Lindy’s story

Press, 13 April 1984, Page 19

Lindy’s story

“The Disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain” (Two, 10 o’clock tonight) is a dramatisation of events described in the series of inquests, trials and appeals that made this case one of the most controversial in Australia’s history. The author, Frank Moorhouse, provides a commentary and narration that links the scenes that star Elaine Hudson as Lindy Chamberlain and John Hamblin as her husband, Michael. Moorhouse, an award-win-ning author and journalist, found researching the film a monumental task. “I didn’t go into the case because I was interested in the innocence or guilt of the Chamberlains although, like everyone else, I wanted to know what happened. I went in purely with an interest in the story. A lot of our fairytales are about the animal kingdom coming out of the wilds and stealing children and raising them. The

story had a Romulus and Remus ring to it,” Moorhouse told “TV Week” when the film was screened in Australia recently. Elaine Hudson, a Sydneyborn stage actress with little television or film experience, was chosen for the demanding role of Lindy Chamberlain. Hudson had an open mind about the case. She said that when the Azaria story broke, she was travelling overseas.

“I didn’t follow the case so I had no thoughts about Lindy. I had no feelings to disguise,” she said.

“I saw an interview on video with Lindy and taped the sound and played it over and over, day after day, to make myself aware of her voice. When playing fictional people you can invent whatever you like about them and keep them under your control. With Lindy all I did was portray her as faithfully as possible.”