Ben Hall

'Ben Hall' premiered just months after colour television officially started in Australia, and was a revelation about what Australian TV was capable of doing. (We got our own colour TV about that time!) The BBC and 20th Century Fox had a hand in the production along with the ABC, which must have given it a bigger budget. Jon Finch (playing Ben Hall) had starred in Polanski's 'Macbeth' (1971) and Hitchcock's 'Frenzy' (1972), and had turned down the role of James Bond in 'Live and Let Die' (1973) - he brings great pathos to the role of a man who felt driven to outlawry. (Unlike the more famous bushranger Ned Kelly, Hall never killed anyone!) Brian Blain is also very good as the 'remittance man' (black sheep of a rich family, paid a 'remittance' to stay out of England) Sir Frederick Pottinger, who was completely out of his depth as the police inspector sent to catch Hall.

This series represents both the coming of age of historical drama on Australian television and the serious presentation of known facts, as opposed to supposition and guesswork, in a TV series. At the time of it's release the Ben Hall series was a landmark in quality television drama and brought together a cast of players well known for the integrity of their work. Ben Hall and Ned Kelly were the most significant figures in Australian Bushranging ("bushranger" is the Australian equivalent term to the American "Outlaw"). This Australian bushranging period parallels the outlawry of America's Billy The Kid, the James Gang and others, both in cheek and in time.

Many Australian historians will point out the similarities and more importantly the significant differences between the Australian experience and the American experience. The American outlaws were after money or fame or both, and were often disaffected misfits in a short, wild and almost lawless period in the "wild west". Many were murderers without any respect for their victims or the law. Their reign was often short, bloody and callous. The Australian experience was, on the other hand bolder and longer, and irrevocably tied to the convict era and emancipation, and the emergence of the first true white Australian generations who, like the American patriots, believed in their right as native-born Australians to live without the harshness of British rule and influence.

The series spans the late 1850s to 1863, the year of Halls appalling death at the hands of friends and foe. It was said he never shot a man despite leading a gang that held up entire towns for days at a time, robbing the banks and gold escorts, the wealthy and the police themselves. Dialogue for the series no doubt borrowed heavily from a 1950s account (a popular novel more or less, ridiculed by many despite it's clever use of historical documents) by one Frank Clune. He was a writer of popular material but in my mind provided the basis for almost all accounts that followed and certainly filled in the gaps without which a series of this nature would never have been possible.

The Ben Hall story is factual to life at the times, I have covered this territory and can vouch for the background and events. The acting, led by Finch (see Hitchcock's "Frantic" is solid and plausible for its time, the sets were true to photographic records from the1850s and 60s and the strongest point that should be made here is that the life of this man and his gang was far more emotive and interesting (and is factual) than that of most of America's so-called outlaws. Local historians tend to take sides - either the police or the bushrangers - but the series sets what I consider a fair balance.

Hall was certainly unfortunate in that the police treated him unfairly, but in later years by Ned Kelly mimicked some of Halls exploits. Kelly was also treated badly by the police but, it seems, there may well have been a stronger argument for the police side in his case.

If you get the chance to see this series it is certainly worth the time, despite being a peculiarly Australian product. If you don't get the chance and you are interested in outlawry from this period anywhere in the world Australian Bushranging makes a great subject for further exploration.

This is a magnificent series that was a collaboration between the BBC and an Australian Company, unfortunately this is also the reason it has not gone to video which is a great pity as it is undoubtedly one of the best works concerning Australian Bush Rangers, the Aussie equivalent of American Outlaws that has ever been made, As far as I know it only ran once but it completely hooked me and I watched all 13 parts. I have also read the biography on Ben Hall and the series is fairly true to what is known about Ben. Jon Finch plays the title role very convincingly as does Evin Crowley as his long suffering wife. The story follows Ben, a small time horse farmer, down the path he took as bushranger. The sets are excellent examples of how Australia looked at the time and all the characters develop well during the 13 hours of screen play. It is shown from both sides points of view and although most will remain feeling sorry for Ben there are many occasions when you also feel sorry for the police. It will be a great shame if this is never re-released.