John Stanton

We're currently able to see John Stanton in a relatively minor role in The Doctor Blake Mysteries, on TV. Which reminds at least one of us of some of the film work he has done earlier. For me, it's an opportunity to write once again about Margot Nash's remarkable 1995 film, Vacant Possession. Stanton usually plays some kind of tough or bad guy. In this, he is a malevolent figure, but one who has been produced by his past, and not intrinsically evil. He has what we would now call PTSD, and is suffering from some kind of illusion when he performs a destructive act. It's a very strong character, and a memorable one.

Phar Lap (Simon Wincer, 1983) prod. John Sexton for John Sexton Productions, Michael Edgley International, wr. David Williamson, dp Russell Boyd ed. Tony Paterson, music Bruce Rowland, design Larry Eastwood, ed. Tony Paterson; Vincent Ball, Tom Burlinson, Celia de Burgh, Ron Leibman, Judy Morris, John Stanton, Martin Vaughan; Eastman colour, 35mm, 118 min.

Kitty and the Bagman (Donald Crombie, 1983) prod. Anthony Buckley for Forest Home Films for Adams Packer Film Productions, wr. John Burnie, Phillip Cornford, dp Dean Semler, music Brian May, design Owen Williams, ed. Timothy Wellburn; Liddy Clark, Reg Evans, John Ewart, Val Lehman, Colette Mann, Gerard McGuire, John Stanton; comedy drama set Sydney 1920s, feud between two crime queens; colour, Panavision, 35mm, 98 min.

Naked Country, The (Tim Burstall, 1985) aka Morris West's The Naked Country; prod. Ross Dimsey for Naked Country Productions, wr. Tim Burstall, Ross Dimsey, from novel by Morris West, dp David Eggby, music Bruce Smeaton, design Philip Warner, ed. Tony Paterson; John Stanton, Rebecca Gilling, Ivar Kants, Tommy Lewis; Charters Towers, Qld; colour, 35mm, 90 min.

Day of the Panther (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1988) prod. Damien Parer, wr. Peter West, dp Simon Akkerman, 84 min. Edward John Stazak, John Stanton, Jim Richards, Michael Carmen, Zale Daniel, Paris Jefferson; martial arts master Jason Blade is sent from Hong Kong to Perth [WA] to deal with drug lord Stanton; first Jason Blade feature is traditional well-staged action; followed by sequel Fists of Blood

Fists of Blood (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1988) aka The Strike of the Panther, prod. Damien Parer, wr. Peter West, Ranald Allan, dp Simon Akkerman; Edward John Stazak, John Stanton, Rowena Wallace, Paris Jefferson, Zale Daniel, Jim Richards; second Jason Blade feature has our hero on the trail of recently escaped adversary Richards, who has shanghaied Blade's girlfriend; routine chop-socky actioner is a sequel to Day of the Panther; 84 min.

Vacant Possession (Margot Nash, 1995) 95 min.; Pamela Rabe, John Stanton, Toni Scanlan, Linden Wilkinson, Rita Bruce, Olivia Patten as Millie, who provides the commentary on the actual relationship of white and black; John Stanton, the father, has PTSD or 'shell-shock', following WW2 air crash with loss of crew; 95 min.

Lookalike, The (Richard Gray, 2014) wr. Michele Davis-Gray, dp Thomas Scott Stanton; Justin Long, John Corbett, Gillian Jacobs; crime

New: 13 July, 2016 | Now: 6 January, 2020 | garrygillard[at]gmail.com