Deadline (stylized as ..Deadline..) is a 1981 Australian-American made-for-television thriller drama film directed by Arch Nicholson and co-produced by the Australian division of Hanna-Barbera and New South Wales Film Corporation.

Deadline
Written byWalter Davis
Directed byArch Nicholson
StarringBarry Newman
Bill Kerr
Trisha Noble
Alwyn Kurts
Bruce Spence
Country of originAustralia
United States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerHal McElroy
Running time94 minutes
Production companiesHanna-Barbera Australia
New South Wales Film Corporation
BudgetA$750,000[2]
Original release
Release30 December 1981 (1981-12-30) (Sydney)[1]

Plot

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Journalist Barney Duncan (Barry Newman) discovers that an earthquake on the Australian outback was found to be a small nuclear detonation, and the work of an extortionist who vowed to detonate more devices unless his conditions for blackmail are met.

Cast

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Production

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It was originally known as Shadow Effects and was shot on location in Sydney, Canberra and the mining town of Broken Hill. It was a pilot for an unmade TV series which was to be called Foreign Correspondent.[3][4]

At one stage Graham Kennedy was going to play a priest.[5]

Production was held up due to protests from Actors Equity.[6]

"I like the concept, it's a contemporary issue," said Newman during filming in December 1980. "I'm a news nut; my favorite actor is Walter Cronkite."[7]

References

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  1. ^ "TV Guide". Sydney Morning Herald. 27 December 1981. p. 44.
  2. ^ "Production Survey", Cinema Papers, May–June 1981 p170
  3. ^ Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p39-40
  4. ^ "Pete Smith". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 48, no. 37. Australia. 11 February 1981. p. 40 (TV WORLD). Retrieved 25 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "TIMESTYLE TELEVISION". The Canberra Times. Vol. 55, no. 16, 432. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 21 September 1980. p. 15. Retrieved 25 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "timestyle". The Canberra Times. Vol. 55, no. 16, 502. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 30 November 1980. p. 16. Retrieved 25 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ Groves, Don (7 December 1980). "Inhibitions don't curb barry". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 44.
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