A_Thousand_Skies

<i>A Thousand Skies</i>

A Thousand Skies

Australian TV series or program

A Thousand Skies is a 1985 Australian mini series about the life of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.

For the album, see A Thousand Skies (album).
Quick Facts A Thousand Skies, Genre ...

It was based on the novel The Empty Sky by Tasman Beattie and was partly financed by Film Victoria. The budget was $4.5 million.[1]

Film Victoria invested $120,000 in script development and $400,000 to the production.[2]

Writer-director David Stevens was best known for directing the mini series of A Town Like Alice. When offered the film he was reluctant to make it until he read The Empty Sky and he became intrigued by the character of Keith Anderson.[3]

Stevens said "It is about the nature of greatness and the nature of friendship. It is also a love story - an eternal triangle between three men." The series was shot at 144 different locations. The only sets built were the planes which cost $500,000.[4]

Cast

  • John Walton as Charles Kingsford Smith
  • Andrew Clarke as Charles Ulm
  • Joss McWilliam as Keith Anderson
  • Jane Menelaus as Thelma McKenna
  • Geoff Parry as Bob Hitchcock
  • Celine O'Leary as Mary Powell-Kingsford Smith
  • Helen Jones as Bon Hilliard
  • Phyllis Burford as Kate Kingsford Smith
  • Richard Hutson as William Kingsford Smith
  • Judith Massey as Mrs. Hilliard
  • Paul Karo as English director
  • Harold Baigent as Swampy Dawkins
  • Nick Holland as Bert Day
  • Hardy Stow as Harry Lyon
  • David Arnett as Jim Warner
  • Denzil Howson as Mr. Hilliard
  • Alan Fletcher as John Stannage
  • David Frezza as Announcer in San Francisco

Reception

The Age called it "emotionally unvinvolving" but said "the series is well worth pursuing."[5]

Another reviewer from the same paper called it "television excellence".[6]

The series rated in the low twenties, which was relatively disappointing.[7]

References

  1. [1]
    Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford University Press, 1996 p241
  2. [2]
    "Smithy mini series". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 June 1984. p. 13.
  3. [3]
    McNamara, Marie (3 October 1985). "Smithy the Hero Made Human". The Age Green Guide. p. 1.
  4. [4]
    "Smithy's life warts and all". The Sydney Morning Herald Green Guide. 7 October 1985. p. 2.
  5. [5]
    "Bold view of Smithy". The Age. 3 October 1985. p. 37.
  6. [6]
    Hooks, Barbara (7 October 1985). "Smithy is god like with a few warts too". The Age. p. 2.
  7. [7]
    "Nine sets the pace". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 October 1995. p. 147.


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