"The Thorn Birds" (1983) TV mini-series 1983-

Writer:

Lee Stanley (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

27 March 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Love unattainable. Forbidden forever.

Plot:

This mini series covers 60 years in the lives of the Cleary family, brought from New Zealand to Australia to run their aunt Mary Carson's ranch...

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Ranch | Australia | 1960s | Sheep Ranch

Awards:

Won 4 Golden Globes. Another 10 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Richard Chamberlain	...	Ralph de Bricassart (4 episodes, 1983)
Rachel Ward	...	Meggie Cleary (4 episodes, 1983)
Christopher Plummer	...	Archbishop Vittorio Contini-Verchese (4 episodes, 1983)
Bryan Brown	...	Luke O'Neill (4 episodes, 1983)
Brett Cullen	...	Bob Cleary (4 episodes, 1983)
Stephanie Faracy	...	Judy (4 episodes, 1983)
Barry Corbin	...	Pete (4 episodes, 1983)
John de Lancie	...	Alastair MacQueen (4 episodes, 1983)
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Mary Carson (4 episodes, 1983)
Jean Simmons	...	Fiona 'Fee' Cleary (3 episodes, 1983)
Piper Laurie	...	Anne Mueller (3 episodes, 1983)
Earl Holliman	...	Luddie Mueller (3 episodes, 1983)
Philip Anglim	...	Dane O'Neill (3 episodes, 1983)
John Friedrich	...	Frank Cleary (3 episodes, 1983)
Stephen W. Burns	...	Jack Cleary (3 episodes, 1983)
Bill Morey	...	Angus MacQueen (3 episodes, 1983)
Holly Palance	...	Miss Carmichael (3 episodes, 1983)
Allyn Ann McLerie	...	Mrs. Smith (3 episodes, 1983)
Ken Howard	...	Rainer Hartheim (2 episodes, 1983)
Richard Kiley	...	Paddy Cleary (2 episodes, 1983)
Mare Winningham	...	Justine O'Neil / ... (2 episodes, 1983)
Richard Venture	...	Harry Gough (2 episodes, 1983)
Dwier Brown	...	Stuart Cleary (2 episodes, 1983)
Antoinette Bower	...	Sarah MacQueen (2 episodes, 1983)
Chard Hayward	...	Arne Swenson (2 episodes, 1983)

Series Directed by
Daryl Duke		(4 episodes, 1983)

Series Writing credits
Carmen Culver		(4 episodes, 1983)
Colleen McCullough		(4 episodes, 1983)
Lee Stanley		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Irving Paul Lazar	....	associate producer (4 episodes, 1983)
Edward Lewis	....	executive producer (4 episodes, 1983)
Stan Margulies	....	producer (4 episodes, 1983)
David L. Wolper	....	executive producer (4 episodes, 1983)
Lee Stanley	....	co-producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Henry Mancini		(4 episodes, 1983)

Series Cinematography by
Bill Butler		(4 episodes, 1983)

Series Film Editing by
Carroll Timothy O'Meara		(2 episodes, 1983)
Robert F. Shugrue		(2 episodes, 1983)

Series Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster		(4 episodes, 1983)

Series Production Design by
Robert MacKichan		(4 episodes, 1983)

Series Art Direction by
Robert MacKichan		(unknown episodes)

Series Set Decoration by
Jerry Adams		(4 episodes, 1983)

Series Costume Design by
Travilla		(4 episodes, 1983)

Series Makeup Department
Del Acevedo	....	makeup artist (4 episodes, 1983)
Lee Crawford	....	hair stylist (4 episodes, 1983)
Marina Hart	....	hair stylist (unknown episodes)
Sharleen Rassi	....	hair stylist (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Henry Kline	....	unit production manager (4 episodes, 1983)
George Taylor	....	post-production supervisor (4 episodes, 1983)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jim Gardner	....	first assistant director (4 episodes, 1983)
Warren Gray	....	second assistant director (4 episodes, 1983)
Eric Jones	....	second assistant director (4 episodes, 1983)

