Stone is a 1974 Australian outlaw biker film written, directed and produced by Sandy Harbutt. It is a low budget film by company Hedon Productions. Police officer Stone goes undercover with the Gravediggers outlaw motorcycle gang, to find out who is murdering their members, one by one. The film stars Ken Shorter and features Rebecca Gilling, Bill Hunter and Helen Morse. The film's soundtrack was composed by Billy Green and featured some members of his group Sanctuary. Motorcycles featured include the legendary Kawasaki Z1. Stone initially rides a Norton. The promotional trailer video features narration by radio and media personality John Laws. The film was featured in the documentary, , in which Quentin Tarantino enthuses about his admiration for the film.
Plot
When several members of the GraveDiggers outlaw motorcycle club are murdered, Sydney detective Stone is sent to investigate. Led by the Undertaker, a Vietnam war veteran, the GraveDiggers allow Stone to pose as a gang member. Leaving behind society girlfriend Amanda, Stone begins to identify with the Undertaker and his comrades Hooks, Toad, Dr Death, Captain Midnight, Septic and Vanessa, the Undertaker’s girlfriend. Amid violent confrontations with the Black Hawks, a rival gang the GraveDiggers hold responsible, Stone uncovers a political conspiracy behind the killings. When the truth is revealed, Stone must choose between his job and his loyalty to the GraveDiggers.
Sandy Harbutt got the idea in 1970 when he wrote a script for an episode of the TV series The Long Arm in which he was appearing. Filmink magazine said "The biker movie was the modern day Western of choice in the 1960s" but argued this was one of the few Australian films to "embrace it as a story option." The Australian Film Development Corporation invested $154,000 in the film. The remainder of the budget and most of the technical facilities were provided by Ross Wood Productions in Sydney. The movie was shot in late 1973. The Hells Angels club provided assistance during production.
Beehive Casemate Interior scenes for the gang’s hide out were shot inside the Beehive Casemate in Obelisk Bay and made to look as though it was part of the Middle Head Fortifications.
Although Stone was given an "R" rating it grossed $1,572,000 at the box office in Australia, which is equivalent to $10,611,000 in 2009 dollars. It made a profit to its investors within 18 months.
Stone Forever is a 1999 documentary about Stone. Richard Kuipers was contacted by David Hannay and Sandy Harbutt to film a bike ride commemorating the film's 25th anniversary, which led to a full documentary about the impact of the film and the fate of the people who made it.
