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Clip description
David Hannay speaks in interview about the critics and newspaper headlines. Harbutt and David Stratton speak about the times in which Stone was released. Hannay, Harbutt, bikies and actors speaking about the ‘real’ responses to the film is interspersed with stills and newspaper headlines.
Curator’s notes
Before this clip in Stone Forever, Australian Movie Magazine newsreel footage talks about the world premiere in which the special guests were the Hell’s Angels and Lone Wolf motorcycle clubs and the Federal Minister for the Media, Senator Douglas McClelland. Everyone that was in it, or worked on it, was there. Some of the crew were worried that if the bikies didn’t like it, all hell would break loose. But they needn’t have worried, as the bikies loved it.
But then came the reviews. The crew and cast had put a lot of energy, commitment and passion into making it and there had been a great launch. So when they read the reviews the next day in the press, they were horrified and gobsmacked. But it didn’t take long to completely turn around the press when distributor Greater Union took it on just days after the launch. Stone (1974) has become a ‘cult’ film and bikies from all over Australia convene on its anniversary.
