Stone (Sandy Harbutt, 1974) Sandy Harbutt, Hedon Productions, wr. Sandy Harbutt, Michael Robinson, dp Graham Lind, design Tim Storrier, music Billy Green, ed. Ian Barry; Ken Shorter (Stone), Sandy Harbutt (Undertaker), Deryck Barnes (Doctor Townes), Hugh Keays-Byrne (Toad), Roger Ward (Hooks), Vincent Gil (Dr Death), Slim de Grey, Rebecca Gilling, Bill Hunter, Harry Lawrence, Sue Lloyd, Garry McDonald, Helen Morse, Ros Spiers, Owen Weingott; Stone is an undercover cop who infiltrates a bikie gang when several of its members are murdered; Sydney, colour, 35mm, 103 min.
A powerful film that I imagine bikies would like: it has real bikies in it. Tho Sandy Harbutt played a main part, as well as writing and directing it, it was the last film on which he ever worked.
The film emerged as a curious cross between a violent thriller and a sympathetic exploration of the gang's lifestyle. The action scenes ... and the heavy rock music were designed especially for young audiences. The Australian censors, however, gave it an R certificate for its violence, thereby cutting it off from a large part of the youth market ...
The distributors, BEF, arranged a world premiere on 28 June 1974 at the Forum Theatre, Sydney, with guests ranging from amused bikies to government ministers, and with strong promotion it went on to make a profit for the government investment body within eighteen months. Pike & Cooper: 278-279.
Garry Gillard | New: 22 November, 2012 | Now: 27 December, 2019