JOHN CLARKE

The casting of the characters in Vendetta 19 has been extremely important to us. Wherever possible we have tried to find actors who have similar personal attributes to the people they are playing, along with the ability to act in a high level, demanding role like this.

One of the characters we were able to include in this screenplay is a fascinating person. He was featured quite prominently in the biography of his wife, “7246 Minnie”.

John was a country boy from a tragic home. The death of his father impacted him, though he never seemed to lose his boyish charm and had a charisma about him throughout his life. A dock worker, he and Minnie paired up when she was in her late teens and still married to her first husband. We see John get involved in a number of amazing adventures that broke the law, including stealing and reselling baled of expensive wool from the docks where he worked, breaking into jewellery shops, and working for his wife as an endorser and standover man.

Minnie would become the enemy of Squizzy throughout the 1919 Vendetta, with the first and last bullets shot in the Vendetta show inside two of her brothels with Minnie being present, and the last bullet shot into her face by Squizzy Taylor (spoiler – she lived).

By the 1930’s, while trying to prosecute John, the Police also arrested and charged Minnie for making and selling sly grog. It was something she’d done for decades, and the police were either paid off or just didn’t bother to really pursue her beyond a fine here or there. However, when her husband John was suspected of being involved in a series of nearly 30 bomb blasts that rocked Melbourne inthe late 1920’s and early 30’s, they also came to suspect that Minnie may have been involved too. As someone who has been constructing alcohol making equipment such as copper stills and bathtub vats for decades, Minnie would have almost certainly had the ability and knowledge to construct pipe bombs. The outcome resulted in Minnie being sentenced to prison, leaving her youngest of two daughters and her husband to fend for themselves while she was inside.

As a measure to protect their 7-year-old daughter Patricia, John opted to send her to Methodist Ladies College as a border for the duration of Minnie’s prison sentence. Yet the photo below also has a fascinating detail that needs to be pointed out. As a career criminal, dock-worker, standover man and gunman, John Clark had a number of old enemies who would no doubt have loved to take a shot at him if an opportunity presented itself. And there would have been no place better to find someone you’re trying to shoot than at a place they regularly attend, like school visits on a Sunday. As a result, in this picture, we see a picture of John Clark, walking with 7-year-old Patricia, dropping her off at MLC, with what his surviving family believe is a small, automatic pistol on his trouser pocket with his fingers inches from its trigger. The outline of the gun can just be made out, and it gives us a clear view of the kind of lifestyles the organised criminals of the 1920’s and 30’s lived and the dangers that surrounded them at all times.

The actor we have selected to play John is an accomplished professional athlete named Tyson Popplestone. His charisma and charm are a perfect fit for the real John Clark, while his strength and endurance as a runner makes him an equally amazing fit for the intense fight scenes he will be acting out in Vendetta 19.

Vendetta 19 drops October 2024.

JOHN CLARKE – Tyson Popplestone

John Clark

Without question, the cast of Vendetta 19 have been drawn from some of the most extraordinary places in order to meet the incredibly diverse nature of the script. In particular, the three-time prison escapee, bomb maker, pistols shooting, jewelry shop robbing, standover man named John Clark who was a Crutchie Push member. Better known as the husband of notorious sly grog and bordello madam, Minnie Clark, they formed an underworld power couple from 1907 up until her death in the early 1930’s. Playing John Clark is a man of many talents, with Tyson Popplestone bringing the role to life.

A professional Stand-Up comedian, Tyson has graced numerous venues across Melbourne for close to a decade, honing his impeccable timing. These skills made him an excellent choice for the role, along with the athletic requirements he will face as he represents one of the most notorious and interesting True Crime Organized Crime Gangsters of all time. The role of John Clark is one of the principal roles that is heavily involved in a complex, choreographed fight sequence that will require Tyson to be able to keep up with professionally trained fighters. Backing up his comedy skills, Tyson’s athletic prowess played a significant part in securing the role as he also boasts an inspiring career as a professional runner. Having won the Melbourne Marathon 10km, the Victorian State Mile, and representing Australia at the QS World University Cross Country Championships in 2010, he brings a huge amount of prowess to the table as an actor and athlete. We are thrilled to have him on board!!