Christopher McCullough's Thunderbolt documentary 1965
Captain Thunderbolt : 1951 film | 1968 documentary | Annie Rixon | Copyright | Historical References | Mary Ann Bugg | Script |
Compiled by Michael Organ and Graham Shirley
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| Sydney Morning Herald, 3 June 1968. |
Contents
- Introduction
- Production
- Christopher McCullough
- Annie Rixon incident
- References
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1. Introduction
During 1968 Opus Films of Sydney, Australia, produced a dramatized documentary for television on the life and times of bushranger Captain Thunderbolt, aka. Frederick Ward (c.1835 - 1870). The director was Christopher McCullough, formerly with Cinesound and the Commonwealth Film Unit. Thunderbolt was filmed in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, and in and around the Rocks area of Sydney. The last known public screening took place on Channel 9, Sydney, on 29 May 1970. As a "dramatized documentary" running to over 1 hour - or some 90 minutes according to the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) catalogue record referred to below - it represents a significant account of the life and times of Ward the bushranger, especially when compared to the 1951, 69 minute long cinematic release Captain Thunderbolt by Associated Television Pty. Ltd.
The following information concerning individuals involved in the documentary and aspects of the production is taken from the NFSA database and additional information provided by published sources listed below:
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| Truth, 21 February 1892. |
Title: Thunderbolt
Production company: Opus Films
Date of production: 1968
Duration: 90 minutes, or in a 60 minute televised version
Producer: Robert Raymond
Director: Chris McCullough
Script: Adapted from the Ambrose Pratt edited account by William Monckton entitled Three Years with Thunderbolt (1905) and the Annie Rixon update Captain Thunderbolt (1948)
Editor: John Oakley
Cinematographer: Ron Lowe
Recording engineer: Stewart First
Lead Actor: Tom Oliver
Additional Actors: circa 60 amateurs, mostly from the Windsor Castle Hotel, Paddington
Narrator: Bob Raymond
Screenings: Channel 9, Sydney - 1968; 29 May 1970
Little is known of the film apart from the NSFA entry and a few articles in The Bulletin and Sydney Morning Herald which refer to the work of Christopher McCullough. The surviving copy in the NFSA is preservation only, not accessible to the general public. Apparently Thunderbolt was made for the Sydney TV Channel 9 Project series and shown during 1968, and again in 1970.
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2. Production
Information concerning the production of the documentary can be gleaned from Helen Frizell's Data column in the Sydney Morning Herald during 1968. The following is a transcript of one of those from 3 June:
A remedy for the cinema nightmare
Two young Sydney film makers hope soon to offer one remedy to that age-old filmgoers' nightmare - the collection of travelogues and cigarette advertisements which our cinemas happily describe as "full supporting programs." Christopher McCullough and Albie Thoms, both in their mid-twenties, have recently joined forces with a financial backer to form Screen Associates, an organisation which will write, shoot and produce feature films for distribution as supporting films in Australia and overseas. McCullough and Thoms readily admit to being optimists, but both have the experience and enthusiasm to prove that they mean business.
Albie Thoms resigned recently from the A.B.C. and has made a number of films for UBU Films including "Blunderball", the James Bond send-up which earned him some fame among Sydney's underground filmgoers in 1966. Chris McCullough won the $5,000 Ampol Award in March, has directed documentaries for television and the Commonwealth Film Unit and has been involved in film making for nearly 10 years.
Lucrative Field
They are now planning their first joint venture, a feature film to be called "Vision for a New World," and are confident that public demand will encourage our film distributors to take Australian-made supporting films seriously.
"Television is still the most lucrative field for Australian film-makers," said Mr. McCullough. "But if a film is sponsored by a TV station, your freedom can be curtailed. We hope that having our own financial backing will mean we can offer our work to commercial distributors here and overseas as well as to the TV stations. All the publicity about how impossible things were for Australian film makers 10 years ago is no longer valid. Certainly you still have to battle for a long time and not make any money, but we are prepared to do this. We think the future's here. The best film makers, I think, are the ones who establish themselves in their own countries and do what they want in a way which proves internationally acceptable."
McCullough's latest film, a recently completed hour-long feature on the bushranger Thunderbolt, was commissioned by TCN Channel 9 but should prove a good guide to the style and standard of films which Screen Associates hopes to produce.
Antique Coaches
The film stars Tom Oliver, actor and former Queensland jackaroo, and features numerous horses, some antique coaches and about 60 amateur extras, most of whom were recruited at Paddington's Windsor Castle Hotel.
"We were trying to do something which was impossible," said Mr McCullough. "We had to make a 16-mil. TV feature with a documentary crew. The problems with the horses, all untrained for this sort of work, were incredible; and using all those people must have seemed very stupid."
