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Homicide – The Decimal Point (1965)

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clip The switchover

This clip chosen to be PG

Clip description

A prosecutor (Kenric Hudson) interrogates robbery and murder suspect George Lister (Owen Weingott) in court.

Curator’s notes

by Kate Matthews

This courtroom scene grounds the story in a particular moment in Australia’s history and makes clear the title, ‘The Decimal Point’. The prosecutor suggests one of Lister’s motives for his crime is the impending introduction of decimal currency in Australia. Australia’s switchover from pounds to dollars took place on 14 February 1966 and the episode is set in 1964.

Concluding each episode in court was a feature of early Homicide episodes that was later dropped. These scenes probably owe something to an earlier Crawford and HSV7 production, Consider Your Verdict (1960–64). Contemporary police procedural dramas that conclude most episodes in the courtroom include the US series Law and Order (1990–current).

By contemporary standards, the scene is visually quite plain and static, with a barely visible set, no establishing shots and little variation in its camera angles. It is dialogue driven, pitting a seasoned prosecutor against a wily criminal, and inviting the audience to consider the tactics each is using in an attempt to come out on top.

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

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  • You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

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