australian television information archive

Part 1 of 6

Screenplay: Terry Hayes
Director: Ken Cameron

After being imprisoned by the Japanese, Hal Stanton (Denholm Elliot) returned to England in 1946 to face a courtmartial. He was denounced as a traitor by the British and cashiered. Disgraced, he tried to escape his past by living abroad under various assumed names, eventually settling in Australia where he now works as a lawyer under the name Graeme Greene. Presented with new clients one day — a wealthy family named Faulkner — he falls in love with their daughter Catherine (Judy Morris). As part of their brief affair he spends Christmas at their luxurious and isolated country mansion “Guardbridge.” Shortly after, a newspaper story about the death of his father — a war hero — reveals that Graeme Greene is actually the disgraced Hal Stanton, the hero’s son. He is forced to resign from the law firm because of his deception but, worse, Lady Faulkner (Gerda Nicolson) will not allow him to see or speak further with Catherine. Hal drives out to Guardbridge to see her but she has already been sent away by her parents. He mistakenly believes she has spurned him and they never meet again.

Catherine discovers she is pregnant. The child, Katrina, is raised at Guardbridge by her mother and grandmother and is told that her father is dead. Years pass and by the age of twenty Kat (Nicole Kidman) is a somewhat awkward and solitary young woman suffering from asthma. Catherine, knowing she has cancer, appoints George McNair, the family lawyer, as her daughter’s trustee. A kindly man, he recognises Kat’s artistic talents. Going through her mother’s things after she dies, Kat finds Catherine’s journal which tells of her affair with “Graeme.” She confronts the longtime housekeeper Mrs. Cameron but learns nothing. Kat then visits McNair at his law firm, which happens to be where Graeme/Hal had formerly worked. McNair tells Kat her family had spurned him as a “con man.” Kat finally learns his real name was Hal Stanton and that other members of the family reside in London. McNair advises her to go and visit them for her own peace of mind, but not to expect a warm reception.