"A Fortunate Life" (1985) TV mini-series 1985-

Seasons:

1

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Australia | Colonialism | TV Mini-Series

Cast

Bill Kerr	...	Narrator (4 episodes, 1985)
Dorothy Alison	...	Grandma Carr (3 episodes, 1985)
Dale Randall	...	Roy Facey (3 episodes, 1985)
John Ley	...	Eric Facey (3 episodes, 1985)
Anthony Richards	...	Bert (9 years) (2 episodes, 1985)
Benedict Sweeney	...	Bert (14 years) (2 episodes, 1985)
Dominic Sweeney	...	Bert / ... (2 episodes, 1985)
Pat Bishop	...	Alice McCall (2 episodes, 1985)
Paul Sonkkila	...	Archie McCall (2 episodes, 1985)
Jeffrey Rhoe	...	Jock McKay (2 episodes, 1985)
Maurie Ogden	...	Cop / ... (2 episodes, 1985)
Leslie Wright	...	Jack Lander (2 episodes, 1985)
Donovan Curyer		(2 episodes, 1985)
Sasha Janes		(2 episodes, 1985)
Sandra Eldridge		(2 episodes, 1985)
Raelene Hughes	...	Young Alice McCall (2 episodes, 1985)
Christopher Rice		(2 episodes, 1985)
Jodi Haslinger		(2 episodes, 1985)
Geoff Hutchison		(2 episodes, 1985)
Tanya Heffernan		(2 episodes, 1985)

Series Directed by
Marcus Cole		(2 episodes, 1985)
Henri Safran		(2 episodes, 1985)

Series Writing credits
A.B. Facey		(4 episodes, 1985)
Ken Kelso		(4 episodes, 1985)

Series Produced by
Ian Bradley	....	executive producer (4 episodes, 1985)
Bill Hughes	....	producer (4 episodes, 1985)
Ken Kelso	....	associate producer (4 episodes, 1985)
Michael Midlam	....	associate producer (4 episodes, 1985)

Series Original Music by
Mario Millo		(4 episodes, 1985)

Series Cinematography by
Peter Levy		(4 episodes, 1985)

Series Film Editing by
Peter Barton		(4 episodes, 1985)
Richard Hindley		(2 episodes, 1985)
Kerry Regan		(2 episodes, 1985)

Series Casting by
Maura Fay		(4 episodes, 1985)
Connie Mercurio		(4 episodes, 1985)
Joy Sargent		(4 episodes, 1985)

Series Production Design by
David Copping		(4 episodes, 1985)

Series Art Direction by
Ken James		(4 episodes, 1985)

Series Costume Design by
Bruce Finlayson		(4 episodes, 1985)

Series Makeup Department
Suzie Clements	....	hairdresser (4 episodes, 1985)
Lynette Harding	....	makeup assistant / makeup (3 episodes, 1985)
José Luis Pérez	....	makeup / special effects makeup (2 episodes, 1985)
Jane Surrich	....	makeup (2 episodes, 1985)

Series Production Management
Kerry Regan	....	post-production supervisor (4 episodes, 1985)
Terrie Vincent	....	production manager (4 episodes, 1985)
Elizabeth Kirkham	....	unit manager (2 episodes, 1985)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nick Alimede	....	third assistant director (4 episodes, 1985)
Tom Blacket	....	second assistant director (2 episodes, 1985)
Michael Bourchier	....	first assistant director (2 episodes, 1985)
Michael Faranda	....	second assistant director (2 episodes, 1985)

Series Art Department
Peter John Armstrong	....	art department assistant (4 episodes, 1985)
Dave Boardman	....	carpenter (4 episodes, 1985)
Derrick Chetwyn	....	property buyer / property dresser (4 episodes, 1985)
Toby Copping	....	art department assistant (4 episodes, 1985)
John Daniell	....	standby props (4 episodes, 1985)
Alex Dixon	....	carpenter (4 episodes, 1985)
Marcus Erasmus	....	carpenter (4 episodes, 1985)
John Gibson	....	set finisher (4 episodes, 1985)
Julieanne Mills	....	assistant art director (4 episodes, 1985)
Kelvin Sexton	....	assistant stand-by props (4 episodes, 1985)
Kim Sexton	....	assistant model maker / model maker (4 episodes, 1985)
Philip Worth	....	construction manager (4 episodes, 1985)
Richard Zaloudek	....	titles artist (4 episodes, 1985)
Bill Dennis	....	model maker (3 episodes, 1985)
Phil Peters	....	assistant art director (2 episodes, 1985)