Series Art Department
Victor E. Petrotta Sr.	....	property master (4 episodes, 1983)
Ray Pedler	....	scenic artist (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Richard Wagner	....	sound (4 episodes, 1983)
Don Crosby	....	sound effects editor (3 episodes, 1983)
Al Kajita	....	sound effects editor (3 episodes, 1983)
Larry Kaufman	....	sound effects editor (3 episodes, 1983)
Alan Potter	....	sound effects editor (3 episodes, 1983)

Series Special Effects by
Doug Hubbard	....	special effects (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
David Stipes	....	visual effects (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Carol Daniels	....	stunt double: Barbara Stanwyck, Rachel Ward (4 episodes, 1983)
Kim Kahana	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Emmanuel Vouniozos	....	on-set technician (4 episodes, 1983)
Colin J. Campbell	....	gaffer (unknown episodes)
Dave Friedman	....	still photographer (unknown episodes)
Adam Glick	....	set lighting technician (unknown episodes)
To Lee	....	camera assistant trainee (unknown episodes)
Johnny Walker	....	first assistant camera (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Thomas S. Dawson	....	costume: men (4 episodes, 1983)
Donna Roberts	....	costume supervisor: women (4 episodes, 1983)
Jerry Herrin	....	costumer (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Richard Nash	....	musician: trombone soloist (4 episodes, 1983)
Jay Alfred Smith	....	music editor (4 episodes, 1983)
Henry Mancini	....	composer: song "Anywhere the Heart Goes" (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Paul Pav	....	location manager (4 episodes, 1983)
Sandra Seacat	....	acting coach: Rachel Ward (4 episodes, 1983)
Terrance Sweeney	....	technical advisor / religious consultant (4 episodes, 1983)
Anne Warner	....	script supervisor (3 episodes, 1983)
Elise Ganz	....	studio teacher (unknown episodes)
Carol Green	....	unit publicist (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• David Wolper-Stan Margulies Productions
• Edward Lewis Productions
• Warner Bros. Television

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1983) (USA) (TV)
• TV1 (1997) (Estonia) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Pacific Studios Inc.  chromatrans background
• Toni Howard & Associates  casting

Also Known As:

Runtime:

Israel:460 min | USA:477 min

Country:

USA | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

William Andrews Clark Memorial Library - 2520 Cimarron St., Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

David Wolper-Stan Margulies Productions

Trivia:

Olivia Newton-John auditioned for the part of Meggie.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Through out the miniseries you see cars driving on the right-hand side of the road. This story takes place in Australia where they have always driven on the left side of the road. Additionally, the cars in the film are left-hand drive instead of RHD.

Quotes:

Ralph de Bricassart:[telling the legend of the thorn bird to Meggie] There's a story... a legend, about a bird that sings just once in its life. From the moment it leaves its nest, it searches for a thorn tree... and never rests until it's found one. And then it sings... more sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)

The "Gone With The Wind" of the Australian outback

Upon my initial viewings, this moved me. It is an emotionally charged drama of forbidden love, scandal and tragedy that teaches a very powerful lesson...that we, as a human race, are all doomed to destruction, each generation repeating the mistake of the one before (remember Rev. Jim Jones himself said "those who cannot remember history are doomed to repeat it").

This miniseries was the Australian outback's answer to "Gone With The Wind". Only this time it's Cardinal DeBricissart (Richard Chamberlin) that's the Scarlett O'Hara and Meggie Cleary (Rachel Ward) that's the Rhett Butler. And yes, it cries for a sequel that can never be made. And yes, not all love stories have happy endings.

And there are some sequences that do not depend on a music score, such as the touching climactic scene with Meggie and Justine in the barn.

But that's just what makes a miniseries a classic. This is not some cheap-skate adaptation of a best selling book...this is the way novels should be made.