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person or book cover
Illustrated script cover page (from the Crawford Collection at the AFI Research Collection)
form y separately published work icon Strike Me Die Benson single work   film/TV   crime   children's  
Issue Details: First known date: 1975... 1975 Strike Me Die Benson
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

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

'BILL BENSON 70 Years old [sic]. Known locally as "Strike Me Die" Benson, also known for his penchant for malapropisms. An old royalist and member of the ninth division in the first world war [sic]. He tries to appear stern and ornery most of the time but this is just a cover for a lonely old man. He loves his dog "Sergeant" but tries not to allow this to show, he treats him like a soldier of the lower rank.

'HARRY RILEY 45 years old. From Melbourne. A mean, weasly, sour-faced looking individual. Flashily dressed, he thinks all country people are hicks. Only one thing in life is important and that's Harry Riley.

'VERA RILEY 40 years old. From Melbourne. A plain looking woman, would probably still be single except that she decided that Harry was better than having no husband at all. She is completely dominated by him.

[...]

'SERGEANT Benson's dog. A large animal, slightly scruffy looking. Probably an Alsation cross breed.'

Notes

  • This entry has been compiled from archival research in the Crawford Collection (AFI Research Collection), undertaken by Dr Catriona Mills under the auspices of the 2012 AFI Research Collection (AFIRC) Research Fellowship: see The Writer in Australian Television History.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

      1975 .
      person or book cover
      Script cover page (from the Crawford Collection at the AFI Research Collection)
      Extent: 22p.
      (Manuscript) assertion
      Note/s:
      • The Crawford Collection holds two copies of the script, both labelled 'Code: 12513'. Both have two cover pages: an illustrated outer cover page and a second cover page giving crew information and episode duration. Neither shows any indication of to whom this copy of the script was designated.
      • Copy 1 has 'Serious Trouble' (the title of episode three) written in the top right-hand corner of the illustrated cover page in red ink. This copy of the script is annotated throughout with red ink, seemingly in the same hand as the red ink annotations on episodes 1-4. The annotations are alterations to dialogue and deletions of scenes/sections of scenes. These annotations are consistent and fairly heavy throughout the script.
      • Copy 2 shows no signs of annotation.
      • The file contains the following ancillary material:
        1. Cast list: a type-written cast list, with no confidential information.
        2. 7pp. copy of the script stripped to nothing but dialogue, copied on white paper. This script incorporates the alterations to dialogue made in copy 1 above. The episode title is given as 'Strike Me Benson' on this script.

      Holdings

      Held at: AFI Research Collection
      Local Id: SC SOL : 5
      Note:
      AFI Research Collection record
Note: The script's cover page gives Hardy as director, Mills as first assistant director, and Wright as second assistant director.
VIEW PUBLICATION DETAILS FOR ALL VERSIONS ()
Last amended 30 May 2013 15:05:45
Rod Hardy
Stewart Wright
Mick Mills
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