Ned Kelly (1970 film)
| Ned Kelly | |
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 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Tony Richardson |
| Produced by | Neil Hartley |
| Written by | Ian Jones Tony Richardson |
| Starring | Mick Jagger Mark McManus |
| Music by | Shel Silverstein |
| Cinematography | Gerry Fisher |
| Editing by | Charles Rees |
| Studio | Woodfall Film Productions |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | October 7, 1970 |
| Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £1 million |
| Box office | $808,000 |
Ned Kelly is a 1970 British-Australian biographical (and part musical) film. It was the seventh Australian feature film version of the story of 19th century Australian bushranger Ned Kelly. It is notable for being the first Kelly film to be shot in colour.
The film was directed by Tony Richardson, and starred Mick Jagger in the title role. Scottish-born actor Mark McManus played the part of Kelly's friend Joe Byrne. It was a British production, but was filmed entirely in Australia, shot mostly around Braidwood in southern New South Wales, with a largely Australian supporting cast.
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[edit] Cast
- Mick Jagger as Ned Kelly
- Mark McManus as Joe Byrne
- Clarissa Kaye as Mrs. Kelly
- Ken Goodlet as Supt. Nicholson
- Frank Thring as Judge Barry
- Bruce Barry as George King
- Tony Bazell as Mr. Scott
- Allen Bickford as Dan Kelly
- Robert Bruning as Sgt. Steele
- Alexander Cann as McInnes
[edit] Production
The making of the film was dogged by problems; even before production began, the Actors' Equity and some of Kelly's descendants protested strongly about the casting of Jagger in the lead role, and about the film's proposed shooting location in country NSW, rather than in Victoria, where the Kellys had lived.
Jagger's girlfriend of the time, Marianne Faithfull, had come to Australia to play the lead female role (Ned's sister, Maggie), but the Jagger-Faithfull relationship was breaking up, and she took an overdose of sleeping tablets soon after arrival in Sydney.[1] She was hospitalised in a coma, but recovered and was sent home. She was replaced by a then-unknown Australian actress, Diane Craig. During production, Jagger was slightly injured by a backfiring pistol, the cast and crew were dogged by illness, a number of costumes were destroyed by fire, and Jagger's co-star, Mark McManus, narrowly escaped serious injury when a horse-drawn cart in which he was riding overturned during filming.
The actual body armour costume worn by Jagger is on display at the Queanbeyan City Library, NSW, and the initials "MJ" are scratched on the inside.[2] The head-piece was stolen.
According to Kevin Brownlow, Ian McKellen was originally set to play the lead but the producers went for Mick Jagger.[3]
Unlike most film versions, this is the first Ned Kelly film to feature the writing of "The Cameron Letter", one of Kelly's lesser known and rarely published letters that was written to Donald Cameron MLA, a political representative in The Parliament of Victoria at the time. The letter was Kelly's first attempt to gain public sympathy. However, Kelly's well-known letter, The Jerilderie Letter, is omitted from the film.[4]
[edit] Reception
The film was poorly received at its opening, and is still regarded as one of Richardson's least successful efforts. It was effectively disowned by Richardson and Jagger, neither of whom attended the London premiere.
[edit] Box office
Ned Kelly grossed $808,000 at the box office in Australia,[5] which is equivalent to $7,716,400 in 2009 dollars.
[edit] Soundtrack
The Ned Kelly soundtrack features music composed by Shel Silverstein and performed by Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings, with one solo track sung by Jagger.
[edit] Track listing
- Waylon Jennings – "Ned Kelly"
- "Such is Life"
- Mick Jagger – "The Wild Colonial Boy"
- "What Do You Mean I Don’t Like"
- Kris Kristofferson – "Son of a Scoundrel"
- Waylon Jennings – "Shadow of the Gallows"
- "If I Ever Kill"
- Waylon Jennings – "Lonigan's Widow"
- Kris Kristofferson – "Stoney Cold Ground"
- "Ladies and Gentlemen"
- Kris Kristofferson – "The Kelly’s Keep Comin'"
- Waylon Jennings – "Ranchin' in the Evenin'"
- "Say"
- Waylon Jennings – "Blame it on the Kellys"
- Waylon Jennings – "Pleasures of a Sunday Afternoon"
- Tom Ghent – "Hey Ned"
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Paphides, Pete (6 March 2009). "Marianne Faithfull makes peace with her past - Times Online". London: timesonline.co.uk. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article5852810.ece. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
- ^ "Queanbeyan City Council". www.qcc.nsw.gov.au. http://www.qcc.nsw.gov.au/page.aspx?page=3773. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
- ^ p. 38 Welsh, James Michael & Tibbetts, John C. The Cinema of Tony Richardson: Essays and Interviews SUNY Press, 1999
- ^ http://www.kellygang.asn.au/people/peC/cameronDMLA.html at http://www.kellygang.asn.au/people/peC/cameronDMLA.html
- ^ Film Victoria - Australian Films at the Australian Box Office
[edit] External links
- Ned Kelly at the Internet Movie Database
- Ned Kelly at AllRovi
- Ned Kelly at Rotten Tomatoes
- Ned Kelly (1970 film) at the National Film and Sound Archive
Gaunson, Stephen (2010), ‘International Outlaws: Ned Kelly, Tony Richardson and the International co-production’, Studies in Australasian Cinema, Special Issue: ‘Australian International Pictures’, (eds) Adrian Danks and Constantine Verevis, 4.3, p. 253-263
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