The Lancaster Miller Affair

1985 film by Henri Safran

The Lancaster Miller Affair
Written by	Peter Yeldham
Directed by	Henri Safran
Starring	Kerry Mack Nicholas Eadie
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
No. of episodes	5 x 1 hour
Production
Producer	Paul Davies
Budget	A$4,725,000^[1] or $6 million^[2]
Original release
Release	6 July 1985 (1985-07-06)

The Lancaster Miller Affair is a 1985 Australian mini series about the relationship between Bill Lancaster and Jessie Miller.^[3]

Cast

Kerry Mack as Jessica 'Chubbie' Miller
Nicholas Eadie as Bill Lancaster
Aaron Cull as Haden Clarke
Peter Kowitz as Maddox
June Salter as Maud Lancaster
Maureen Edwards as Alice Burgess
David Nettheim as Dr Tallman
Gerard Maguire as Frank Upton
Paul Dawber as Carson's Associate

Production

The mini series became notorious for a clash with Australia's Actors Equity. The lead male roles of Lancaster and his friend Hayden Clarke were offered to Sam Neill and John Hargreaves, who turned them down. The producers then tested a large number of actors but claimed none of them were suitable and cast non-Australians Peter Firth, Don Batte and Joseph Bottoms. Equity objected claiming the tests of the Australian actors rejected had not been properly carried out. Shooting was put back but eventually Australians Kerry Mack, Nicholas Eadie and Wayne Cull were cast.^[4]

The shoot went for twelve weeks. $545,000 of the budget came from Film Victoria.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b "Chubbie and Bill go up in a plane", Cinema Papers, November 1985 p47
^ Lewes, Jacqueline Lee (5 June 1983). "Million$ of Viewing". Sydney Sun Herald. p. 47.
^ Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford University Press, 1996 p208
^ Nick Roddick, "Writs and recriminations fly over casting dispute", Cinema Papers, July 1985 p2