''Street Hero'' is a 1984 Australian film directed by

Michael Pattinson Michael Pattinson (born 1957) is an Australian film director. He has directed over 40 films and television shows since 1980. In 1987, along with Bruce Myles, he co-directed the film ''Ground Zero''. It was entered into the 38th Berlin Interna ...

and starring

Vince Colosimo Vincenzo Colosimo (born 11 November 1966) is an Australian AFI Award winning stage, television and screen actor. He has worked in both Australia and the United States. He is of Italian descent and lives in Melbourne, Australia. He was previousl ...

Sigrid Thornton Sigrid Madeline Thornton (born 12 February 1959) is an Australian film and television actress. Her television work includes ''Prisoner'' (1979–80), ''All the Rivers Run'' (1983), ''SeaChange'' (1998–2019) and ''Wentworth'' (2016–2018). S ...

Sandy Gore Sandy Gore (born 28 June 1950) is an Australian film, stage and television actress. She has had an extensive stage career in Australia with the Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company including playing Vivian in '' Wit'' (2000) and ...

, Bill Hunter and Ray Marshall. The film won an

AFI award The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry. It is responsi ...

Plot

Vinnie is a teenage boy who is an outcast at school, alienating teachers and students alike. He is a local courier for the local Mafia boss. He lives in welfare housing with his mother (Peta Toppano), a young brother and sister, and his Mum's lover who he can't stand. Vinnie takes out his aggression with the world practicing boxing at the local gym. He is haunted by images of his father (when just a boy he witnessed his father's murder) and his father's boxing career. His music teacher (Sandy Gore) encourages him to get involved as a drummer with the school band, and his girlfriend Gloria (Sigrid Thornton) and others influence him to stay away from the Mafia.

Cast

as Vinnie *

as Gloria *

as Bonnie Rogers * Bill Hunter as Detective Fitzpatrick * Ray Marshall as George *

Amanda Muggleton Amanda Lillian Muggleton (born 12 October 1951)"Muggleton, Amanda, 1951 ...

as Miss Reagan *

Peta Toppano Peita Margaret Toppano (born 1951)GRO Birth Index EnglandLawson, Valerie. , ''Sydney Morning Herald'' (13 December 2003): "They fell in love and married in 1950 in a church at Golders Green, London. Their daughter, Peta, was born a year later." ...

as Vinnie's Mother *

Luciano Catenacci Luciano Catenacci (13 April 1933 – 4 October 1990) was an Italian actor and production manager who worked on mainly Italian produced films during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Life and career Born in Rome, Catenacci started his career as ...

as Ciccio * Peter Albert Sardi as Joey * Robert Noble as Mick O'Shea * Tibor Gyapjas as Freddo * Vince D'Amico as Nino * John Lee as Vice Principal * Fincina Hopgood as Trixie * John Murphy as Old Harry * Tony Volpe as Sylvester *

Libbi Gorr Lisbeth Joanne "Libbi" Gorr (born 24 March 1965) is an Australian broadcaster working in both TV and radio. Gorr is also an author, voice artist, writer and performer. She first came to prominence with the satirical television character that sh ...

as Alexia * Laurie Dobson as SP Bookmaker * Shane Feeney-Connor as Yokel's Mate * Pip Mushin as Yokel's Mate * Jenny Apps as Yokel's Moll * George Bidlo as Large Man * Lois Collinder as Travel Lady * George Harlem as Pimp * Tiriel Mora as Junky * Chris Hargreaves as Policeman * Graham Brooke as 1st Boxing Opponent

Awards

''Street Hero'' was nominated for seven AFI awards in 1984 including Best Actor (Vince Colosimo), Best Supporting Actress (Sandy Gore), Best Supporting Actress (Peta Toppano), Best Original Screenplay (Jan Sardi), Best Original Music Score (Garth Porter), although it only won Best Achievement in Sound.

