Red Dog

1

I got some money

in my pocket

I got the car keys in my hand

I got myself a couple

of tickets...

Hey.

Come on, babe,

you know there ain't no time

To mess around, round, round

Evie, Evie

Evie, let your hair hang down

Evie, Evie

Evie, let your hair hang down

Evie, Evie

Evie, let your hair hang down

Evie, Evie

Let your hair hang...

Hello!

Bring him in.

Bring him in.

Through here. Just get him in.

Alright, uh...

- OK, sit down.

- OK, OK.

Hold his head! You have

to keep his bloody head still!

Hey, hey! Hey, hey, you!

We've gotta get a clean...

Uh, no... Yeah, no worries.

What is his beef, huh?

It doesn't matter.

I can't do it anyway.

I can't shoot a mate.

What can I get you, mate?

Uh, just a beer, thanks.

So, what's wrong with the dog?

Oh, baited strychnine.

Why would anyone

want to poison a dog?

Maybe someone set it out

for the roos or the dingoes

or someone just doesn't

like dogs, you know?

There are people, sick people.

Sorry.

Are you his master?

No, no. He has no master.

Well, not now.

That's not just any dog

in there, you know?

- No?

- Oh, no, no.

No, no, he's a famous dog.

He's probably the most

famous dog in all Australia.

Red Dog.

Yeah, the one that warned

those people about that fire.

No, no, no.

The one that saved that child...

No, no, not him. Wrong dog.

- Didn't he...

- No, no, no, no.

Look, mate, you're looking

at it all the wrong way.

It's, uh...

it's not what he did.

It's who he was.

'Is', I mean.

Red Dog?

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah.

Vet's coming.

- Yeah? When?

- Soon.

How's the poor thing doing?

Oh, I'm sorry, mate.

Jack Collins, publican.

Thomas Baker, trucker.

Yeah, yeah.

It was me that brought Red Dog

to Dampier, me and Maureen...

near on 10 years ago now,

back in the mean old days

when men were men

and dogs were... dogs,

rougher, hotter,

brighter, redder...

Why would anybody

build a town out here?

Why would anyone live

in a town built out here?

Iron ore. Money.

Yeah, I know that.

- What's that?

- What's what?

On the road.

It's a dog.

I can see that.

What's it doing out here?

Hello, boy!

Hey? Hello.

Hello. Aren't you

a pretty boy, hey?

Hello.

Are you lost?

Do you need water?

Cheeky bastard.

Struth!

Is that the dog?

Well, it's certainly

not me! Eugh!

Ohh! Oh, Lord,

what did that thing eat?

Stop the car!

I can't breathe! Ohh!

Eugh!

Oh...

Oh, this is like... Wow.

Ohh!

WESTERN AUSTRALIA 1971

Ohh!

Hey, Maureen, Maureen.

Come and have a look at this.

Oh, that poor little bugger.

Oh!

Oh, g'day, Rick.

He's out the back, mate.

- Righto. Thanks.

- Hey, Rick.

That's the vet.

Here you go, Vanno.

- Hey.

- Vanno, this is Tommy boy.

I've just been telling him

about Red Dog.

Vanno here's one of his first

mates from back in the days.

Yes, 'the days'.

Wild days?

Very wild, very lonely.

A dog of a certain type

can do well in a lonely town.

I know.

I come from a small little

village in Italy, Abruzzi.

Here we go.

Ohh!

Yes, yes, you all bloat,

but my little village

was beautiful.

In spring, flowers

are like Turkish carpet

and the wine would

make you see the Virgin.

Why did you leave?

Same as all these

fools, money!

We all follow the money.

They come from everywhere.

From all the countries,

they come

for the money,

for the work.

From Poland, New Zealand,

Ireland, Greece,

Latvia, America.

Even Melbourne.

Living together,

eating together

and crapping together.

Money crackpot

They may look normal,

but not normal.

Sun has burned out

their brains.

See, I know sun

in Italy, in Abruzzi,

but I not know the sun

until I come here.

Very dangerous, this sun.

I knew a man, Goran.

Remember Goran?

The Sun, it kill him.

And also Sam. Remember Sam-Man?

He work in the sun

for five hours without no hat.

Fool!

Afterward he spoke

Chinese for two days.

Before the sun, he know

not a word of Chinese!

Yes, it was crazy place when

Red Dog arrive in Dampier.

Men are no better

than wild animals.

They drink much and they...

How do you say? 'Imbulge'.

And their hair, it goes funny.

All day, all night

You know,

I've been working hard

All day, all night

Gather around, y'all

it's about time you learnt

About the new dance craze

that's sweeping the world...

If that thing could flap...

...it might just fly away.

You two... be needing

an ed-u-cation.

A what?

Arggh!

Ohh!

Though not all imbulge.

Some were quiet, educated,

with dark, mysterious past.

Some that

never, ever laugh.

In Abruzzi, no-one would

fight over moustache.

What do they fight over?

Women!

Abruzzi has the most

beautiful women in Italy.

Slender, with a wonderful

breast, like a nut.

Nuts?

Yes! Big, beautiful nut!

To come from a place

with such beautiful women

to a place with no women...

I don't think you can

understand such pain.

In Abruzzi,

the sky is very blue,

THE "SKI" PATROL

like, uh...

...like the sky of Abruzzi.

If he mentions that

stupid town one more time

I'll stick him like a pig.

I will help.

For national unity.

In Abruzzi, the sea...

Arggh.

Oi! Oi!

Barry Wright

to main office, please.

Barry Wright.

We took a vote,

and the shop steward agrees.

If you don't stop

talking about 'Bruzki'...

Abruzzi!

...the Ski Patrol have

permission to slit your throat.

Sorry.

Everyone's homesick.

Not you?

Need a home to be

homesick, mate.

You alone too, Mr. Doggie?

But you are happy, no?

You have a gift, Mr. Doggie.

I do not.

Have you ever heard of Abruzzi?

Abruzzi has the best

fishing in Italy...

Oh, baby, don't you know

that I love you so?

Bom, bom, bom, bom

- Baby, don't you know

- Bom, bom, bom, bom

- That I love you so?

- Bom, bom...

What can I say?

He was an excellent listener.

He did not judge.

A polite doggie,

a very loyal doggie.

Or so I thought.

Bom, bom, bom, bom

Baby, can't you see...

- That you were meant for me?

- Bom, bom...

Betrayal!

Hey!

- What are you doing?

- Nothing.

- Are you talking to my dog?

- Your dog?

- How is he your dog?

- I talk to him first.

That doesn't make him

your dog, mate.

That just makes you weird.

If I am weird

then you are more weird.

- Not likely.

- I feed him steak!

Well, what do you think

I'm feeding him? Broccoli?

Dog robber.

Alright, then.

Why don't we let him decide?

Good.

Let him decide!

Whose doggie are you?

Give us a kiss.

Good boy! How you going?

Oh, you're a good boy, Red Dog.

You little Red Dog, aren't ya?

Aren't ya a good boy?

He was like that...

a dog for everyone.

Come here, boy!

Come here, boy.

Here, Red. Here.

Good boy! Come here.

Yes, for everyone,

but no-one in particular.

All those in favour

of Red Dog joining the TWU

under the job heading

con... consu...

- Consulari.

- Whatever.

All those in favour, say "Aye."

Aye.

Yes, a union doggie,

a doggie for all.

That is, until he met

his true master.

- Johnny!

- Yeah, Johnny!

- Johnny boy!

- Johnny Boy!

Now listen

Oh, we're stepping out

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