Set in the early days of World War II and based on a true story, Australian actor Jack Thompson stars as Stanley Graham, a poor New Zealand farmer with a wife and two kids. who becomes increasingly paranoid about the bank foreclosing on their small plot of land in a remote part of New Zealand’s South Island.
He and his mentally ill wife, Dorothy (Carol Burns), also believe that their neighbours are poisoning their cattle.
When the police visit the farm, Graham cracks up and kills the four officers and shoots some local civilians before fleeing.
Returning to his farm the next evening, he discovers members of the Home Guard in his house and shoots and kills two of them before escaping.
And so begins the biggest manhunt in New Zealand history with more than 100 Police and several hundred Army and Home Guard personnel searching the area for Graham for 12 days, with orders to shoot on sight if they find him armed.
This British-New Zealand made-for-television co-production was filmed at Hokitika, where the actual macabre events actually took place in 1941. The film – made for just £900,000 – was first shown on TV in the UK in 1981 and then released in cinemas in New Zealand in 1982.
Stanley Graham
Jack Thompson Dorothy Graham
Carol Burns Ted Best
Denis Lill Doreen Bond
Donna Akersten Les North
Martyn Sanderson Trev Bond
Marshall Napier Henry Growcott
Cliff Wood George Lindsay
David Copeland Tommo Robson
Ken Blackburn Bert Cropp
John Bach Macko Hager
John Banas Greg Hutchison
John Black Maxi Coulson
Karl Bradley Anker Madsen
Greg Naughton Ralph Frederic
Alan Jervis Colin Howatt
Grant Edgar Bessie Best
Caroline Claver Dulcie Lindsay
Pat Evison
Director
Mike Newell
Video
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Returning to his farm the next evening, he discovers members of the Home Guard in his house and shoots and kills two of them before escaping.
