AustLit

'Bluey hounded "Mack" McKenna until, in desperation, he moved his criminal operations across the Victorian border where N.S.W. police quickly shot him into Long Bay Gaol for five years - nearly two thousand days to allow Mack's hatred of Bluey to fester; two thousand days in which to plan his revenge. And now, Mack's back!

'With time to think, Mack has matured. Whereas once he would have enjoyed putting a bullet in Bluey's back in some quiet alley on a dark night, now he wants his adversary to suffer first. He wants Bluey to endure the ignominy of watching him expand his operations into a criminal empire ... wants Bluey to suffer the torments of seeing his associates tortured and done away with - while all the time Mack remains outside the reaches of the law, safe from detection.

'And Mack's scheme has all the hallmarks of success about it. Bluey's assistant, Detective Gary Dawson, is marked down for death and falls hopelessly into McKenna's clutches.

'Terry Carter, a reformed crim who finds within himself the courage to defy McKenna and "talk" to Bluey, meets a similar fate.

'Bluey is forced to realise you can't win 'em all - but having to lose one to McKenna is more than he can come to terms with. The situation quickly simplifies itself into a matter of "him or me" - Mack or Bluey!'

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):

'TERRY CARTER: About 40, Carter is a hard worker who made one mistake in his life: he received stolen property. Since then he has mended his ways, worked hard and tried to forget it. He owns a nice little business - a motor repairs works. Car driving required.

'JEAN CARTER: Terry's wife, about the same age. She, too, has struggled to forget Terry's mistake. She tries a little too hard to keep Terry up to scratch and eventually learns it's not all as simple as it looks. A highly nervous soul who falls to pieces once things really start to go wrong.

'"MACK" McKENNA: About 50, a somewhat different crook. He has a happy, open face and a smile is his trade mark. He has the slightest trace of an accent, Irish. Mack was chased by Bluey many years ago and had to leave Victoria rather hurriedly for N.S.W. where, because of his lack of knowledge of local conditions, he quickly got himself five years in Long Bay. Car driving required.

'KENNETH JOHN PALMER: A crook, late 30's, a great Lieutenant who knows his limitations and, realising he'll never make General, he is happy to work for Mack.

'DESMOND ARTHUR REED: A crook, early 30's. Palmer's "Sergeant". Happy in his service.

'DETECTIVE RAY NOBLE: Mid-30's, a member of the Homicide Squad who likes Bluey and works well with him - but with his happy disposition, Noble works in well with everyone.

'BARMAN: An efficient Barman who enjoys an association with the criminal element. One gets the impression he'll be a member of them one day.

'SERGEANT ROLLEY: A member of the Electronics Squad of the police force. Young, keen, efficient.

'BOY: A young kid who can ride a skateboard.

'ARSON SQUAD DETECTIVE: Been in the force a long time. Easy-going. Knows you can't win 'em all and is happy with those wins he does have.

'NON-SPEAKING DRIVER: A uniformed policeman who drives the Mobile Detection unit attached to the Electronics Department. Car driving required.

'MAXIE CHAMBERS: A crook heavily involved in the stolen car racket. We never see his face. Car driving required.

'PLAINCLOTHES POLICEMAN: Young. Must look like a policeman.

'VOICE OVER:

'RADIO ANNOUNCER:

'CONTROL: Attached to the Electronics Department of the police.'