.

'WILL SMYTH Dave's father. A wharfie and militant unionist who believes his son has become "a lackey of the capitalist classes" by joining the police. Through his son's activities, he loses the friendship of his mates. But, when it comes to the crunch, blood proves thicker than mates or credos.

'ALF GALLAGHER Will Smyth's mate. An ageing wharfie who finds solace for his loneliness in drink and in reminding all and sundry of his great days when he worked as rigger building the Sydney Harbour Bridge - high up, earning big money. He has invented this past and now almost believes in it himself.

'JOHNNY HART Aged 30-35, a hard man with convictions for burglary. No friend of the police, and a cold man with more than a streak of cruelty. Car driver.

'PAT GALLAGHER Alf's son, aged 25-30. Not very bright and easily led astray by Johnny Hart.

'JOE SWITHIN Aged 40-50, bespectacled garage proprietor and fence. Very professional in both occupations. He dobs Johnny into the police to save money on a business transaction with Johnny.

'ANITA Young gold-digger who keeps Joe Swithin happy. Attractive in an obvious way.

'CAROL HENNESSEY Dwyer's fiancée. A nurse, good-natured but nobody's fool.

[Note: The accent in 'fiancee' has been added in black ink.]

'JANE WILTSHIRE About Carol's age, also a nurse, but with a rich father who gives her all she wants. She wants Constable Dave Smyth.

'TINY Aged 40-50, very tall wharfie. A decent bloke.

'BOB Wharfie - Tiny's mate.

'OLD MAN Aged 65-80. He witnessed a robbery and shivers in the cold.

'YOUNG MAN About Dave Smyth's age. Well-spoken, he sees a drunk in danger of falling from a high building and runs to Dave Smyth for help.

'MICK PETERS' GIRLFRIEND Decorative.

'BARMAN

'CUSTOMS OFFICER

'TWO WHARFIES

'ONE WHARFIE

'FORK LIFT DRIVER'.

Notes

  • This entry has been compiled from archival research in the Crawford Collection (AFI Research Collection), undertaken by Dr Catriona Mills under the auspices of the 2012 AFI Research Collection (AFIRC) Research Fellowship.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

      1969 .
      person or book cover
      Script cover page (Crawford Collection at the AFI Research Collection)
      Extent: 86p.
      (Manuscript) assertion
      Note/s:
      • The script is labelled 'Episode K8' on the cover page. A notation in the top right-hand corner of the script indicates that this was the script designated for 'Audio 2'. The cover page shows other notations, all in blue felt pen.
      • The script is annotated in blue felt pen, black felt pen, and blue ink.
      • Blue felt pen annotations seem to be largely audio cues. On page 39, a scene is struck out in blue felt pen.
      • Black felt pen begins with the annotation 'SUPER' on the first page of script. After the first commercial, there are instances where dialogue has been struck out with a black felt pen, and then instances where new dialogue has been added in black felt pen.
      • Blue ink annotations are largely alterations to the dialogue. After the first commercial, some blue ink annotations are alterations to dialogue that has already been struck out with black felt pen. Some blue ink annotations are also audio cues (see, for example, page 23).
      • The largest number of annotations involve the deletion of dialogue, presumably in light of the unusual length of this script, compared to usual Division 4 scripts.
      • On page 77, a new section of dialogue has been typed out and taped over the existing page: this follows on to the next page, labelled '77A' in blue ink, and taped over the top of the existing page 78, from which the scene has been struck out in black felt pen.
      • The final page includes a list of crew credits:
        Written by Howard Griffiths.
        Edited by Dorothy Crawford.
        Typed by Hilary Burgess, Shirley Ballard, Christine Rook.
        Checked by Shirley Ballard, Margaret Colechin, Christine Rook, Hilary Burgess.
        Duplicated by Ian Dewhurst.
        The section below this for 'Producer's Remarks' has been left blank.

      Holdings

      Held at: AFI Research Collection
      Local Id: SC DIV : 26
Last amended 17 Apr 2013 15:40:07
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