"A Thousand Skies" (1985) TV mini-series

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

David Stevens

Writers:

Tasmin Beattie (novel)
David Stevens (adaptation)

Release Date:

9 October 1985 (Australia)

Genre:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | History

Tagline:

To attempt the impossible is the greatest adventure

Plot Keywords:

Lover | Air | Aviation History | Plane | Sky

Cast

John Walton	...	Charles Kingsford Smith
Andrew Clarke	...	Charlie Ulm
Joss McWilliam	...	Keith Anderson
Jane Menelaus	...	Thelma McKenna
Geoff Parry	...	Bob Hitchcock
Celine Griffen	...	Mary Powell / Kingsford Smith (as Celine Griffin)
Helen Jones	...	Bon Hilliard
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brian Adams	...	Maj. Schengel
Chris Agar	...	Canadian driver
Bruce Alexander	...	Missionary at Drysdale
Nick Antipas	...	Pilot at Geraldton
David Arnett	...	Jim Warner
Len Ashby	...	Duffer Thompson
Bruce Atkins
Harold Baigent	...	Swampy Dawkins
Mike Bakaloff	...	Local at pub
Cheryl Ballantine	...	Spitting woman
Noel Batten	...	Mechanic at Chuncurry
Douglas Bennett	...	Diplomat
John Benton	...	Anderson's KC
Randall Berger	...	Airfield vendor
Caroline Birve	...	Betty Mitchell
John Boothey	...	Farmer in outback
David Bradshaw	...	George Bond
Jill Brislan	...	Nervous farmer's wife
Terry Brittingham	...	Drinker at Port Hedland
Ken Bromilow	...	Stockman at Carnarvon
Phyllis Burford	...	Kate Kingsford Smith
Tim Byrne	...	Local at pub
Shane Cake	...	Boy at Boolaroo
Reginald Cameron	...	Fijian High Commissioner
Caril Carmichael	...	ANA Director
Bruce Carter	...	Assistant to KC
Geoff Collins	...	Aide at Buckingham Palace
Ramsey Collins	...	Passenger on ship
Malcolm Cork	...	Capt. Lowell-Smith
Hedley Cullen	...	Des McGlinty
Stephen Curtis	...	Stockman at Canarvon
Graham Dale	...	Policeman in Brisbane
Jim Daly	...	Nervous farmer
Sheryn Dee	...	Waitress in Broome
Michael Deverson	...	Boy at Boolaroo
Celia Dimsey	...	Bridesmaid
Julian Dimsey	...	Bellboy in Perth
George Dixon	...	Missionary at Drysdale
Doug Dolphin	...	Local at pub
Graham Duckett	...	Country parson
Roy Edmonds	...	Hitchcock's KC
Howard Eynon	...	Clive Chateau
Greg Fleet	...	Lt. Scott Harris
Alan Fletcher	...	John Stannage
Bill Fox	...	Peter Fraser
David Frezza	...	Announcer in San Francisco
Malcolm Fuller-Darby	...	Reporter
Justin Gaffney	...	Maj. Miller
Ian Gilbert	...	Airline agent
Andrew Gilmour	...	King George V
Charles Gilroy	...	Mayor of Parkes
Ben Glover	...	ANA Director
Peter Goerecke	...	Jack
Ron Granger	...	Senior public servant
Steven Grives	...	Capt. Alan Hancock
Nicholas Gyngel	...	John Ulm (aged 13)
Chris Hallam	...	Humphrey
Norman Hancock	...	Airfield representative
Brian Hannan	...	Andrew Chaffey
Chuck Hanson	...	Policeman in Broome
Jack Harris	...	Pete Mitchell
Clive Hearne	...	Ship's captain
Peter Heath	...	KC in Royal Coffee Inquiry
John Hockley	...	Farmer
K. Holking	...	Dance band member
Nick Holland	...	Bert Day
Peter Howard	...	Canberra pilot
Denzil Howson	...	Mr. Hilliard
Simon Hughes	...	Hotel receptionist
Stuart Hunt	...	Stockman at Carnarvon
Richard Hutson	...	William Kingsford Smith
Ric Hutton	...	Chairman
Susan Jameson	...	Mrs. Marshall
Bill Johnston	...	Mayor of Wyndham
Edward Jones	...	Club waiter
Barbara Jungwirth	...	Lady in restaurant
Paul Karo	...	English director
Peter Kent	...	ANA director
Bruce Kilpatrick	...	Senior public servant
Lorraine Kindler	...	Brearley's secretary
Denice Kuchmar	...	Van Loon's maid
Sid Lawrence	...	Old miner
Alan Lee	...	Dinner party guest
Susan Le Mar	...	Girl in plane
Valerie Lewis	...	Dinner party guest
Ross Luck	...	Stockman at Mackay's
Scott Lucy	...	Pilot at Geraldton
Kym Lynch	...	Mechanic at Cloncurry
Sarah Machin	...	Beris
Pat MacMillan	...	Mechanic at Malvern Hills
Barry Main	...	Smith and Ulm's KC
Bill Manderson	...	Reporter
Judith Massey	...	Mrs. Hilliard
James McCare	...	Shipping official
Maureen McInerny	...	Hospital sister
Steven McIntosh	...	News Photographer
Andrew McKaige	...	MA Lichfield
Margo McLennan	...	Society hostess
Rona McLeod	...	Marge Mackay
Bill McLorinan	...	Dinner party guest
Judith McLorinan	...	Dinner party guest
John McMahon	...	Australian announcer
Alex Menglet	...	Antony Fokker
Simon Mills	...	Newsboy in London
Mark Mitchell	...	Hotel receptionist in San Francisco
Tiriel Mora	...	Wireless operator
John Murphy	...	Hendrick Van Loon
Mario Nardo	...	Beris' young man
Colin Nicole	...	Wireless operator
Andrew Norwood	...	Local at Marble Bar
E. Oxley	...	Dance band member
Julie Patrick	...	Waitress
Nicki Paull	...	Marge McGrath
Daryl Pellizzer	...	Charles Vivian
Anna Pinkus	...	Luscious girl
Nicholas Power	...	Newsboy in Sydney
Valma Pratt	...	Janet
Danielle Reidy	...	Young girl in Perth
Raymond Rich	...	Process server
Glenn Robbins	...	Hudson Fysh
Tim Robertson	...	Jack Lang
David Robson	...	TH McWilliams
R. Rosenberg	...	Dance band member
Gregory Ross	...	Diplomat
Michael Rowan	...	Dinner party guest
Michelle Rowan	...	Dinner party guest
Smiley Rowe	...	Newsboy in Sydney
Lynn Ruthven	...	Mrs. Hitchcock
Lindsay Saddington	...	Reporter
R. Sandilands	...	Dance band member
Colleen Saunder	...	Woman passenger
Gillian Saunder	...	Child passenger
Tim Scally	...	Drinker at Port Hedland
Ian Scott	...	Beau Shell
Rodney Sharp	...	Drinker at Port Hedland
Frank Sheenan	...	Reporter
M. Sheldon	...	Dance band member
Penelope Shelton	...	Mrs. E
Adrian Shirley	...	Stockman in Broome
Gavin Spiteri	...	John Ulm (aged 6)
Fred Steele	...	Dan the Truckie
Christopher Stevenson	...	Ship's officer
Hardy Stow	...	Harry Lyon
Ron Strickland	...	Official at Richmond
Ben Stuart	...	Stockman at Mackay's
James Taylor	...	President of Royal Coffee inquiry
Noeline Taylor	...	Iris Ulm
Andrew Thompson	...	Tommy Pethybridge
Mark Thompson	...	Truck driver
Nevil Thurgood	...	Chairman of South Cloud inquiry
Petar Tolich	...	Van Loon's servant
David Torr	...	Truck driver
Jeff Truman	...	George Pond
Chris Tugwell	...	Stockman in Broome
Stephen Tulloch	...	Newsboy in Sydney
Colin Vancao	...	Judge
R. Venier	...	Dance band member
Ross Vernon	...	German pilot
George Vidalis	...	Priest
Ian Walker	...	Dinner party host
Robert Wallace	...	Reporter in Adelaide
Wade Walters	...	Newsboy in San Francisco
Bonnie Wasiutak	...	Charles Kingsford Smith Jr.
Duncan Wass	...	Mackay
Chris Waters	...	Smith & Ulm's KC
Nick Waters	...	Norm Brearley
Mark Watson	...	Stockman in Broome
Kelvin Weymouth	...	Paper boy in Perth
Gareth Wilding-Forbes	...	British civil servant
Bryon Williams	...	Sidney Meyer
Colin Williams	...	Mr. Mitchell
Roderick Williams	...	Bill Taylor