Production

Colosimo, Sardi and Pattinson had previously made ''Moving Out'' (1982). When making that film Sardi and Pattinson discovered music teachers would help underprivileged children by encouraging them to become involved in music, which inspired this film. Pattinson took the script to Bonnie Harris of Roadshow Entertainment, who got Paul Dainty involved. The movie was a conscious effort on the part of Pattinson and Sardi to make something more commercial than their first film, while still having something based in reality. The director later admitted that the choice of music used in the film - including

Leo Sayer Gerard Hugh "Leo" Sayer (born 21 May 1948) is an English-Australian singer and songwriter whose singing career has spanned five decades. He has been an Australian citizen and resident since 2009. Sayer launched his career in the United Kingdom ...

, Sharon O'Neill and Dragon - was "maybe a bit too middle of the road".

Box office

''Street Hero'' took in $729,344 (AUS) at the box office, making it the 203rd most successful Australian Film (1996–2008).

Soundtrack

# "Every Beat of My Heart" (

Garth Porter Garth Ivan Richard Porter (born 24 September 1948) is a New Zealand-born Australian multi-instrumental musician, songwriter and record producer. He was a member, on keyboards and backing vocals, of the pop group, Sherbet (1970–84), and co-wr ...

) -

Jon English Jonathan James English (26 March 1949 – 9 March 2016) was an English-born Australian singer, songwriter, musician and actor. He emigrated from England to Australia with his parents in 1961. He was an early vocalist and rhythm guitarist for S ...

, Renee Geyer - 3:04 # "New Hero" (Ian Morrison, Les Barker) - Dear Enemy - 4:19 # "Blood Red Roses" (

Sharon O’Neill Sharon Lea O'Neill (born 23 November 1952) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and pianist, who had an Australasian hit single in 1983 with " Maxine" which reached No. 16 on both the Australian Kent Music Report and Recording Industry Associatio ...

) - Sharon O’Neill - 4:58 # "Haunting Me" (

, Vini Poncia) - Leo Sayer - 4:52 # "Billy’s Theme"(Rock instrumental) (Garth Porter) - 2:05 # "Wilderworld" (

Todd Hunter Todd Stuart Hunter NOTE: Requires user to input song title, e.g. POLITICS (born 22 June 1951) is a New Zealand musician and composer known for his involvement in the band Dragon. Their best known songs are "April Sun in Cuba", "Are You Old Enou ...

Johanna Pigott Johanna Paton Pigott (born ca. 1955) is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter and screenwriter. Her best known hit songs are Dragon's "Rain" which peaked at No. 2 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in 1983, Note: Used f ...

Marc Hunter Marc Alexander Hunter (7 September 195317 July 1998) was a New Zealand rock and pop singer, songwriter and record producer. He was the lead vocalist of Dragon (1973–11/1979, 8/1982–1989, 1995–11/1997), a band formed by his older brother, ...

) -

Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

- 3:55 # "Death Before Dishonour" ( Ross Wilson, David Pepperell, James Black) - Ross Wilson, James Black - 4:06 # "No Angels Tonight" (Garth Porter, Clive Shakespeare, Tony Leigh) -

Daryl Braithwaite Daryl Braithwaite (born 11 January 1949) is an Australian singer. He was the lead vocalist of Sherbet (1970–1984 and many subsequent reunions). Braithwaite also has a solo career, placing 15 singles in the Australian top 40, including t ...

- 3:30 # "Something To Believe In" (Del Shannon,

Wendy Matthews Wendy Joan Matthews (born 13 January 1960) is a Canadian-born Australian singer-songwriter who has been a member of Models and Absent Friends and is a solo artist. She released Top 20 hit singles in the 1990s including "Token Angels", "Le ...

) - Del Shannon - 3:11 # "Every Beat of My Heart" (Garth Porter,

Red Symons Redmond Symons (born 13 June 1949) is an English-born Australian musician, and television and radio personality. He was the lead guitarist in the band Skyhooks, the snide judge of 'Red Faces' (a segment of the long-running variety show ''Hey H ...

, John Shaw) - The Streethero Orchestra - 3:09

References

External links

Hero''
at

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

''Street Hero''
at Oz Movies
''Street Hero''
at

Allmovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was founded by popular-cult ...

''Street Hero''
at Screen Australia
''Street Hero''
at British Film Institute {{DEFAULTSORT:Street Hero 1984 films 1984 drama films Australian drama films Films shot in Australia Films set in Australia Films directed by Michael Pattinson 1980s English-language films