GALLIPOLI 127
visited Gallipoli in September 1915, was a leading critic of the way the British
conducted the campaign.
Production
On the strength of his starring role in George Miller’s Mad Max (1979), Mel Gibson
was hired to play Frank Dunne, one of the co- leads. The other leading role, Archy
Hamilton, went to Mark Lee, a 22- year- old unknown actor- musician from Sydney,
after an impressive screen test. Gallipoli could not be filmed at Gallipoli; pine trees
covered what had been open ground in 1915 so Weir’s art director, Herbert Pinter,
found topographically perfect locations for ANZAC Cove and the Nek: Farm Beach
(now known as Gallipoli Beach) and Dutton Beach, respectively, both on the west-
ern side of lower Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, about 100 miles due west of
Adelaide. Other locations included Beltana (Archy’s home) and Lake Torrens (for
the desert that Frank and Archy cross), also in South Australia. Scenes showing the
3rd Light Horse training in Egypt were shot in and around Cairo. Principal photog-
raphy lasted 12 weeks, from mid- September to early December 1980, with the final
battle scenes involving some 600 extras.
Plot Synopsis
The setting is Western Australia, May 1915. Trained by his Uncle Jack (Bill Kerr),
18- year- old stockman (rancher) Archy Hamilton (Mark Lee) proves his athletic
prowess by winning a foot race, barefoot, against a horse, ridden bareback by a
rival farmhand named Les McCann (Harold Hopkins). Frank Dunne (Mel Gibson),
a destitute ex- railway worker and also a talented sprinter, sets his eyes on the prize
money offered at a foot race in an athletics competition— and the side bets he placed
on himself— but to his chagrin, he is defeated by Archy. Afterwards Frank
approaches Archy in a café, and the pair decides to journey to Perth and enlist in
the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) so that they can join the war in Eu rope. Once
in Perth, they stay with Frank’s father ( John Murphy), an Irish immigrant. Archy
convinces Frank to enlist in the Light Horse Brigade, despite the fact that Frank is
unable to ride a horse. Frank ends up enlisting in the infantry instead, along with
three co- workers: Bill (Robert Grubb), Barney (Tim Mc Ken zie), and Snowy (David
Argue). Frank and Archy part ways during their journeys to Egypt, but come back
together once in Cairo. Frank transfers to Light Horse as a member of the dis-
mounted infantry in Gallipoli. At Gallipoli, Frank’s friends in the infantry fight in
the Battle of Lone Pine (6 August 1915). Afterwards, Billy tells Frank that Barney
was killed in action and that Snowy is in a hospital, badly wounded. The next day,
Archy and Frank join a charge at the Nek in a supporting role to the British soldiers
landing at Suvla Bay. The Light Horse regiments are then asked to take offensive
action across open ground, despite the presence of Turkish gunners at the ground
site. The first wave is scheduled to go over the top at 4:30 a.m., following an artillery
bombardment; however, the Turks slaughter the first wave in a matter of seconds.
The second wave attacks and is also annihilated. Major Barton (Bill Hunter) wants
to halt the assault, but his commanding officer, Col. Robinson ( John Morris), is
resistant. When the phone line goes dead, Barton dispatches Frank to brigade