The film has a narrator, Bob Raymond, but provides no definite answer to the controversy over the real identity of Thunderbolt. The most popular theory has been that Australia's so-called Robin Hood was a bushranger by the name of Fred Ward. A grave at Uralla, quite a tourist attraction, is claimed to be Thunderbolt's and gives Fred Ward as his real name. Others, including the author Annie Rixon, believe that Thunderbolt was really Fred Britten, the man who escaped from Cockatoo Island in 1863. Miss Rixon and her supporters also believe that it was a third bushranger, Albert Blake, who met his end on the banks of the Rocky River and was buried, in the mistaken belief that he was Thunderbolt, in the Uralla grave. Without wishing to add any complications, Mr. McCullough believes that it is Britten, who lies in that grave, and that therefore the real Thunderbolt has been getting the tourists' attention. Whoever is right, the grave itself won't be featuring in the McCullough film. "It's not a very impressive grave, anyway," he said.
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3. Chris McCullough
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| The Bulletin, 17 August 1968. |
Christopher McCullough is a director, producer and cinematographer known for a variety of Australian documentaries, TV series and films. A brief story in the Sydney Morning Herald on 6 March 1968 outlines elements of his background immediately prior to the making of Thunderbolt:
The Ampol winner
Melbourne, Wednesday. - A young Sydney film producer who plans to research and write a documentary on the life and habits of the kangaroo has won the $5,000 Ampol Arts Award for 1968. He is Christopher McCullough, 26, of Woollahra, who is now writing and directing a film on the bushranger Captain Starlight for Australian television. The managing director of Ampol Petroleum Ltd., Mr W.M. Leonard, said the award had been made in the field of creative television and the selection panel had considered many talented young Australians before choosing Mr McCullough. The panel comprised the director of the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music, Mr Joseph Post, the A.B.C. Controller of Programs, Mr Neil Hutchinson, the executive director of TCN 9, Mr Bruce Gyngell, Mr Mungo McCullum, writer and critic, and Mr Keith Cairns, manager of Channel 7, Melbourne. Mr Leonard said the award would enable Mr McCullough to devote one year in Australia to research into writing and production of films for television. The Governor of Victoria, Sir Rohan Delacombe, presented the award to Mr McCullough. Mr McCullough has worked in the Australian film industry since leaving Knox Grammar School in 1959.
A 1966 article in the Sydney Morning Herald titled A disc jockey's life goes on record outlines his attempt during that year to have a film commissioned by TCN Channel 9 for its Project series. A more detailed story in The Bulletin of 17 August 1968 entitled Coming up from underground: the young film-makers outlines the work and vision of both McCullough and Thoms (Hall 1968).
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4. Annie Rixon incident
The origin of the script for the dramatised documentary is linked to the 1951 film Captain Thunderbolt, which in turn was based on the similarly named 1948 publication by Annie Rixon. This was a controversial work as it suggested that the police did not shoot and kill Frederick Ward in 1870, but his accomplice Albert Blake instead, and they subsequently covered up the fact. Sometime around 1970, or just prior, Rixon was approached by Allan McCullough - perhaps the brother of director Chris McCullough - in regards to a post-production copyright clearance for the Thunderbolt documentary. The elderly lady baulked at signing the release, but begrudgingly acceded to the request after being badgered by McCullough and another man, fearful of the consequences if she did not. She noted this an account written during 1970, and that she had a similar reaction when approached by the producers of the original 1951 Captain Thunderbolt film.
The account by William Monckton was first presented to the public in the book titled Three Years with Thunderbolt edited by Ambrose Pratt (1874-1944). This was serialized in The Argus, Melbourne, during 1905; presented as a play in Sydney that year (Anderson 1905); and in 1910 formed the basis for the silent film Thunderbolt. Apparently Rixon purchased the rights to that book from Monckton for £25 and used it in her book on Thunderbolt which first appeared during 1936. A later reprint during 1948 likely brought the subject to the attention of the cinematic film's producers (Organ 2025). She had also published a book dealing with the controversy during 1940.
Rixon summarised her experiences with McCullough in the following account, typed for her during an interview undertaken in 1970. It, and some additional manuscript items, were subsequently passed on to Harold White, Director of the National Library of Australia:
The Rocky Road for the Author
Annie Rixon
When Mr. A.G. Stephens was editor of the Red Page in the Bulletin years ago I was persuaded by a friend of his to pay him a visit. I had a writer's itch at that time, and still have. He had an office in Rowe Street then. I saw him [and] was introduced by letter. I submitted a couple of items. He was helpful and told me to call again when I had some more material. After the third visit he gave his verdict. "I can't advise you" he said, staring at the ceiling. I waited, my heart sinking. Again he said, "I can't advise you."
"Isn't my work of value?" I gasped.
