The Last Man Hanged
1992, 60 minutes, Rated PG
Ronald Ryan walked from his condemned cell on the morning of February 3, 1967, was read his last rites, and prepared for death. Standing face-to-face with his executioner, Ryan said 'God bless you, and please make it quick.' The hangman then leapt for the trapdoor lever.
Ryan was the last man hanged in Australia. His execution sparked massive public outrage and the subsequent abolition of the death penalty across the country. This startling docudrama tells why.
Starring Colin Friels as Ronald Ryan, and featuring candid interviews with the people who knew Ryan well – his wife, lawyer, fellow escapee, trial judge, the journalist who witnessed his execution – The Last Man Hanged is the story of a petty thief with no record of violence, but whose botched escape from jail resulted in his execution. It is also the story of a brutal, cold-blonde murder by the State.
- Director:
- Lewis Fitz-Gerald [1],
- Starring:
- David Downer [2], Chris Haywood [32], John Clayton [7], Angie Milliken [6], Graham Harvey [13], Lewis Fitz-Gerald [6], Ronald Falk [2], Colin Friels [95],
- Screen Formats:
- Full Frame 1.33:1
- Language and Sound:
- English Dolby Digital Stereo
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