AustLit

'A reformed crim - and old friend of Ryan's - is caught breaking into a factory and shot dead by the security guard, but Ryan stubbornly refuses to believe that he was involved in anything illegal.

'The friend's widow is interrogated and beaten by a man posing as a police detective and Ryan pulls out all the stops. He quizzes the security guard and alienates the police, upsets the factory owner and treads on all sorts of toes in an effort to clear his friend's name. He is treading on more dangerous toes than he realises. It isn't a simple factory break-in - Ryan has stumbled into the middle of preparations for a gang war - and both sides see him as a threat to be removed.'

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):

'SHIRLEY GREEN: She's in her mid-to-late 20's. She's not pretty but is sympathetic. Had a very bad car accident once - no sign of injury but she now wears a wig. Very conscious of this when agitated. Has suffered from deadening of her personality, depression. Joe brought her out of this.

'DAVE FERGUSSON: 40ish. Heavy build, an ugly, dull, stupid man. Works as a security guard - not in uniform. Has criminal tendencies, wants to get rich. Kills a man the way most people would kill a rabbit. Able to drive.

'MAX MILLER: 40ish. A hard man, has served plenty of time in prison where he would have been number 2 or 3 in the hierarchy. Some intelligence. A lot of ambition, wants power, wants to take over the Melbourne gangs. But knows deep down he hasn't quite got what it takes.

'REGINALD CHURCH: 50ish. Church is 'the man'. Once a very tough standover man, he displayed brains, relished his work and rose fast. Totally treacherous. Now he's No. 1 in Melbourne, with all the power he wants, but always totally watchful, always afraid of losing his position. Has a veneer of style, but the rough edges show. Well dressed, but no taste for anything that isn't conservative. He got where he is by being largely unnoticed in the early days, and likes to keep it that way. Able to drive.

'SERGEANT HENRY CULLEN: Cullen, an established character is [sic] heavily built, a slow, careful and ambitious policeman. His ability doesn't match his ambition. No love for Ryan - or for many other people.

'JACK JONES: 30ish. Solid. Looks like a cop - short haired. A flat-nosed useful heavy who likes to take orders. Tough, but Ryan is too tough for him. Able to drive.

'HARRY FISHER: A nice crim, really. 29ish, slim build, some brains but not really enough guts to get near to top. Drives well, and is attached to Miller. Believes in him. Able to drive.

'CHARLIE BELL: 35ish. Squat build, a "pom" with an accent - Midlands probably. He and Fisher make a good brains/brawn team, but separated they're not so reliable. Able to drive.

'JOE GREEN: 30ish. A small man, a small time crim, anxious about everything until he met and married Shirley. Loves her. Needs her. So he reformed. But he has associated with Miller in prison, knows too much and has to die - puzzled, alone and frightened.

'WOOD: Petty crim. Thirties. One scene.

'2 DETECTIVE EXTRAS:

'POLICE EXTRA:

'2 SECURITY GUARDS:

'DRIVER:

'POLICE DRIVER:

'SPEEDBOAT DRIVER'.