AustLit

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'GORDON HAYES: 30. A world star. One of the older generation of English rock singers, he's clung on through eight or nine years of high-spots and crashes; has been written off three or four times yet always managed to come back and crash once more. A stormy, tempestuous, self-destructive career through a hundred hotel rooms. The rumours are that he's a wreck - permanently smashed and drowning his talent in booze and dope. The intellectual rock-newspapers might say that he has some kind of death wish making him live out the blues in the tradition of Billie Holliday [sic] and Janis Joplin; a psychiatrist would define it as clinical depression with personality defects typical of drug abusers or alcoholics. The man himself is quiet, almost shy - a little shell-shocked and very close to the end of the road. The strength of his own ego has long since left him; much of his self confidence is destroyed. The trace of an English provincial accent would be nice.

'ELLY SULLIVAN: Elise Clare Sullivan. 24. An intelligent, articulate, well-spoken Australian girl born in Toorak and now a very high-class groupie. She became involved with the group scene in London three or four years ago when it was fashionable. Two years ago she started with Hayes. It wasn't very hard to find the things he needed from her, she could provide them more supportively than most and now he is dependent on her in much the same way as he is his dope and booze. She's the only one that can get through to him when he hits a low, but her feelings for the singer are only superficial and professional. She has used herself and her closeness to Hayes to obtain for herself those things that intellectually she would put down, but, in fact, finds totally rewarding - ie. power, glamour, status, travel and her own money. For some time now she has realised that the ship is sinking and is seeking her chance to desert. A cold, sexual attractiveness.

'ALEX ROBERTSON: Mid-thirties. Hayes' manager for a very long time and through all the crisies [sic] that have beset the singer's career. Big, blustering, loud-mouthed, grabbing - but also a worrier. An expert at splitting oppositions, running press conferences, making statements and keeping the whole myth turning over. But he can't turn it off in private. He's hell to know personally and will continue to try and make deals with people's emotions. Two unsuccessful marriages. He's scared of failure catching up with him. He's insecure and what makes it worse is that he knows he's flogging a dead horse with Hayes. He fears that if Hayes is finished, so too is he but at the same time is ever-watchful, ever-suspicious of the take-over bid. Those who know him dismiss him as paranoid. Totally demanding of everyone he is connected with - most of all Hayes. Possibly American.

'INSPECTOR GEORGE BEATTY: COMMONWEALTH POLICE: Late forties/early fifties. An ex-Victoria police detective and friend of Lawson. Known to White. An easy, perhaps too undemanding friendly guy, liked by most police who work with him. A little world-weary and tired. Smokes his pipe whenever he can. In need of glasses but won't buy any although the Commonwealth Police Regulations are not strict on this point and he feels foolish holding papers seven inches from his face. A bit of a worrier about his health in other respects. Slack dresser.

'SUSAN BRICE: 19 or younger. English. Another groupie. Blonde. Susan's nowhere near as complicated as Elly - quite a few notes down the scale. She's been around bands since she was 15 because she's warm, cuddley [sic], sexy, and does what she's told. Since she's been with groups, she's got into mysticism, yoga and the I-Ching but she hasn't the intellect for any deep understanding of them and they have merely become a religious fill-in. Most of the time she stays her warm accommodating self. But she can see through Elly - she feels that what Gordon needs is the gut level sincerity of giving emotion that Elly lacks. That's why Susan's so good. She's sincere about every guy she's with.

'MARION STEWART: 22. A female customs officer. Uniformed. Bright and aware. Aware enough to know about rock music and Gordon Hayes [sic] position in it. Bright enough to turn her conversation with Deegan into a mild flirtation. Attractive in a clean uniformed sort of way.

'DETECTIVE INSPECTOR LEO SCOFIELD: SCOTLAND YARD'S FRAUD SQUAD: One of those middle class English policemen whose education and bearing seem to be ideally suited for the thick-carpeted world of the fraud squad. His appearance is that of the business-man with just a trace of the dandy.

'FRANK LOWTHER: 50's. A senior official in the Department of Immigration, stationed at Tullamarine airport. A composite of the number of officials who would be involved in the case, Lowther is ex-services, straight and one who keeps exactly to the rule book. Something about his unyielding personality should clash with Lawson.

'DENNY CONNELL: 27. Murder victim. The group's rhythm-guitarist. Which ever way you look at it, Connell was a heavy personality. That mildly satanic aura that some personalities cultivate. A manipulator. Not for one moment had any part of the pop scene got out of his control. You would have thought that he was a natural survivor.

'HAYES' GROUP (4): No dialogue but some playing requires. An 'actuals' Group? Minimum of four members.

'IRENE BEATTY: George Beatty's house-wife. Fifties.

'MARIE: A third groupie travelling with Hayes and the Band. A Black or Oriental girl would be ideal.

'WENDY: Another groupie (not travelling with the Band). A friend of Susan's and of about the same age or even younger. A fragile looking girl.

'AIRPORT WORKER: Old fella. Cleans out the conveniences at Tullamarine Airport. Probably called Dan.

'SECOND FEMALE CUSTOMS OFFICER: Late thirties.

'TELEVISION ANNOUNCER: Voice only.

'#1 UNIFORMED COMMONWEALTH POLICEMAN: On guard in first aid room. No Dialogue.

'#2 UNIFORMED COMMONWEALTH POLICEMAN: On guard in reception lounge and detention room.

'2 AMERICAN PRESS INTERVIEWERS AT THE AMERICAN PRESS CONFERENCE: Voice-overs only. American accents.

'RADIO ANNOUNCERS #1, #2: Voice-overs only.

'TELEPHONE OPERATOR AT LAWSON'S LONDON HOTEL: Voice over.

'GARY: Voice over.

'BUSKER: Very old, small grubby man, battered hat, moustache and seven days growth of beard.'