Runtime:

100 min (3 parts) | Australia:120 min (3 parts)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia

Company:

Film Victoria

First in-depth factual Aussie mini-series on a genuine hero

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

The story of 'Chilla', aka 'Smithy', aka Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith, one of Australia's true heroes and arguably the world's greatest airman, explored in a warts and all 6-part mini-series. Possibly the first of its type; an honest and lengthy biography, portrayed by a fine cast who often closely resembled their true-life counterparts.

This cast is complimented by an intelligent script and faultless production values. If you didn't know the story is mostly factual, you'd be hard-pressed to believe Smithy's amazing life story. He lived life to the full and those around him often paid the price in not being able to maintain the pace.

Viewers used to modern day spectaculars with CGI-generated 'crowd scenes' will probably be disappointed with the crowd scenes herein. Produced on a relatively limited budget, you'll find few 'special effects', apart from the 'Southern Cross' aerial scenes. A radio controlled model was used for many of these though it certainly wasn't obvious to me.

The series deserved a special edition DVD but what you get from Umbrella is a washed-out transfer with pixilation, original TV title inserts and even, would you believe, 'countdown' inserts. It seems to have been taken directly off the TV release tapes without any editing at all.

I only hope that such a quality production is given a restored and remastered release, eventually. Despite the foregoing, I heartily recommend 'A Thousand Skies' as Australia's finest TV mini-series.