They’re ‘shooting’ again in Graham country

Press, 26 February 1981, Page 17

They’re ‘shooting’ again in Graham country

HANS PETROVIC, our film writer, reports from Kowhitirangi on the West Coast about the filming of “Bad Blood;’ which is based on the Stanley Graham murders of 40 years ago.

The shooting of the Stanley Graham episode in New Zealand’s criminal history seems an unfortunate term for its re-enactment on film. But Southern Pictures, the • makers of “Bad Blood” frantically have been doing just that for seven weeks near Hokitika, and hope to lay it to rest within a few days. There are two sides to this story of murders and the ensuing manhunt: The killings actually happened on a sleepy section of the West Coast- in 1941; and now the shooting is on again for a faithful re-creation of what happened 40 years ago. Jenny Craven, Southern Picture’s go-between with curious outsiders, has summed up the story nicely for those who can't remember: “The Stanley Graham murders were a grim and bloody drama in rural New Zealand, a macabre local sideshow during World War 11. How Graham, a backwoods farmer, ran amuck with a gun, terrorised the community, killed seven men — including four policemen — and triggered New Zealand’s largest manhunt.” It all happened at Koiterangi, about 20 kilometres from Hokitika; and the place . has been renamed as Kowhi- i tirangi in a move to restore • corrupted Maori place names. Then, as now. the area is a simple farming community in a beautiful but remote part of the land — an iso-, lated valley caught between the Southern Alps and the deep blue sea. Visiting the site (or location) of filming is like walking into another time and place. In one section, there are a dozen hillbilly-type characters mooching about, smoking roll-your-own cigarettes and watching the bustle where the action is. One can't help but wonder whether they are film extras or “locals” watching the day’s fun. On second appraisal, though, they must belong to the film. Their haircuts are too short back-and-sides, noone really wears hats like, that anymore and what

about those peculiar blooc stains on their jackets? Mike Newell, the director is politely setting up one ol the major scenes, in whicli Graham (Jack shoots at unwanted visitors to his home and then dashes inside. Standing at the back of the house, out of the camera’s eye but looking through the hallway, I managed to hear a couple of blank rifle shots and see the actor (Thompson’ run in with his eyes still wild enough to hypnotise an astute chicken. This scene was filmed, and refilmed about four times. The Graham house was specially rebuilt about a dozen stones’ throws away from the Kowhitirangi. of today and is an uncanny likeness of the original — which was burnt down by the locals after Graham had been hunted down and shot. It is almost impossible to pick any differences between this humble homestead and photographs of the original — the chimney and the gate 1 posts lean at the same angle, the milk cans are strategically placed outside and the fencing wire is sitting on the front porch again. Andrew’ Brown, the producer of “Bad Blood,” takes particular pride in these au-> thentic re-creations. Facing the home is the Koiterangi hall, which is also a focal point for much of the film’s action, and further down the dirt road are the school, the church and the post office. The hall was brought all the way from Greymouth; the school facade hides the power generator, the place where they mix the technicolour blood and, where the blank ammunition man, Robin Cagney, works; the church, complete with pews and pulpit, came from Kaniere; and the very realistic post office used to be a reading room at Woodstock. , Andrew Brown also points

’ out that they were fortunate to find an unsealed road so close to Kowhitirangi, in what is basically a swamp area; and they put up old- • type telegraph poles along the road for added authenticity. ‘The Army, dressed up in World War II uniforms, also was there for about a week earlier’ this month to reenact their role in the manhunt for Graham. ' i This was also the time that ’ the Labour member of Par- ' liament for Avon (Mrs Mary Batchelor) said that Southern Pictures should have used the unemployed of Christchurch, instead of the Army, as extras. And this was one comment which made the usually jovial Andrew Brown see red. “It’s a political smokescreen to divert attention from the actual problem of unemployment,” Andrew said. “A remark like this really gets me angry. It : s a lot of sanctimonious claptrap. “’The Prime Minister at the time of the killings put all the resources of the country at disposal for use in the manhunt. Two hundred soldiers then helped with guard duty at the Graham- house, assisting the police, digging trenches, providing proper * latrines and manning the field kitchens.” For the Army’s co-opera-tion this time, the 2nd/lst Battalion of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment has been presented with a silver trophy for the battalion’s annual tug-of-war competition by Southern Pictures, and with a substantial contribution to the Army museum at Waiouru. Andrew said that the 50 Army personnel, from Burnham Military Camp were on the Coast “continuing their training and providing special skills for us.” The skills included the soldiers’ ability to march properly with discipline, and to

