No Roses for Michael is a 1970 Australian television film. Sponsored by the National Drug Education Project it portrayed an 18-year old boy's decent into drug addiction. Starring Brendon Lunney, it was directed by Chris McGill and written by John Baxter who researched real cases from the Langdon Clinic and the Police Drug Squad.[1]
| No Roses for Michael | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Chris McGill |
| Written by | John Baxter |
| Produced by | John Dwyer |
| Starring | Brendon Lunney |
| Cinematography | Donald McAlpine |
| Edited by | Ian Walker |
| Music by | Greg Anderson |
Running time | 32 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
Cast
edit- Brendon Lunney as Michael
Reception
editThe Age Teletopics column said although a "little pretentious" it was "an honest and, for the most part, realistic presentation of cause and effect in drug addiction."[2] The Sydney Morning Herald's Valda Marshall wrote that ""No Roses for Michael" is not only a remarkable film, it is a milestone in television history."[3] The Canberra Times's Frances Kelly said it was not to be missed but noted "the film, except for the withdrawal scene, was not as hard-hitting as it could have been."[4]
John Pinkney in the Age called it anti-drug propaganda saying it "was a lurid appeal to emotionalism whose loaded arguments would be rejected any intelligent 10-year-old."[5] In an Australian Medical Journal article Dr. Allen A. Bartholomew also called it propaganda saying that some of his patients had started taking drugs after watching the film.[6]
Music
editThe theme song "No Roses for Michael", written and performed by Greg Anderson, charted in October 1970.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Special week on Channel 7", The Sydney Morning Herald, 24 August 1970
- ^ "Teletopics", The Age, 28 August 1970
- ^ Marshall, Valda (23 August 1970), "A harrowing show you must not miss", The Sydney Morning Herald
- ^ Kelly, Frances (1 September 1970), "Drugs seen through rose-coloured lens", The Canberra Times
- ^ Pinkney, John (24 September 1970), "Crisis for an anti-drug show junkie", The Age
- ^ "Doctor decries 'fight' against drugs", The Sydney Morning Herald, 27 December 1970
- ^ McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Greg Anderson'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 22 October 2024.