John Stanton Movies

This often ironic, metaphorical drama offers insight into identity questions faced by many contemporary Australians. The story centers on the expatriate Tessa who has come back to her country after a long absence. She originally left the country when her father found out that she was pregnant and that the father of the child was an Aborigine. She later had the child aborted. Now her mother has died and she has returned to the family home to pay her respects. Living in the home is her sister and their volatile father who has given up control of the house. The sisters fight over ownership of the house. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Tony Church (Burt Reynolds) is a Chicago detective who loses his job when he is blamed for the deaths of his fellow officers gunned down in a botched drug bust. He becomes a bodyguard to hooker Della Roberts (Liza Minnelli), the lone witness who can identify the killer (James Remar). Bernie Casey is Church's ill-fated partner Lamar, and Dionne Warwick appears briefly as the head of a call-girl ring in this unremarkable feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Budgeted at six million dollars -- a hefty sum for Australian television -- the six-hour miniseries Great Expectations: The Untold Story helpfully endeavored to plug the plot holes thoughtlessly left behind by Charles Dickens in his original novel. The emphasis was on the escaped convict Magwitch (John Stanton), who, after being helped out by the young Pip (Danny Simmons), was captured by the authorities and transported to Australia. There, Magwitch turned over a new leaf and went into business, building up a huge and profitable operation. Still grateful to Pip for past kindnesses, Magwitch bequeathed his entire fortune to the boy, and it was at this point that the miniseries' narrative ended and the original Dickens story line took over (albeit briefly). Representing a rare collaboration between writer/director Tim Burstall and his producer son, Tom Burstall, Great Expectations: The Untold Story was broadcast by Australia's ABC network in February of 1987. The project was subsequently released theatrically as a feature film, pared down to a more manageable length -- and eliminating an important subplot involving Pip's erstwhile lady friend, Estella (Anne Louise Lambert), in the process. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on a novel by Morris West, this is a classic American cowboy tale set in Australia's exotic outback, with the Aborigines pitted against a rancher, Lance Dillon (John Stanton) because he is on their land. After a renegade Aborigine, Mundaru (Tommy Lewis), kills one of Lance's Brahma bull's and a ranch hand who gets involved, Mundaru spears the fleeing Lance in the shoulder but does not catch up with him to finish the job. The story of Lance's survival is the focus of the film, along with a parallel story of his wife, Mary (Rebecca Gilling), temporarily falling for Lance's opposite, Sgt. Neil Adams (Ivar Kants). The characters of the two men, and Mundaru, are contrasted against a setting of conflict that escalates out of control. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

The eponymous Dusty is an appropriately named dingo, or wild dog. Roaming the fertile fields of Australia, Dusty is captured as a puppy. Though dingoes are normally averse to human companionship, Dusty attaches himself to an old, worn-out shepherd, played by Bill Kerr. The dog gives Kerr a reason for living, and vice versa. Be sure to have plenty of Kleenex handy for some of the mistier passages of Dusty. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Donald Crombie directed this frothy yarn taking place in Sydney, Australia during the 1920s. Liddy Clark stars as Kitty, an innocent young bride who becomes the owner of the raucous Top Hat nightclub with the assistance of a crooked cop. The story revolves around waterfront crime queens Kitty and Big Lil Delaney, and their attendant pimps, lovers, and "bagmen" (corrupt cops who are middlemen between the police and the crooks). The two adversaries engage in spirited dock side brawls, hair-pulling fights, street shoot-outs, and frenetic car chases. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Premiering June 26, 1981, over Australia's Ten Network, the gritty detective series Bellamy zeroed in on a special crime squad in a big city. The title character, played by John Stanton, was dedicated to his work, but was known to bend rules and tweak the noses of the powerful to get results. The program content was pretty rough, even for its time; in one particularly graphic story line, Bellamy went after a serial killer who preyed on female massage-parlor employees. Produced by Grundy Television, Bellamy lasted 26 one-hour-long episodes, some of which have been packaged on video as "feature films." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide