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- Frank Thring was born on 11 May 1926 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He was an actor, known for Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Ben-Hur (1959) and The Vikings (1958). He was married to Joan Cunliffe. He died on 29 December 1994 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Writer and film historian Lee Gambin was born on July 13, 1979. Gambin has written for such notable websites and publications as Scream, Fangoria, Delirium, Diabolique, and Shock Till You Drop. Moreover, Lee not only runs the film society Cinemaniacs based in Melbourne, Australia and lectures on cinema studies, but also has provided commentaries for various DVD and Blu-ray releases. In addition, Gambin is the author of several books that include "Massacred by Mother Nature: Exploring the Natural Horror Film," "Nope, Nothing Wrong Here: The Making of Cujo," and "Hell Hath No Fury Like Her: The Making of Christine."- Actor
- Producer
Television Print Personal appearances Beau. For Y&R Mattingly. 1993 / 2002 Client. Beaurepaire Tyres 80 Commercials Created by Paul Hankinson and Roger Ginsberg. John Skaro and Roger Nance. Casting Director Greg Apps
Theatre Of Mice and Men. By John Steinbeck Role :Lennie Director :Ray Lawler Melbourne Theatre Company 1976
Promises Promises JCWilliamson Director Fred Hebert With Orson Bean. Role Karl Kuberlick- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Brian May rates highly as one of the best film music composers in the history of Australian cinema. May's scores are distinguished by their full, rich and supremely melodic orchestration. Brian was born on July 28, 1934 in Adelaide, South Australia. He studied as a pianist, violinist and conductor at the Adelaide Elder Conservatorium. May joined the ABC Adelaide in 1957 so he could form and conduct the well-regarded ensemble the ABC Adelaide Big Band. At age 35 Brian moved to Melbourne to become the conductor and arranger of the ABC's Melbourne Show band. Brian began his career providing the themes for such TV programs as "Bellbird," "Countdown," and "New Wave" prior to breaking into the movie business. His score for the dramatic series "Rush" in particular is considered one of his finest musical accomplishments. Brian achieved his greatest commercial success with the thrilling and powerful scores for the first two "Mad Max" futuristic science fiction action features, supplying raw, potent and thunderous music which added immensely to the on-screen drama and excitement. May deservedly received an Australian Film Institute Award for his outstanding work on "Mad Max." His scores for "Roadgames," "Mad Max 2," and "Frog Dreaming" were also nominated for Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Score. Brian collaborated on four pictures with director Richard Franklin: ""The True Story of Eskimo Nell," "Patrick," "Roadgames," and "Cloak & Dagger." (Franklin originally wanted to work with May again on "Psycho II," but wound up ultimately using Jerry Goldsmith instead.) Moreover, Brian provided the music for a handful of movies made by producer Anthony I. Ginnane: "Patrick," "Snapshot," "Harlequin," "The Survivor," "The Race for the Yankee Zephyr," and "Turkey Shoot." May composed the chillingly effective scores for the horror films "Nightmares," "Blood Moon," "Dr. Giggles," and "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare." Brian May died at age 62 from a heart attack on April 25, 1997.- Director
- Producer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
George Miller was born on 28 November 1943 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was a director and producer, known for The Man from Snowy River (1982), Matlock Police (1971) and The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990). He died on 17 February 2023 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.- Actress
- Script and Continuity Department
- Soundtrack
Sheila Florance was born on 24 July 1916 in St. Kilda East, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She was an actress, known for Prisoner (1979), Mad Max (1979) and A Woman's Tale (1991). She was married to Jan (John) Adam Balawaider and Roger Lightfoot Oyston. She died on 12 October 1991 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Writer, director and producer Richard Franklin was born on July 15, 1948 in Melbourne, Australia. Infatuated with cinema at an early age, Franklin first began making 8mm films at age 10. Franklin saw Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" two years later and was hooked on movies for life. Richard enrolled at Monash University in Melbourne and worked as an assistant cameraman at a television advertising company. Franklin eventually went to America and attended the University of Southern California in 1967. While studying at USC Franklin got Hitchcock to do a Q&A session for a screening of "Rope." Hitchcock in turn invited Franklin to watch him work on the set of "Topaz." Franklin returned to Australia following graduation in 1969 and got a job as an assistant director for the popular TV series "Homicide." Franklin went on to direct several episodes. He also made several short movies and documentaries around this time. Franklin made his feature film debut with the raunchy sex comedy "The True Story of Eskimo Nell." He followed this picture with the equally bawdy "Fantasm." His third movie "Patrick" was a nifty horror feature that proved to be a big international success; it won the Grand Prize at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival, was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Film, and won the Best Director Award at the Sitges-Catalonian International Film Festival. "Roadgames" was a tense and witty "danger on the road" thriller knockout which was the most expensive Australian film made in the early 80s. Franklin then did the surprisingly solid and satisfying belated sequel "Psycho II." His other movies include the delightful "Cloak and Dagger," the silly "Link," and the hugely enjoyable "F/X 2." However, Franklin became weary of Hollywood studio politics and returned to his native Australia. He made the acclaimed play adaptations "Hotel Sorrento" and "Brilliant Lies." "Hotel Sorrento" won an AFI Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for both Best Film and Best Director. Franklin also did a made-for-TV adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's classic fantasy adventure novel "The Lost World." His final feature was the horror thriller "Visitors." In addition to his film work, Franklin also directed episodes of the TV shows "Flatland," "A Fine Romance," and "Beauty and the Beast." He was a drummer in the Melbourne band The Pink Finks and was a lecturer at the Swinburne School of Film and Television in Australia. Richard Franklin died from prostate cancer at age 58 on July 11, 2007.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell was born on 3 January 1923 in Coogee, New South Wales, Australia. He was an actor and director, known for Breaker Morant (1980), Murder She Said (1961) and Ned Kelly (2003). He was married to Audrey Wilson. He died on 15 May 2009 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.- British character actor with radio and stage experience from 1951. Studied at University College in London and learned acting at the Old Vic Theatre School. Toured South Africa in 1952 and subsequently appeared in many Shakespearean roles in Stratford-upon-Avon. Busy television actor from the late 1950's, popular as ruthless tycoon John Wilder in The Plane Makers (1963). Also noted for his voice-overs for Winston Churchill in two documentary features.
- Gary Olsen was born on 3 November 1957 in Westminster, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Outland (1981), Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982) and The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989). He was married to Jane Anthony and Candy Davis. He died on 12 September 2000 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Steve Millichamp was born on 31 October 1956 in Australia. He was an actor, known for Mad Max (1979), Romper Stomper (1992) and Blue Heelers (1994). He died on 8 November 2013 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Betty Bobbitt was an American-Australian actress, author, singer, playwright and theatre performer. Betty was born in Manhattan, New York in 1939 .
Betty is best known for her role as Judy Bryant in the legendary Australian crime drama Prisoner (1979), where she would stay until her characters exit in 1985. Betty would also make appearances in Blue Heelers (1994), Blue Heelers (1994), Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001), All Saints (1998). Betty would also make an appearance in a 2019 Neighbours (1985) episode celebrating the 40th anniversary of Prisoner, and be present at the 40th Reunion luncheon held in 2019.
After her Prisoner exit Bobbitt would return to the Melbourne Theatre Company and continue her theatre work.
Betty would enter semi-retirement in 2010, and run a novelty store, and in 2011 released her book "From The Outside" detailing her time on the hit show Prisoner.
Bobbitt passed away on 30 November 2020 after suffering a stroke five days prior. She was 81.- Actor
- Writer
- Stunts
Well-known American born character actor, he was a former professional boxer and arrived in Australia as a qualified referee. His raspy voice, energetic personality and natural talents quickly came to the attention of Australian TV production houses.
Mercurio appeared in several Australian period style TV shows including Tandarra (1976), Cash and Company (1975) and Power Without Glory (1976). Additionally, he was a regular bad guy on several Australian police series TV shows including Homicide (1964), Division 4 (1969) and Matlock Police (1971). His film appearances have included Crocodile Dundee II (1988), The Man from Snowy River (1982) and Doing Time for Patsy Cline (1997).
He is the father of talented dancer / actor / entertainer Paul Mercurio who starred in Strictly Ballroom (1992)- Alex Scott was born on 18 September 1929 in Australia. He was an actor, known for Romper Stomper (1992), Fahrenheit 451 (1966) and The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971). He was married to Anne Nelis and Barbara Ady Potger. He died on 25 June 2015 in Toorak, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Australian stage, screen and TV actor Lewis Fiander was educated at Trinity Grammar School and made his acting debut at the National Theatre in Melbourne in 1954. At the age of 18 he moved to Sydney to broaden his skills as a radio actor and in due course perfected a varied gallery of dialects and accents. On the stage, he specialized in Shakespearean comedy, including "Twelfth Night" and "The Merchant of Venice", though in later years taking on diverse roles in musical plays, works by Ibsen and O'Neill, even as Professor Higgins in a Victorian Arts Centre production of "My Fair Lady".
Fiander moved to London with the Elizabethan Theatre Trust in the early 60's and spent the next two decades in the U.K., often side by side with some of the giants of his profession, including Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud. In 1966, he toured New Zealand with the Royal Shakespeare Company. The following year he landed the prized role of Mr. Darcy in a BBC production of Pride and Prejudice (1967). A break in his stage and TV work permitted him to act on the big screen in two back-to-back horror films: Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971) and as one of the victims in Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972). He is also remembered by fans of Doctor Who (1963) as the drug smuggling scientist Professor Tryst in the notorious Tom Baker serial Nightmare of Eden: Part One (1979). Tryst's strange Germanic accent (Fiander's own idea) - combined with the square spectacles and histrionics - seems somehow reminiscent of Peter Sellers's Dr. Strangelove. Either that or something from Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969).
Back on the stage, Fiander enjoyed perhaps his greatest success starring as John Adams in the 1970 London New Theatre production of "1776", a play with music about the signing of the American Declaration of Independence. He had another palpable hit as actor-singer in 1986, teaming up with Patricia Hodge for "Noël and Gertie", a compilation of musical numbers originally written by Noël Coward and performed in tandem with Gertrude Lawrence. In the late 80's, Fiander returned to Australia and appeared several times on television, notably in the mini-series Tanamera - Lion of Singapore (1989) and Bangkok Hilton (1989). - Alethea McGrath was born on 1 June 1920 in Melbourne, Australia. She was an actress, known for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), Knowing (2009) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005). She died on 9 February 2016 in Melbourne, Australia.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
John Lee was born on 31 March 1928 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. He was an actor, known for Return to Eden (1983), Warship (1973) and Breakaway (1980). He died on 21 December 2000 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.- Location Management
- Producer
- Production Manager
Peter Muston was a producer and production manager, known for Nowhere Boys (2013), La Brea (2021) and The InBESTigators (2019). He died on 11 October 2023 in Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.- Jock Zonfrillo was born on 4 August 1976 in Glasgow, Scotland. He was an actor, known for Savour Australia (2015), MasterChef Australia (2009) and Celebrity MasterChef Australia (2009). He was married to Lauren Fried. He died on 30 April 2023 in Melbourne, Australia.
- Olivia Hamnett began her acting career in repertory theatre throughout England before moving onto TV. After moving to Australia, Olivia established an elegant screen presence in the TV series "Rush" as well as playing screen wife to Richard Chamberlain in the film "The Last Wave" and screen mother to young Ricky Schroeder in "The Earthling". A veteran of many TV productions, it was the cult drama "Prisoner", which enabled Olivia to deliver her most memorable performance, as Kate Peterson, a highly intelligent and enigmatic former doctor who is imprisoned for poisoning her partner. Many "Prisoner" fans regard the Kate Peterson storyline as one of the absolute highpoints of the show's seven-year run. Her untimely death has robbed the Australian acting community of one of its finest contributors.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Maurie Fields was born on 4 August 1926 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was an actor, known for Country Town (1971), Bellbird (1967) and Death of a Soldier (1986). He was married to Val Jellay and Dorothy. He died on 18 December 1995 in Albert Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.- Anne Haddy was born in Quorn, South Australia, in 1930. In 1948, she made her acting debut on ABC Radio Adelaide. At 23, she left Australia for the UK to pursue an acting career and further stage training, but found the competition so great that she ended up working for Kellogg's, and soon returned. Unfortunately, her life was plagued with ill health, and she suffered a heart attack in 1979; underwent heart operations in 1982 and '83. Further complications were stomach cancer and kidney problems in 1996, and a major hip operation. She made her name on TV in 'Sons and Daughters', 'Prisoner' and 'Playschool', and of course on the stage. Without doubt her greatest contribution to acting was her portrayal of Helen Daniels - glamorous mother-in-law, grandmother and great-grandmother, and Grundy TV's 'Neighbours' matriarch. From the show's inception in 1985, she played an intelligent and sympathetic character with whom every other character was able to talk and discuss their problems. Haddy saw cast members come and go, becoming the longest-serving member of the cast in 1993 after the departure of Alan Dale. She was also able to enjoy working with her real-life husband James Condon, who played the guest parts of both Douglas Blake and Reuben White on the show. Her character's life often mirrored her own, with Helen suffering ill health throughout the 12 years of her time on the show. In 1997, Haddy's poor health forced her to take time off from the show. When doctors told her that she had narrowly avoided death from stomach cancer that year, she made the difficult decision to quit, and Helen Daniels died peacefully with her family around her in Episode 2,965 in October 1997. Sadly, Anne continued to experience ill health, and died peacefully with her husband beside her in a Melbourne hospital in July 1999. She had five children and six grandchildren.
- Barbara Jungwirth was born in 1926 in Islington, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Prisoner (1979), A Thousand Skies (1985) and Compo (1989). She was married to Raymond Jungwirth. She died in April 2016 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Actor
- Producer
Just how did the hunky heart-throb bassist from the legendary Australian band of the 1960s, The Masters Apprentices, go on to be one of the most powerful, recognizable music figures in Australia in the 80s, 90s and, of course, today? Glenn Wheatley's tale begins in 1948, born the elder of two boys to father Dawson (born 1917, now deceased) and mother (b. 1919, deceased). Glenn has had a career in the music industry for over 35 years, and the young Wheatley started his career as bassist to The Masters Apprentices, one of the few Australian acts from the 1960s to meet national success, and go on to perform in the 1970s, with an equal amount of success. When the "Masters" broke up in 1971, lead singer Jim Keays decided to pursue a solo career but, for Wheatley, he decided that although music was his passion, he might be better behind the scenes. He went on to try his hand at group management, and his first real success came as manager to the legendary Australian Group, Little River Band, fronted by Glenn Shorrock. Wheatley even went on to portray former client Shorrock in the television show, The D Generation Goes Commercial (1988). However, eventually Wheatley and Shorrock parted ways, but his real break came in the 80s, when he went on to manage... Who else.... John Farnham. Wheatley mortgaged his own house to help John produce the album "Whispering Jack", which went on to become the highest-selling album in Australia's history, going 17 times platinum in Australia. Approximately one in four households in Australia own a copy of "Whispering Jack", the wonderful album that would not exist today if not for Wheatley. Although