Vendetta 19 - The Screenplay Pilot

My name is Roy Maloy, and I am an author. I have published 12 books on Australian true crime biography, produced a TV show, and published hundreds of TikTok and socials vids on Australian true crime. This project will be the biggest project of my entire life, and is one of the most incredible, untold stories in Australian history!

ABOUT VENDETTA 19

In 1907 Melbourne’s underworld was dominated by a cross section of hardened gangs who all jumps toed for control of the sly grog, Opium, prostitution and gambling industries. Criminal identities terrorised Melbourne’s surrounding suburbs including the one-legged band of outlaws known as the Crutchie Push, groups of boxers who paid alegience to two time welterweight boxing champion Ted Whiting ran Fitzroy, sly grog baroness Bridgett Mahoney supplied them all, and individual lone gunmen including John Clark, Daniel Hempfield and Snowy Cutmore took what they wanted when they wanted. Suddenly, a new rival began to change the game for everyone as Squizzy Taylor, his girlfriend Dolly Gray, and his psychopathic brother Claude emerged in Melbourne. With their entrance into the underworld, the criminal class began jostling for positions of power that would last all the way up to 1919 when a new kind of war began.

For so many Australians who are tired of learning about America’s historical figures, like Billie the Kid, Al Capone and Bonnie and Clyde, the Fitzroy Vendetta is beyond imagination. As the perfect storm brewed through 1918 and the Fitzroy Push came together with Squizzy Taylor and Henry Stokes to commit the mother of all jewellery heists - no one could predict how badly it could end up. The night and brilliance of each woman in this incredible story outguns the brawn and daring of the male participants, until what the simmering cauldron of hate erupted into the explosion of terror at the end of Squizzy’s pistol as 16 February 1919 came to a close.

•• VENDETTA 19 ••

As one of the most significant stories in Australian history that has never been told, “Vendetta 19” is now in pre-production as a cinema sample piece. Written by author Roy Maloy, the screenplay has been written across five seasons of six episodes per season. As this project begins its life, and edges slowly towards a production date, a sample needs to be created to demonstrate its viability and appeal. To do this - we need your help!

As it’s creator, and producer, I will be committing $5000 of my own money towards this project. This money will pay for key actors, sets, venue hire, camera, sound, lighting, casting and so many other costs. However, a project sample of this size needs to reflect the sophistication of a premium streaming style series, and for this I need your help. I am asking anyone who has enjoyed my works over the years, or who feels as passionately about telling Australian stories as I do, or just feels that Australian made cinema and streaming style productions about our own incredible history is worth investing in. I am asking all of you if you will stand beside this project by making a donation you can be proud of, which will be used to fund this sample. Once it is complete, and has passed all its submission expectations for festivals and further funding submissions, it will be shared with you all for free on social media.

I have been amazed since the beginning that what began as posts on social media pages to “meet a few others” who enjoy Australian crime history has become thousands of people who have encouraged this passion to the point where movies may actually be a real, deliverable possibility! So I ask you all now to stand by me with this project, and make a donation you are as proud of as I am.

UPDATE.

So far the funds have been used across a wide range of things including the full wardrobe of 25 prisoners, the cast of the bordello scenes and dressing the sets of the prison factory and a sly grog shop. Thank you all for your contributions that have certainly helped. If you have the ability to continue supporting this project, it would be truly appreciated right now.