person or book cover
Illustrated script cover page (from the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection)
form y separately published work icon River Pirates single work   film/TV   crime   children's  
Issue Details: First known date: 1975... 1975 River Pirates
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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):

'DONNY MORGAN: "Typical" country boy, at home in the bush, a good, strong swimmer because his father's property borders the river. He can drive a tractor and so knows the basic principles of driving generally and he's watched Hogan operate the Toyota radio often and can do it himself without hesitation. He's a good enough kid, breaks the rules as set by adults occasionally, but doesn't mean any real harm. About 12. Must swim.

'BILL MORGAN: Donny's father, a battler, a man who puts a lot of stock by kids being "respectful" to elders, especially parents. Underneath the stern exterior, he's a fair man and there is actually quite a good rapport between Bill and Donny, even though Bill does come down hard on him at times. Early 30's.

'MITCH STEWART: Donny's city cousin up in the country for a couple of weeks. A boy who's dreamt of "adventure" and sees the country as an ideal place to live out his dreams. He's a poor swimmer but he's long on guts. He's about Donny's age and the two boys have a lot in common and get along well. Must swim.'

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: see The Writer in Australian Television History.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

      1975 .
      person or book cover
      Script cover page (from the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection)
      Extent: 17p.
      (Manuscript) assertion
      Note/s:
      • The Crawford Collection contains two copies of the script, both copied on blue paper, both labelled 'Code 12514', and neither showing any indication of to whom these copies of the script were designated. Both copies have two cover pages: an illustrated outer cover page and a second cover page showing the crew details/duration.
      • Copy 1 shows no signs of annotation.
      • Copy 2 is annotated throughout in red ink, seemingly in the same hand that annotated episodes 1-8. The annotations are alterations to the dialogue and the stage directions. The annotations are not always placed in the part of the script to which they relate: for example, page one shows a succession of lines that relate to the later rafting accident (page 7) rather than to the action outlined on page 1. Every page between page 2 and page 10 (which ends with the second commercial break) has been slashed through with a single red-ink vertical line.
      • Copy 2 also shows annotations in blue ink, which could be in the same hand as the red ink annotations. As with the red-ink annotations, these show alterations to the dialogue and the stage directions, as well as repeating the action of slashing through some content (with a diagonal rather than a vertical line, in this case).
      • The file also contains the following ancillary material:
        1. Cast list: a type-written cast list, with no confidential information.
        2. Printed cast list, showing actors' contact information.
        3. 9pp. copy of the script stripped to nothing but dialogue, copied on white paper. This script incorporates the alterations to dialogue made in copy 2 above.
        4. Amendments to the script, in the form of a three-page memo from script editor Sarah Darling to 'Solo One - all concerned', dated 15 December 1975. Amendments show the deletion of scenes or sections of scenes; the addition of some sound effects; alterations to some stage directions; and the re-writing of fairly lengthy sections of some scenes, especially those around the rafting accident.

      Holdings

      Held at: AFI Research Collection
      Local Id: SC SOL : 9
Note: The script credits Hardy as director, Mills as first assistant director, and Wright as second assistant director.
Last amended 30 May 2013 15:08:35
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