The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):
'"BIG BAD JOHN" SMITH: Tough Senior Detective Sergeant from Sydney C.I.B. Sent to Melbourne. His daughter has run away with long-hair Fletcher and Smith hates long-hairs (Kiwi long-hairs in particular). He has a reputation for going through the Sydney Underworld like a packet of salts, getting results but not always without embarrassment to the N.S.W. Police Force. Early 50's .... Big, beefy, hard-looking man.
'VAL SMITH: "Big Bad John's" 18 year old daughter. Attractive, intelligent, tries to reform Fletcher whom she thinks the sun shines out of. Loves her father but feels alienated because of his attitude to Fletcher. Maternal instinct strong.
'"HANK" FLETCHER: New Zealander. Uni. Student, long hair. Cunning, smooth talker, Crim tendencies. About 20. Vicious, as bad as Smith makes out. (Gerald McGuire type.)
'MRS. HUDSON: Attractive young widowed socialite, late 20's, early 30's. Victim of robbery and bashing, and tough questioning by Smith.
'COLLINS: Owner of Jeweller's Shop. 50's. Clean Police record, abides by the rules. A gentle man. Bashed by Fletcher.
'BELL: Rooming-House Owner. Scruffy, 40's - wears a wig.
'MRS. JOHNSON: Flat owner; nosy-but-nice type. Enjoys good gossip and some else's [sic] tragedy, but stays on the right side of the Law. 40/50.
'SHOP ASSISTANT: Young, helpful, stock character, few lines only.
'HIPPY 1 & HIPPY 2: Young, long-haired, larrikin types, but no real harm in them. Picked on by Smith because of their long hair and because they were larking about. Few lines for No. 1.
'CAR DEALER: Stock character. Few lines, but should be able to act well under the tough tactics used by Smith.
'SYDNEY SUPERINTENDANT: Distinguished type; hard but fair. 50's.
'D.D.I.: Distinguished, 50's. N/S but should be able to express feelings facially.
'DOCTOR: May be required for scene where D's go to see Mrs. Hudson after bashing. Stock character if Government doctor; if private, distinguished, very much on the side of Mrs. Hudson; she must rest, etc. Middle-aged.'
Note: The casting call sheets suggest that the character called 'Collins' in the character notes is re-named 'Zuka' before production.
