AustLit

'Truscott is Bluey's undercover man. The spectre that haunts every moment of an undercover agent's life is the dread that one day his cover will be blown. Once that nightmare becomes reality there is no alternative but to run ... to run in terror.

'In the apprehension of criminals, overkill - being too successful - can be fraught with as many dangers as being unsuccessful and the Bluey/Truscott team has been too successful. Some of those incarcerated as a result of Bluey's efforts are beginning to wonder why. Why are they here? Where did they go wrong?

'With time to think, one felon, Evan Dillon, has found a common denominator. He allocates the thorough investigation of his theory to "The Professor", probing, meticulous, with the tenacity of a terrier.

'On the very day of Dillon's release, both Bluey and Monica sense trouble. Monica fears for the well-being of Dillon's one-time girlfriend, Alice, who has found an alternate romantic interest during the latter part of Dillon's prison term.

'Bluey learns Dillon and friends are conducting an inquisition of some kind. He realises success in their endeavours would lead them unerringly to Truscott.

'In spite of Bluey's frantic efforts to forestall them, Dillon's investigations are fruitful to a degree far beyond the wildest dreams of the instigators.

'For Truscott, disaster is heaped upon disaster ... but Truscott has found a cause he considers worthy of the terrible risk to his own life. He has to make the decision when Bluey, realising the game is up, begs him - "Run, Truscott, Run!".'

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):

'ALICE: Close to 30, Alice looks older. A difficult life with Dillon before he went inside two and a half years ago has aged her prematurely. Alice's personality took a beating from which it never recovered. As therapy she chose solitude and A.P.C. powders - with little success. Then, six months ago she met Truscott and, ever so slowly, recovery commenced. Strip Alice of her worry-lines and the tension and you uncover beauty.

'EVAN DILLON: About the same age as Alice, he was genuinely attracted to her even though the attachment all but destroyed her. He has reached that stage where he is striving to achieve by brain power what he once sought by muscle. He realises it's a whole new ball game for him which is why he searched for a new mentor. This he found in -

'THE PROFESSOR: An aging crim in his 50's. His prison steel-rimmed glasses give him something of the appearance of an ancient scholar approaching dotage - but there are still many crooked schemes lurking in his brain. His attention to details is something of a fetish. He writes everything down and throws nothing away.

'Car driving required.

'CLARENCE RONALD BENNETT: About 40, Bennett's a crim who just cannot win. He worries a lot about his work - with just cause - suffers first night nerves on every job, but it all does him no good. He always ends up getting pinched.

'BILL OWENS: A cell mate of Dillon's. A ready follower.

'A DRUNK:

'PARTY-GOER: (STUNT DRIVER)

'A DRINKER: Extra.'