Today’s movie is a biographical drama with a scene that happens
on June 28. I hope you will watch this film tonight and enjoy it.
NED KELLY
Ned Kelly goes through a jailhouse marriage and after
being visited by his mother is hung. We then flashback to when Ned was released
from jail after serving three years for a stealing a horse, even though he said
he was innocent. His family celebrates. Ned is arrested while drunk and beats
up four constables who were trying to cuff him. He gets off with a fine.
Practice at the time was that animals found on other people’s land were
impounded and the owner had to pay a large sum to get them back. When a horse
belonging to his step-father is impounded, Ned visits the impound lot, steals
all the animals there and later sells them . Constable Fitzpatrick comes to
arrest Ned’s brother Dan for horse-stealing and tries to make “advances’ on
Ned’s sister Maggie and there is a fight. Fitzpatrick leaves and a whole army
of constables comes and arrests Ned’s mother. Ned offers to turn himself in if
his mother is released, but this offer is refused. Four constables track Ned.
He gets the drop on McIntyre, who surrenders and one is killed. McIntyre agrees
to tell other two to surrender if Ned will agree not to shoot them. Ned agrees.
McIntyre tells others to surrender, but they do not and a firefight begins. The
other two are killed, but McIntyre escapes. Ned’ and his gang are outlawed,,
allowing anyone to kill them on sight. Ned starts robbing banks. He writes a
letter setting out his case to Donald Cameron, M.P. The police arrest all of
those who sympathise with Ned without charge and hold them in jail. Ned and his
gang take over a police station and impersonating the officers, rob the bank
and burn their mortgages. The sympathizers are released. The constabulary bring
in Aborigines to track Ned, but can’t find him. Ned kills Aaron Sherrit, a
police spy. Ned goes to Glenrowan and pulls up the railroad tracks, planning to
cause the wreck of a train loaded with constables and then shoot them while Ned
and his gang wear their homemade armor. The gang takes hostages, but after
Thomas Curnow persuades Ned to release him he races to warn the train, so it
does not wreck. Constables surround the inn where Ned and his gang are holed up
and a firefight begins. At dawn on June 28, 1880 [1:22:51 to 1:39:33] the
hostages are released, while Ned marches alone towards the police. Dozens shoot
at him and eventually hit his unprotected legs and he is arrested. Ned is
convicted and sentenced to death.
Jagger gives a very good
performance as the outlaw hero. This film definitely paints Ned Kelly with
sympathy and it appears from the film that he may be entitled to some. The
authorities, in part are influenced by anti-Irish bias did not treat the Kellys
very well.
Ned Kelly by John Molony (Melbourne University Press,
Carlton South, Vic., 2001) at pages 169-179 and 183 tells us about Ned’s arrest
on this day
Producer - Neil Hartley
Director - Tony Richardson
Runtime – 1 hour 46 minutes
Released – October 7, 1970
Starring –
Mick Jagger as Ned Kelly
Geoff Gilmour as Steve Hart
Mark McManus as Joe Byrne
Serge Lazareff as Wild Wright
Peter Sumner as Tom Lloyd
Ken Shorter as Aaron Sherritt
James Elliot as Pat O'Donnell
Clarissa Kaye as Mrs. Kelly
Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014.
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