POWER GAMES: THE PACKER-MURDOCH STORY

Australia, 2013, 180 minutes, Colour.
Lachy Hulme, Patrick Brammal, Leon Ford, Alexander England, Heather Mitchell, Maeve Dermody, Anne Looby, Bruce Myles, Lewis Fitz- Gerald.
Directed by Geoff Bennett, David Caesar.

Power Games reflects the interest in the Australian community in the history of media in the country, especially with the wars between the Packer family and Rupert Murdoch.

Other miniseries focusing on these characters included Paper Giants with a focus on Ita Buttrose and the foundation of Cleo; Magazine Wars, the clash between Dulcie Bolling and Nene King, editors of the Women’s Weekly and Women’s Day. On another Packer intervention, there was a series Howzat! on the establishment of one day cricket.

Lachy Hulme had appeared as Kerry Packer in Howzat! and this time appears as Kerry Packer’s father, Sir Frank Packer. He offers quite a fascinating portrait of the media magnate, a man of his time, perhaps stuck in his time, interested in money and deals, focusing on newspapers, especially the Sydney Daily Telegraph, but moving into television with Channel 9, that he did not understand how it worked very well.
Then there was the clash with the seeming upstart, Rupert Murdoch, relying on the reputation of his father Sir Keith Murdoch and his mother Dame Elisabeth Murdoch. Though Packer outwitted Murdoch several times, Murdoch emerged as the clear winner – and for many decades later. Patrick Bramall appears as Murdoch.

An interesting cast rounds out the Packer and the Murdoch families, including Leon Ford as Kerry Packer, struggling with his father who belittled him and his brother, Clyde, Heather Mitchell as his mother, Maeve Dermody as Anna Murdoch.

Were the struggle between the two magnates fiction, it would be fascinating. But, as it is fact, it is even more fascinating, especially to Australian audiences and world audiences who have felt the impact of Rupert Murdoch.

1. Audience interest in the characters? The Packers, Rupert Murdoch? Origins and history? The 1950s to the 1980s?

2. A film for television, for the television audience? Style? The strong cast, awards?

3. Recreation of the period, costumes and decor? The media of the period? The musical score, songs?

4. Australia in the 1950s? Media ownership? Frank Packer and the Telegraph, Channel 9? The development? Television and newspapers? The emergence of The Australian? The 1960s and expansion? Murdoch and local papers, beginning his empire? The use of idle presses? Advertising?

5. Frank Packer and his presumptions, creating his empire? His relationship with his wife, her illness? The contacts with politicians, with Robert Menzies? His social status? The racetrack? Wanting to watch the races on television at any time he liked? The importance of family, his sons, their working in the company, his continually belittling them?

6. Rupert Murdoch, the importance of his parents, his reputation? Setting up The Australian? Moving to Sydney, buying the local papers? The Packer invitation for him to play tennis and seeing him as an upstart? Murdoch’s first wife, his neglecting her? Their daughter? His ambitions?

7. The portrait of Frank Packer, his age, health, bumptious in manner, political influence, Menzies, Gorton, Mc Mahon, Whitlam? His money and his deals? Rivalry and competitiveness, wanting to win? His care for his wife? Finding the dog, calling him Henry, his pet, his devotion to Henry? His second marriage and companionship with Florence? His two sons, his treatment of them? paper production, programmes on Channel 9, manipulating staff strikes? Attitude towards Murdoch, getting him ono the board, yet tricking him with a meeting while Murdoch was on his honeymoon, sales? Meetings? Meeting Gorton, taking on Mc Mahon, wanting him trained the television? Wary of Whitlam? His final illnesses, any mellowing? His disappointment with Clyde’s decisions? Reliance on Kerry? His heritage?

8. The portrait of Rupert Murdoch, the reputation of his parents, a young man, setting up The Australian, buying the Sydney papers? His family, neglect of his wife, her wanting to join him in his work, socials? The daughter? The meeting with Anna, the attraction, her talents? The marriage? The honeymoon? His gambling with family money, with his life? Shrewd, the use of printing presses, local papers, on the border Channel 9, his being tricked, his attitude towards the strike and realising what Frank Packer was doing? Buying the Telegraph? The audience knowing his subsequent history? Liking or disliking him?

9. The portrait of the sons, Clyde, older, freer, phone calls and deals, his attraction to the hippie lifestyle, sexuality, separation from his wife, television interests, plans, clashes with his father, giving up? Kerry more like his father, bumptious, work in the company, the jobs, shrewd about the strike, discussions with Alan Reid, his business sense, not drinking, but a gambler? His marriage, his son? The discussions with Clyde? His being belittled by his father, his reactions? Finally becoming like his father?

10. Frank Packer’s first wife, putting up with him, her sons, the final illness and death? His second wife? Murdoch and his wives, love – and the subsequent history?

11. The portrait of the staff, poor salaries, Alan Reid and his leftist stances, good reporter, his advice to Kerry?

12. The political background, Menzies and the deals, Holt and his losing his life, meeting Gorton, deciding on Billy Mc Mahon, the meeting with him and
Sonia, training him for the television and his poor response? Gough Whitlam winning? Rupert Murdoch supporting him – but Whitlam not answering his phone to Murdoch?

13. Murdoch, the UK, going over, buying the News of the World, the platform for his advances? The Packers and their more insular approach and missing
out?

14. Audiences learning about Australian history, the Packers, Murdoch, Australian media through this medium of a telemovie?