Behind the Legend
Behind the Legend is a 1972 anthology series based on the lives of various Australians hosted by Manning Clark.
It was originally called The History Makers.
Cast
Host
Recurring
- Barry Lovett as George Coppin / Dobie
- Ben Gabriel as John Monash
- James Condon as Wentworth
- Joe James as Walter Burley Griffin
- John Hargreaves as Tom Roberts
- Joseph Fürst as Ferdinand von Mueller
- Ken Fraser as Charles Fitzroy
- Michael Long as Heir
- Paul Bertram as Percy Grainger
- Reg Evans as C. J. Dennis / John Shaw Neilson at 40
- Robyn Nevin
- Terry Bader as Sidney Kidman
Season One
- Anna Volska as Helena Rubinstein
- Anne Haddy as Caroline Chisholm
- Anne-Louise Lambert
- Barbara Frawley
- Bud Tingwell as Arthur Phillip
- Jack Thompson as Charles Kingsford-Smith
- John Frawley as Thomas Blamey
- John Orcsik
- Kate Fitzpatrick as Nellie Melba
- Keith Lee as Charles O'Connor
- Kevin J. Wilson as Les Darcy
- Mark Kelly as Douglas Mawson
- Max Phipps as member of Parliament
- Neil Fitzpatrick as Charles Ulm
- John Morris as J. F. Archibald
- Penne Hackforth-Jones as Helena Rubinstein
- Tim Eliott as Henry Lawson
- Tony Barry
Season Two
- Aileen Britton as Lady Mitchell
- Alister Smart as Frank Gardiner
- Brian James as Governor William Bligh
- Cornelia Frances
- Dennis Grosvenor as Kevin Todd
- Don Crosby as Protector of Aborigines
- Drew Forsythe as Ted Baxter
- Elizabeth Alexander as Elizabeth Kenny
- Frank Lloyd as Eddie Gilbert
- Graeme Blundell as Ray Parer
- Gordon Chater as Sir Thomas Mitchell
- Jack Charles as Eddie Gilbert
- John Ewart as Francis Greenway
- Lola Brooks as Mary Reibey
- Nick Tate as Captain Sanderson
- Nigel Lovell as John Flynn
- Peter Gwynne
- Richard Meikle
- Tony Allyn as Robert O'Hara Burke
- Max Osbiston
Season Three
- Andrew McFarlane
- Anna Hruby as Younger Sister
- Carole Skinner
- John Gaden as S. T. Gill
- John Fegan
- Judi Farr as Harriet
- Judy McBurney as Waitress
- Kevin Miles as G.V. Brooke
- Kit Taylor
- Lisa Peers as Annette Kellerman
- Liz Burch as Mary
- Liz Chance as Henry Handel Richardson
- Lynette Curran as Belle
- Margo Lee as Miss Brennan
- Mark Lee as Maurice Kellerman
- Melissa Jaffer
- Natalie Bate as Ann Rumsby
- Pamela Stephenson as Fanny Cathcart
- Paul Mason as Matthew Flinders
- Ralph Cotterill as Hal Gye
- Robin Ramsay as Marcus Clarke
- Wendy Hughes
- Wynn Roberts as Christopher Brennan
- Max Osbiston
Select episodes
Season One
- Nellie Melba - by James Workman
- Henry Lawson - by Cliff Green
- Les Darcy
- Charles Ulm - by James Workman
- Douglas Mawson - by Thomas Kenealley, directed by John Croystn
- John Monash - by Tony Morphett
- Charles O'Connor - by James Workman, directed by Frank Arnold
- Caroline Chisolm - by John Pooley, directed by Frank Arnold
- John Shaw Neilson - by Margaret Kelly
- J. F. Archibald
- Thomas Blamey - by Lance Peters, directed by Frank Arnold
- Helena Rubenstein by Cole Thompson, directed by Alan Burke
- Arthur Phillip
Season Two
- Francis Greenaway
- Elizabeth Kenny
- Ray Parer - by Laurence Johns and James Workman, directed by Rob Stewart
- William Bligh - by Thomas Keneally
- Frank Gardiner
- Sir Thomas Mitchell
- J. F. Archibald - by Brian Wright, directed by Bill Munro
- Ferdinand von Mueller
- Eddie Gilbert - by Philip Grenville Mann. **
- Robert O'Hara Burke
- Charles Fitzroy - by Mary Wright
- Mary Reibey - by Barbara Vernon, directed by Bruce Best. GS Lola Brooks.
- John Flynn
- Percy Grainger **
Season Three
- Marcus Clarke - by Kerry Wanka directed by John Croyston
- Percy Grainger - by Cole Thompson, directed by Alan Burke. NB was to have shown previous year but withdrawn for Nixon's resignation
- Sidney Kidman
- Walter Burley Griffin
- George Coppin - by Joe James directed by John Croyston
- Eddie Gilbert - was to have shown previous year but withdrawn to show a political program
- Henry Handel Richardson
- S. T. Gill - by John Croyston, directed by Alan Burke
- Matthew Flinders
- Annette Kellerman by Cole Thompson, directed by Bruce Best
- Christopher Brennan
- Tom Roberts - written by Joe James directed by John Matthews
- Ann Rumsby
- C. J. Dennis - written by Alan Burke, directed by Julian Pringle