"Your work is full of action; the material that picture producers will want. It will be stolen" he said. There was a long silence, then he said. "How does this suit; I will write with you on a fifty fifty basis. What do you say to that?"
What an utter fool I was. I refused his offer. I wanted to be the big noise, all by myself. Did I live to regret my stupid decision! It took me twelve years to collect the Thunderbolt story. I have written and written it six times. I have yet another edition ready right now [1970], including a fine episode told me by an 82 year old lady whose grandfather knew Thunderbolt well. [It] should be written up and placed in every school in New South Wales.
"Did you see the documentary on Channel 9, on Tuesday May 26th 1970 concerning the outlaw Captain Thunderbolt? Believe it or not, my name was among the rest."
This is what happened previously.
I live at Leichhardt, alone. At that time my two sisters were visiting me, but leaving in a short time. There was a knock at the door. I answered. A youngish man was there said he was Allan McCulloch; he said that he wanted to make a documentary on the bushranger Thunderbolt. He said that he believed that I had written the book on that subject, and asked would I allow him to use the story. I said "No." He argued. I still said "No!"
I had been stung by the Colin Scrimgeour / Cecil Holmes etc., people some years before.
My sister made morning tea in which our visitor joined. Again he argued; why wouldn't I allow him to use that story? In any case he had the book. At last he took himself off.
I was happy to think I had my two sisters here, who left that day for their home, at Windang. The next day Allan McCulloch returned with a document he had himself written, saying that I, Annie Rixon, would allow my story to be used, etc, etc, which he asked me to sign. Again I said "No."
I told McCulloch all this, and he still wanted me to sign that document. Then I got frightened. Here I was alone, some horrible things had happened to older people living alone. How did I know he was the person he said he was? His entry might be an excuse to get into my house. At last I signed the document. I wanted to get him out of the house.
As he rose to depart I said, "How much do I get for all this?"
"Oh, you'll get your share," he replied.
I asked him what was his address and he said something that sounded like the number I could not get. He was walking away with his back to me I thought he said Jersey St. Paddington. I looked in the phone book but could not find it. I heard no more. The thunderbolt film was shown on Channel 9 on the evening of the 26th of May 1970. My name was among those who had given permission. After forty years hard search. Annie Rixon / Mrs Rixon Studdert, 34 Mary St. Leichhardt, 2040, New South Wales, Australia.
This adds to the story of the Thunderbolt production, however is does not reveal much regarding the actual content. That must await an actual viewing of the documentary.
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5. References
A disc jockey's life goes on record, Sydney Morning Herald, 16 June 1966.
Anderson, William (director), Three Years with Thunderbolt [stage production], Theatre Royal, Sydney, October 1905.
Baxter, Carol , Thunderbolt accomplice Will Monckton
Christopher McCullough, IMDb [Internet Movie Database], accessed 24 July 2025.
Hall, Sandra, Coming up from underground: the young film-makers, The Bulletin, 17 August 1968, 36-38.
Frizell, Helen, A remedy for the cinema nightmare, Data, Sydney Morning Herald, 3 June 1968.
Organ, Michael, Annie Rixon, Harold White and Captain Thunderbolt, blogger.com, 18 July 2025.
Pratt, Ambrose (editor), Three Years with Captain Thunderbolt: Being the narrative of William Monckton, who for three years attended the famous outlaw, Frederick Ward, better known as Captain Thunderbolt, as servant, companion, and intimate friend: during which period he shared the bushranger's crimes and perils, and was twice severely wounded in encounters with the police., New South Wales Bookstall Company, 1905. Available at Project Gutenberg.
----- and Sydney Josephs, Thunderbolt [play], Royal Theatre, Sydney. Reviewed in the Sunday Times, Sydney, 15 October 1905.
Rixon, Annie, Captain Thunderbolt, Edwards & Shaw, 1936, 248p.
-----, The Truth about Captain Thunderbolt, Australia's "Robin Hood", George M. Dash, Sydney, 1940, 158p.
-----, Captain Thunderbolt, Edwards & Shaw, Sydney, 1948, 248p.
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------, Captain Thunderbolt; two copies of the book and notebooks, photographs and correspondence relating to the book, Australian Society of Authors (archival material), File 69, National Library of Australia, n.d.
The Ampol winner, Sydney Morning Herald, 6 March 1968.
Thunderbolt [catalogue listing], National Film and South Archive of Australia, Canberra, n.d.
Thunderbolt [dramatised documentary film], Opus Films, Sydney, 1965, duration: 90 minutes.
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Captain Thunderbolt : 1951 film | 1968 documentary | Annie Rixon | Copyright | Historical References | Mary Ann Bugg | Script |
Last updated: 24 July 2025
Michael Organ, Australia
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