form y separately published work icon A Few Quiet Questions single work   film/TV   crime  
Issue Details: First known date: 1976... 1976 A Few Quiet Questions
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'The mystery death of a journalist and a telephone call from a higher power than the Assistant Commissioner for Crime, throws Bluey into an area of high-powered corruption which, to all eyes, would appear highly legal and above board.

'Bluey not only has the difficult job of keeping Monica and Gary working on the case without telling them what it is all about, but also has to avoid an open confrontation with the Assistant Commissioner, who is pressurizing Bluey into cleaning up the statistics on unsolved crimes.

'Monica does undercover work and delves into the world of the street-walker. This, in turn, leads Bluey to an old enemy, a man who has escaped from being an underworld figure to a man of affluence and respectability. It would appear that ill-gotten gains have been poured into a legitimate construction firm, which also has Government contracts. Proving this is another thing.

'Bluey seeks aid from a surprising quarter - a Sir Dennis O'Brien - but in doing so places the life of the old gentleman in jeopardy.

'Then the round-up starts, with some harrowing chases and unexpected climaxes.'

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):

'SIR DENNIS O'BRIEN: Late sixties, tall, near white hair, slim and distinguished-looking. He's a battler who's made it by his own efforts. He has a pleasant speaking voice and uses good English without being affected. Despite his title he is no snob. He's an old-world gentleman with simple tastes. Must drive.

'CHARLES PARKER: About 35. Tall, good-looking. Efficient young executive type with a flair for management. Has become known as the new wonder-boy of the finance world. He appears outgoing and charming until the veneer crumbles and his scheming mind shows. He's TOTALLY self-centred and really believes he's got everything under control except for Victor Cunningham. Drives.

'VICTOR CUNNINGHAM: Around 50, still in good shape. A trace of north country in his English accent. He's the modern vampire who rakes in the bread from the misery of the little people. Now he's rich he wants to be respectable. Parker is his key.

'MICK: Cunningham's human watch-dog. He's a big, shambling oaf but would be dangerous in a fight where not too much brain power is needed.

'CHAUFFEUR (JOHN): John is middle-aged, Australian. Sir Dennis treats him well and he's both loyal and concerned about the old man.

'CORAL: A well-worn prostitute fast approaching forty. She has been a beauty but time and her profession have eaten into her. She feels scorned by Cunningham. She fears him but can't help talking about him.

'PETER STARK: About 35, sharp dresser, honest, intelligent. The type of person who gets to work for a politician rather than be one.

'MAX JOHNSON: Around forty, physically small, polished English accent. He's greedy and conniving with a vicious streak. A thorough [deleted] Drives.

'HARRY FRENCH: Big, overweight, outgoing personality. Typical journo, just living for the big story that'll make him.

'EXTRAS (3): Ladies of the night.

'POLICE DRIVER (1): Drives.'

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

    • Melbourne, Victoria,: Crawford Productions , 1976 .
      Extent: 47min. 39 secs (according to the script)p.
      Series: form y separately published work icon Bluey Robert Caswell , Vince Moran , Everett de Roche , James Wulf Simmonds , Tom Hegarty , Gwenda Marsh , Colin Eggleston , David Stevens , Peter A. Kinloch , Keith Thompson , Gregory Scott , Peter Schreck , Denise Morgan , Monte Miller , Ian Jones , John Drew , David William Boutland , Jock Blair , Melbourne : Crawford Productions Seven Network , 1976 Z1815063 1976 series - publisher film/TV crime detective

      According to Moran, in his Guide to Australian Television Series, Bluey (and its Sydney-based rival, King's Men) 'constituted an attempt to revive the police genre after the cancellations of Homicide, Division 4 and Matlock Police'.

      Don Storey, in his Classic Australian Television, summarises the program as follows:

      Bluey is a maverick cop who breaks every stereotype image. He drinks, smokes and eats to excess, and therefore is rather large, but it is his unusual investigative methods that set him apart. He has bent or broken every rule in the book at some stage, to the point where no-one else wants to work with him. But he gets results, and is therefore too valuable to lose, so the powers-that-be banish him to the basement of Russell Street Police Headquarters where he is set up in his own department, a strategem that keeps him out of the way of other cops.

      Moran adds that 'Grills, Diedrich and Nicholson turned in solid performances in the series and the different episodes were generally well paced, providing engaging and satisfying entertainment.'

      The program sold well overseas, especially in the United Kingdom. But though it rated well domestically, it was not the success that the Seven Network had hoped for, and was cancelled after 39 episodes.

      Bluey had an unexpected revival in the early 1990s when selections from the video footage (over-dubbed with a new vocal track) were presented during the second series of the ABC comedy The Late Show as the fictional police procedural Bargearse. (The Late Show had given ABC gold-rush drama Rush the same treatment in series one.)

      Number in series: 12
      1976 .
      person or book cover
      Script cover page (from the Crawford Collection at the AFI Research Collection)
      Extent: 65p.
      (Manuscript) assertion
      Note/s:
      • The script is an original copy, typed on thin white paper, and labelled 'Code 11511' and 'Episode No. Thirteen' on the cover page, although it was produced as episode number twelve. There is no indication on the cover page of to whom this copy of the script was designated.
      • The script is amended throughout, including the cover page, with a combination of liquid paper and white stickers, both of which have then been typed over. The amendments are relatively minor and at the level of copy editing.
      • The script appears to have been typed on at least two and possibly three different machines.
      • The archive also contains information on the breakdown of costs for this episode, access to which is highly restricted.

      Holdings

      Held at: AFI Research Collection
      Local Id: SC BLU : 12
Last amended 18 Apr 2013 08:50:35
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