AustLit

'A dying woman confesses that she perjured herself while testifying at her husband's trial. The woman is Mrs. Fielding and her husband was hung twenty years ago for the murder of Hilda Cunningham, a Fitzroy prostitute. He was convicted largely on his wife's evidence. She admits that she did it out of spite. Their son who is on remand for a violent assault feels victimised and bitter. He was eight years old at the time and blames a lot of his own personality problems on his disturbed past.

'Inspector Lawson decides to re-open the case but Mrs. Fielding dies before he can get a signed deposition. Sergeant White brings out the old file and they go about interviewing the surviving witnesses. Neither Dulci Jones (Hilda's flat mate at the time) nor Emma Perkins (a prominent brothel madame) seem to have changed their stories. A break through for the police comes when they discover that Emma is lying about her son, whom she claimed died. It comes to light that he was institutionalised after suffering some traumatic experience in his teen years - about the time of the trial.

'The Homicide police also discover evidence that Dulci had been blackmailing Emma. When they arrive at her house they find Dulci very willing to talk, after Emma had made an attempt on her life. It seems that she killed Hilda after finding her in bed with her son. Detective Redford goes to arrest Emma but she tries to run for it and is fatally injured when she runs in front of a car.'

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):

'LAURIE FIELDING: Average height and build, longish hair, lower middle-class accent. Can look after himself in a fight. He's on remand for his first serious crime but already has a record of petty crimes like shoplifting, illegal use, common assault. Laurie is inured to the fact that his Dad was a killer and was hanged. Public reaction to the hanging gave him his start as "victim of society". He's worn the mantle well and developed an enormous chip of his shoulder [sic]. He is the victim of his own weakness.

'MRS. ANNE FIELDING: Close to 60, emaciated. Few scenes and little dialogue but a convincing dying woman.

'MRS. EMMA PERKINS: Fitzroy boarding -house [sic] keeper. Around 60, but physically big, a powerful woman in her time, a bland liar capable of portraying self-pity when required.

'DULCIE TRAVERS: Late 40's. Surprisingly well-spoken and a handsome woman. She has been a beauty but now tends towards butch. A one-time whore she got out out of the business after her friend Hilda was murdered. Like many of her kind she has developed a loathing for men in the sexual sense and seeks the company of lonely women. She convincingly withholds the truth to suit her own ends.

'BARNEY PERKINS: One scene. No dialogue. Late thirties. A vegetable.

'FR. COGHLAN: Mid-30's. Is known to Lawson from past association.

'SNATCHER BENNET: Around 50. Habitual crim but a small timer. Has spent most of his adult life in Pentridge. He's a crim because it's the only thing he can do and he's not much good at that. Small, lightly built, A likeable rogue. [sic]

'PRISON OFFICER (HORTON): About 40, tall and heavily built. Ideally a regional English accent.

'PRISON OFFICER (INTERVIEW ROOM): As above. No dialogue.

'SUSPECT: One scene.

'NURSE: A nun in the hospital where Mrs. Fielding breathes her last. Few scenes. Little dialogue.

'DR. SAYERS: A pompous psychiatrist in his mid 40's. Two heavy dialogue scenes.

'STARK: Average heavy crim. Thinks he's tough until Laurie Fielding starts handing it out.

'DRIVER: Middle-aged truckie. One scene. Some dialogue. Ideally Southern European.

'PLAINCLOTHES DETECTIVES: (TWO): No dialogue. Seen briefly in flashback to 1953.

'HILDA CUNNINGHAM: Dead on arrival in script. Seen in flashback to 1953.

'MEN IN REMAND YARD (FIVE): Seedy collection of petty crims.

'2 PRISONERS (DIGGERS)'.