There was a time when more Australians would have seen this theatre adaptation than actually read the famous novel. (Or at least a version of it.) It's been jazzed up and changed considerably: they've taken a cop and turned him into a villain who tries to man-handle the Marston's sister (a la Kate Kelly); there is a nice police officer who admires Starlight; Starlight is now a member of the English gentry who came to Australia because he took the blame for a crime committed by another member of his family (a la For the Term of His Natural Life); two comic Irish cops are added; Starlight is allowed to live to marry Aileen.
A lot of this is a mess - it's a jolt to introduce the Morrison sisters; momentum feels lost when Starlight seems to be killed and then Dick escapes. But the addition of a villainous copper works, Moran remains a strong antagonist, there's some great bits like Aileen pulling a gun on some people. The boring character of George (the "contrast with the life of crime" character) is still there - did anyone consider turning him into a villain? Plenty of action and incident - you can see how audiences would have liked it. A lot more successful than the 1957 version. This was the basis of a now-lost silent film adaptation.
No comments:
Post a Comment