handle firearms and field telephones. Under the arrangement reached with the Army, Southern Pictures paid all living and transport expenses. A lot of Army equipment, including old-style 1 hard hats, was hired, j “We supplied the uniforms | and they supplied the bods ies,” Andrew said. “In fact, !» we were not employing ii them, they were co-operating ‘ with us.”’ Many West Coasters, who might otherwise have been out of work, were being employed as extras in the film. Some had speaking parts and others were being used on construction crews as special advisers. During its week at the filming, the Army personnel were stationed at the Kokatahi communal hall, where the boys kept themselves busy if not required on location. During their first day on site, they took part in a scene of a group of soldiers and other people waiting at a corner as an army lorry drove by. In charge was Warrant Officer R. Smith, who was there to keep an eye on discipline and to make sure that the army things were done as they should be done. “Those not filming continued their day-to-day physical, weapon, navigation and map training,” W.0.'11 Smith said. “We also added a touch of public relations by . cleaning the hall and the shower block area on 'the Kokatahi Domain. “In 1941, the army was involved in the actual manhunt, providing, communications and security in and around Koiterangi. We also provided a funeral guard for the one soldier killed,” he added. The actors and crew have nothing but praise for how smoothly the filming has been going — which seems to

be an unusual thing in the movie making world. Particular praise has gone to the director, Mike Newell, a young Englishman who has been described as an “actors’ director.” Three of the actors, Cliff Wood (as Henry Crowcott), David Copeland (George Lindsay) and Martyn Sanderson (Les North), 'made this point particularly clear to me one evening at dinner. “For an Englishman, Mike somehow has found it remarkably easy to talk to the local people,” one of them said. “He can also work with the kids without taking all day.” “This is certainly the best film I’ve worked on,” Martyn Sanderson said. Mike Newell has directed films and plays by Britain's top writers — John Osborne, Tom Stoppard, N. F. Simpson, Henry Livings, Arthur Hopcroft, David Hare and Jack Rosenthal. His first feature film was “The Man in the Iron Mask,” starring Richard Chamberlain; his second was “The Awakening.” with Charlton Heston and Susannah York; < and his third is “Bad Blood.” With the revival of interest in Stanley Graham, he is in danger of taking on the mythological notoriety of Australia’s Ned Kelly. “A myth like this belongs to the people but you can do, a lot of damage to it by exploiting it. In this case, it was not just the madness of one man but also of the people chasing him,” one of the diners said. “Graham as a folk hero reflects the Kiwi’s strong sense of individualism and resentment against authority. In that sense, the West Coast is very reminiscent of the Irish.” (Like a couple of the Hokitika pubs). An expatriate Kiwi, living in England, the producer, Andrew Brown, also wrote the screenplay for “Bad Blood.”

This is his first feature film but his producing work is well-known on English television, where he was responsible for “Edward and Mrs Simpson,” which won live British awards and an American Emmy. His other television credits include “Villain,” “The Guardians,” “Jennie, Lady Randolph Churchill” and “Rock Follies.” “Putting this story together, there was no need to invent or elaborate anything,” Andrew said. “We have also been very lucky with the weather. When we first came here last September for a look, we could hardly see the mountains. But it has been so fine during the filming that we had to make some artificial rain.

“The scenery is so clear, unreal, that it almost looks painted — until some cow walks across the scene.” A remarkable, coincidence is that Andrew Brown went to school at Wellington’s St Patrick’s more than 20 years ago with Geoff Murphy, the director, co-writer and coproducer of “Goodbye Pork Pie.” “Geoff was a good friend of mine' and we used to nick off from school together,” Andrew recalls. “Funnily enough, we never talked about films then, but Geoff was always considered a real individual and way out. “We have discussed thepossibility of collaborating, although we wouldn’t be getting together. I would be doing the writing and producing, and Geoff the directing” For a reporter, the actual site is not the easiest of places to get to — and even more difficult to get off. At the cross roads about three or four minutes’ walk from the filming, a man sits in a van with his two-way radio. He checks that no filming and recording is going on so that our car noise does not interfere, and then, with a bit of luck, we might be given the go-ahead. Although there seem to be Southern Pictures vehicles coming and going all the time, finding one going back

to Hokitika is a job in itself. On site, there seems to be much more waiting than actual doing. But this can be deceptive as a lot is achieved each day — the logistics alone are enough to boggle the mind —- and everyone is more than happy to get back to town after dusk. More often than not, they will show the day’s rushes at a Hokitika warehouse, where

the early arrivals may be lucky enough to get a chair, while the rest of the 50 or 60 people stand around the back, many of them sipping Melbourne Bitter. The four or five takes of each scene are screened, accompanied by good natured laughter from the actors and others involved. The feeling of cameraderie and togetherness is quite remarkable.

There has been a mixed reaction to these film people by the people of Hokitika, many of whom have their doubts about the resurrection of Stanley Graham. If nothing else, the filming has brought a lot of money to the area, and the visitors will be sorely missed when they start folding their tents and continue their nomadic

journeys in the next few days. The film people also have brought a few new words to the area. Bert Stephens, a 70-year-old local who plays a small part in the film,’confided to ine that the first time he was invited to see the “rushes” he went out in the paddock for a look at them.