Series Sound Department
Peter Fenton	....	sound mixer (4 episodes, 1985)
Phil Heywood	....	assistant sound mixer / sound mixer (4 episodes, 1985)
Phil Keros	....	boom swinger (4 episodes, 1985)
Ross Linton	....	sound recordist (4 episodes, 1985)
Ian McLoughlin	....	assistant sound mixer / sound mixer (4 episodes, 1985)
Gary O'Grady	....	assistant sound editor / sound effects editor (4 episodes, 1985)
Ray Thomas	....	sound editor (4 episodes, 1985)

Series Special Effects by
Colin Carruthers	....	special effects (1 episode, 1985)
Brian Cox	....	special effects (1 episode, 1985)
Chris Murray	....	special effects (1 episode, 1985)
Tom Preimus	....	special effects (1 episode, 1985)
Wilson Starr	....	special effects (1 episode, 1985)

Series Stunts
Paul Buckley	....	safety supervisor / stunt coordinator (3 episodes, 1985)
James Richards	....	fight coordinator (3 episodes, 1985)
Mike Simpson	....	safety supervisor (2 episodes, 1985)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Karel Akkerman	....	grip (4 episodes, 1985)
Simon Akkerman	....	second unit camera / second camera (4 episodes, 1985)
Guy Bessell-Browne	....	best boy (4 episodes, 1985)
Sam Bienstock	....	gaffer (4 episodes, 1985)
Neil Cervin	....	focus (4 episodes, 1985)
Billy Hammond	....	camera operator (4 episodes, 1985)
Mark Zagar	....	clapper loader (4 episodes, 1985)
John Otago	....	assistant grip (3 episodes, 1985)
Dave McAndrew	....	electrician (2 episodes, 1985)
Drew Rowlands	....	electrician (2 episodes, 1985)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Julie Barton	....	wardrobe stand-by (4 episodes, 1985)
Noel Howell	....	wardrobe master (3 episodes, 1985)
Stev Riches	....	wardrobe master (2 episodes, 1985)

Series Editorial Department
Tina Carrington	....	colour grading (4 episodes, 1985)
Caro Roope	....	colour grading (3 episodes, 1985)
Amanda Holmes	....	assistant editor (2 episodes, 1985)
Debbie Regan	....	assistant editor (2 episodes, 1985)

Series Music Department
Cos Russo	....	engineer (4 episodes, 1985)

Series Other crew
Johannes Akkerman	....	unit nurse (4 episodes, 1985)
Marcus Cole	....	script editor (4 episodes, 1985)
Jane Corden	....	assistant accountant (4 episodes, 1985)
Warren Delbridge	....	laboratory liaison (4 episodes, 1985)
Alison Francis	....	accounts assistant (4 episodes, 1985)
Carmen Galán	....	production assistant (4 episodes, 1985)
Alan Hobson	....	animal handler / security (4 episodes, 1985)
Antonia Legge	....	production secretary (4 episodes, 1985)
Wayne Murray	....	wrangler (4 episodes, 1985)
Sue Pemberton	....	production coordinator (4 episodes, 1985)
Craig Scott	....	production accountant (4 episodes, 1985)
Jeff Triffitt	....	stage hand (4 episodes, 1985)
Ray Winslade	....	horse master (4 episodes, 1985)
Jack McAdam	....	stage hand (3 episodes, 1985)
Denise Napier	....	tutor (3 episodes, 1985)
Barney Pollitt	....	wrangler (3 episodes, 1985)
Lesley Thomson	....	production coordinator (3 episodes, 1985)
Glen Williams	....	unit runner (3 episodes, 1985)
Jenni Winslade	....	riding instructor (3 episodes, 1985)
Hugh Cann	....	location manager (2 episodes, 1985)
Elizabeth Kirkham	....	location manager (2 episodes, 1985)
Judy Whitehead	....	continuity (2 episodes, 1985)

Production Companies

• Nine Network Australia
• PBL Productions

Distributors

• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2014) (worldwide) (video) (VOD)

Runtime:

95 min (4 episodes)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:16 (part 4) | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Western Australia, Australia

Company:

Nine Network Australia

Mini-series based on seminal Australian biography.

"A Fortunate Life" is based on the bestselling biography of A.B. "Bert" Facey (1894-1982). This moving four-part television mini series covers the first part of the book. The mini-series stays true to the form of the book: it is somewhat unsophisticated and perhaps overly direct in its storytelling. The series ends with the year 1915, (the book finishes in 1976) after having shown a great deal of Mr. Facey's struggle to survive during hard times.

I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Mr. Facey's return to the life of Western Australia after enduring the punishingly realistic scenes of the Battle of Gallipoli: I thought that the "we lived happily ever after" voice-over at the end was a bit of a cop-out; after all the appeal of the show is the characterization of Bert as a tough, yet moral and easygoing man. The show paints an excellent picture of a typical tough "cobber", and it gives insight into the Australian people of the time.