Mad Dog Morgan (1976)

Director:

Philippe Mora

Writers:

Philippe Mora (screenplay)
Margaret Carnegie (book)

Release Date:

9 July 1976 (Australia)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | History | Western

Tagline:

In the autumn of 1865 the unique and notorious desperado, bushranger Dan Morgan, crossed the Murray River from New South Wales into Victoria to do battle with the law for the last time. What happened has been a secret for over 100 years. And so it should have been, if only to save face for the corrupt and hated colonial establishment of the day. This then is the fascinating tale, told for the first time, of the romantic and extraordinary villain they called Mad Dog Morgan.

Plot:

The true story of Irish outlaw Daniel Morgan, who is wanted, dead or alive, in Australia during the 1850s.

Plot Keywords:

1850s | Outlaw | Australia | Prison | Murder

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Dennis Hopper	...	Daniel Morgan
Jack Thompson	...	Detective Manwaring
David Gulpilil	...	Billy
Frank Thring	...	Supt. Cobham
Michael Pate	...	Supt. Winch
Wallas Eaton	...	MacPherson (as Wallace Eaton)
Bill Hunter	...	Sgt. Smith
John Hargreaves	...	Baylis
Martin Harris	...	Wendlan
Robin Ramsay	...	Roget
Graeme Blundell	...	Italian Jack
Gregory Apps	...	Arthur
Liza Lee-Atkinson	...	Barmaid
Elaine Baillie	...	Farm Girl
Don Barkham	...	Morrow
Kurt Beimel	...	Dr. Dobbyn
David Bracks	...	McLean
Liddy Clark	...	Alice
Peter Collingwood	...	Judge Barry
Peter Cummins	...	Gibson
John Derum	...	Evans
Gerry Duggan	...	Martin
Max Fairchild	...	Prisoner
Chuck Faulkner	...	Sgt. Montford
Judith Fisher	...	Mrs. Warby
Alan Hardy	...	Bob
Isobel Harley	...	Mrs. Macpherson
David John	...	John Evans
Norman Kaye	...	Swagman
Hugh Keays-Byrne	...	Simon
Kevin Leslie	...	Maples
Robert McDarra	...	Parole Officer
David Mitchell	...	Haley
Christopher Pate	...	Roget's Assistant
Grant Page	...	Sgt. Maginnity
Philip Ross	...	Watson
Bruce Spence	...	Heriot
Peter Thompson	...	Mayor
Roger Ward	...	Trooper
Ken Weaver	...	Bond
Harold Baigent	...	Extra
Clare Balmford	...	Old Whitley Woman
Natalie Bate	...	Young Whitley Woman
Tony Bazell	...	Extra
Bill Bennett	...	Extra
John Bowman	...	Extra
Tom Broadbridge	...	Extra
David Buckland	...	Extra
John Cousins	...	Extra
Gail Evens	...	Mrs. Walby
Reg Evans	...	Bob
Cliff Ellen	...	Extra
Tom Farley	...	Extra
Jon Finlayson	...	Extra
John Gaden	...	Extra
Andrew Gilmore	...	Extra
Ken Grant	...	Extra
Fred Greenwood	...	Extra
Donald Kerr	...	Extra (as Don Kerr)
Jeremy Kewley	...	Gideon MacPherson
Harry Lister	...	McIntosh
Gerard Maguire	...	Rutherford
Gary Meadows	...	Extra
Dennis Miller	...	Extra
Warwick Randall	...	Extra
Arthur Rudkin	...	Extra
Peter Sherwood	...	Extra
John Smythe	...	Extra
Elsie Wishart	...	Alice
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Steve Rackman	...	Prison Cellmate (uncredited)

Directed by
Philippe Mora

Writing credits
Philippe Mora		(screenplay)
Margaret Carnegie		(book "Morgan: The Bold Bushranger")

Produced by
Richard Brennan	....	associate producer
Jeremy Thomas	....	producer

Original Music by
Patrick Flynn

Cinematography by
Mike Molloy		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Scott
Scott Sousa		(additional editing) (2009 DVD Release) (uncredited)