Wheatley's life has not been all glamour and shine. A nasty divorce happened in the 1970s with his first wife, Alison Sunde, which left Wheatley devastated for several years. However, in 1982, Wheatley married a young actress named Gaynor Martin (born in 1957), famous for appearing in Sons and Daughters (1982) and Skyways (1979). Together, they have three children, Tim Wheatley, Samantha Wheatley and Kara Wheatley. Wheatley went on to manage some of the most prominent Australian musicians out there, such as James Reyne and Delta Goodrem. Wheatley got Reyne his first acting job in the TV movie Return to Eden (1983), and Reyne was very unhappy with his performance. This contributed to Reyne departing from Wheatley, another blow to Wheatley's career. He managed rising star Delta Goodrem, until she announced that she would be leaving him to pursue new management. She cited Wheatley's fierce bond with John Farnham as the reason for her departure, and it may well be true... Wheatley and Farnham have made it to the top, worked together for 20 years, most recently on his "last time" tour. In 2003, Wheatley awarded John Farnham into the Aria Hall of Fame at the 17th Annual Aria Awards. Wheatley continues to be one of the most powerful figures in Australian music today, and it is always fascinating to see which star he will discover next...- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Her voice was unique and pure honey. Judith Durham achieved lasting fame as the lead vocalist for the Australian harmony folk/gospel/pop group The Seekers, formed by bass player Athol Guy and guitarists Keith Potger and Bruce Woodley. With more than 50 million record sales, The Seekers became the first Australian music organisation to score on the charts of both Britain and the U.S..
Judith was the daughter of William Alexander Cock DFC and his wife Hazel Durham. She spent her early childhood in Essendon, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. A gifted musician from the outset, she graduated with a degree (A.Mus.A.) in classical piano from the Melbourne University Conservatorium. She also took to playing classic jazz, blues and ragtime standards and was said to have excelled at the latter. Aged 19, Judith joined Frank Traynor's Jazz Preachers, an outfit led by a Melbourne trombonist who liked to blend folk music with jazz. At that time, she made her first EP record. While singing with various bands, Judith made ends meet by working as a pathologist's assistant and then as an advertising secretary. Enticed by Athol Guy (who was then an account executive), Judith agreed to join The Seekers, then performing at the Treble Clef coffee lounge. In 1964, the quartet sailed to England, their agent securing gigs for them in nightclubs and theatres. They also performed at the Palladium alongside Dusty Springfield, whose brother Tom wrote the first big Seekers hit "There'll Never Be Another You". The remainder of the decade brought many more chart-topping numbers, including "The Carnival is Over" (in 2002 ranking as No.30 in the UK Top 100 Best-Selling Singles Of All Time), Colours of My Life" (which was co-written by Judith), "A World of Our Own", "Someday One Day", "Morningtown Ride" and --their biggest hit -- "Georgy Girl", which was used as the title theme for the quintessential swinging sixties movie of that name, starring Lynn Redgrave and James Mason.
In mid-1968, The Seekers disbanded after Judith decided to go free-lance. Having teamed up with the London-based pianist and musical director Ronald Edgeworth (who became her husband in 1969) and setting up home in Queensland, she signed with A&M Records and released several successful albums between 1970 and 1974. Bowing to pressure from her many fans, Judith rejoined Guy, Potger and Woodley in 1992 for a hugely successful Silver Jubilee Tour. This was followed by similar encores in 2002, 2003 and 2012 (marking The Seekers' 50th birthday) and many solo tours of the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.
In 1990, Judith founded her own production company Musicoast, based in South Yarra, Victoria. In 1995, The Seekers became inductees into the Australian Record Industry Association's (ARIA) Hall of Fame. Judith was awarded the Medal of the Order Of Australia (OAM) for her services to music. She later also received the Centenary Medal from the Governor General. The Seekers received further accolades in the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours by being individually named Officers of the Order of Australia.
Following the death of her husband in 1994, Judith became a National Patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association of Australia (MNDAA). She herself suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2013 which impaired her ability to read and write - but not her singing. On August 5 2022, she passed away from complications due to a long-standing chronic lung disease at a Melbourne hospital, aged 79.