Mad Dog Morgan

Mad Dog Morgan
Theatrical film poster
Directed by	Philippe Mora
Produced by	Jeremy Thomas
Written by	Philippe Mora
Based on	Morgan by Margaret Carnegie
Starring	Dennis Hopper Jack Thompson David Gulpilil Frank Thring Michael Pate
Music by	Patrick Flynn
Cinematography	Mike Molloy
Edited by	John Scott
Production company	Motion Picture Productions
Distributed by	British Empire Films (Australia) Troma Entertainment (DVD)
Release date	9 July 1976 (Australia) 22 September 1976 (USA)
Running time	99 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English
Budget	A$450,000

Mad Dog Morgan is a 1976 Australian bushranger film directed by Philippe Mora and starring Dennis Hopper, Jack Thompson and David Gulpilil. It is based upon the life of Dan Morgan.

Dan Morgan witnesses the bloody massacre of Chinese on the goldfields and turns into a robber. He is arrested and sent to prison for six years where he is tormented and raped. He is let out on parole and becomes a bushranger, befriending an aboriginal, Billy. Morgan fights against the vicious Superintendent Cobham and is eventually killed.

The movie was based on the book Morgan - the Bold Bushranger, by Margaret Frances Carnegie. Mora wrote the script on a ship voyage from London to Melbourne in 1974. This was submitted to the Australian Film Development Corporation in early 1975 who agreed to support it.

The budget was raised from the Australian Film Commission (what the AFDC turned into), Greater Union and private investment, including Mora's father Georges, Margaret Carnegie, tycoon Victor Smorgon and Lyn Williams, the wife of artist Fred Williams.

Mora and producer Jeremy Thomas flew to Los Angeles to cast the lead role. Their first choice, Stacy Keach turned it down; Martin Sheen and Jason Miller expressed interest in playing Morgan but Mora decided to cast Dennis Hopper instead. Hopper's fee was $50,000.

The film used various locations where Dan Morgan had been active, in the eastern Riverina, including Billabong Creek, Culcairn and Jindera; as well as locations in Beechworth, north-east Victoria. Morgan's cave in the film was the actual cave Dan Morgan had used. Shooting started on 27 October 1975 and went for six weeks over 36 shooting days to 6 December. The shoot was challenged by rain during the first week but managed to be completed on schedule.