Production Design by
Bob Hilditch

Art Direction by
Bob Hilditch

Costume Design by
Bruce Finlayson

Makeup Department
Patricia Cunliffe	....	second makeup artist (as Trish Cunliffe)
Willi Kenrick	....	hairdresser (as William Kenrick)
Liz Michie	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Peter Beilby	....	production supervisor
Richard Brennan	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Lake	....	assistant director
Chris Maudson	....	second assistant director
William Mora	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Barry Adler	....	property buyer
Danny Burnett	....	construction manager
Ivan Durrant	....	special artwork
Mont Fieguth	....	property master (as Monte Fieguth)
Robert Jones	....	stand-by props
David Munro	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Bob Cogger	....	dubbing editor
Peter Fenton	....	sound mixer
Andre Fleuren	....	assistant dubbing editor
Ken Hammond	....	sound recordist
Joe Spinelli	....	boom operator

Stunts
Grant Page	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Brian Bansgrove	....	gaffer
Angus Forbes	....	still photographer
Paul Gantner	....	best boy
Ron Horner	....	camera operator: second unit
Graeme Mardell	....	key grip
Robert Marden	....	clapper loader
Noel McDonald	....	grip
Simon Perton	....	electrician (as Simon Purtin)
Ian Plummer	....	electrician
Peter Rogers	....	focus puller
John Seale	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Wendy Robinson	....	assistant wardrobe

Editorial Department
Margaret Cardin	....	negative matcher
Peter Whitmore	....	assistant editor

Music Department
David Gulpilil	....	musician: didgeridoo
Danny Spooner	....	musician: traditional music

Other crew
Gilda Baracchi	....	continuity (as Gilda Barachi)
Ruth Beazley	....	assistant wrangler
Margaret Carnegie	....	additional researcher
S.T. Gill	....	title backgrounds
Ken Grant	....	wrangler
Vicki Grant	....	assistant wrangler
Neville Lowe	....	location liaison
Geoffrey Pollock	....	production accountant
Penelope Wells	....	secretary
Jenny Woods	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• Mad Dog
• Motion Picture Productions

Distributors

• Z (1976) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Cinema Shares International Distribution (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Succéfilm AB (????) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Look Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Troma Entertainment (2009) (worldwide) (DVD) (special edition)
• Troma Team Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (worldwide) (all media)

Other Companies

• Optical & Graphics  titles
• United Sound  music recording
• United Sound  sound mix

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:102 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:18 | Australia:MA (Special Edition DVD) | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Finland:K-16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Australia

Company:

Mad Dog

Trivia:

The meaning and relevance of this film's title is that it refers to the known-name of the 19th Century Australian Bush-Ranger "Mad Dog Morgan".

Goofs:

Factual errors: The end credits show the copyright date in roman numerals that is incorrect. They are displayed as MCMDXXVI, but for 1976 they should be MCMLXXVI.

Quotes:

Supt. Cobham:By all means, off with his head... and don't forget the scrotum.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008)

A "lost" Australian 70s classic with one of Dennis Hopper's best performances.

I've been searching for this movie for years, and now thanks to a recent DVD release here in Australia I've finally been able to see it. And best of all, it's a bloody good movie! 'Mad Dog Morgan' was made in Dennis Hooper's "wilderness" years where his reputation and behaviour meant that mainstream Hollywood was too nervous to employ him. During this period he made some of his most interesting movies, often overseas, with some of his bravest and most honest performances. Movies like 'Tracks', 'Bloodbath', 'The American Friend' and this one. Sadly little seen and rarely talked about. Hopper plays Irish immigrant turned bushranger (that's outlaw to non-Australians) Daniel Morgan, hero to the more famous folk hero Ned Kelly. Hopper, by the look of him in the 25 minute documentary included on the DVD, could out drink and drug Robert Downey Jr and Christian Slater combined and STILL give a remarkable performance. Hopper is helped by a supporting cast of the (then) cream of Aussie acting, most of whom are probably not all that known to overseas audiences apart from Jack Thompson, and maybe David Gulpilil ('Walkabout', 'The Tracker'), Bill Hunter ('Newsfront', 'Muriel's Wedding') and the legendary Frank Thring ('Ben-Hur', 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'). Director, Australian ex-pat Philippe Mora, went on to an eclectic and eccentric career which included cult favourites 'The Beast Within' and 'Communion'. 'Mad Dog Morgan' is one of the most underrated and overlooked movies ever made in Australia and deserves to be rediscovered.