Frank Arnold (director)

Frank Arnold directing.

Frank Arnold (born 1938) is an Australian director and producer best known for his work in television. ^[1]

In the 1970s, he mostly directed TV drama at the ABC before going freelance in the early 1980's; directing family and children's drama series. In the 1990's, he directed TV movies in the USA, before returning to Australia to direct TV series, retiring in 2002.

Arnold also served two years as a board-member of the Australian Screen Director's Association (now known as the Australian Director's Guild). ^[2]

Select credits

Television series

• Delta (1969–70) – director ^[3]
• Bellbird (1970) – director (five episodes)
• Dynasty (1970–71) – director
• Behind the Legend (1972–75) – director – episodes include "Caroline Chisolm", "C.Y. O'Connor", "C.T.P. Ulm", "Thomas Blamey", "Charles Fitzroy", "John Flynn", "Sidney Kidman" ^[4]
• Over There (1972–73) – director
• Castaway (1974) – director
• This Love Affair (1974) – director of episode ^[5]
• Riverbend (Pilot) (1974) – director
• Beyond the Break (2 Pilots) (1974) – director
• Certain Women (1974-75) – director ^[6]
• Ben Hall (1975) – director
• Rush (1976) – director
• Moynihan (1976) – director
• Kirby's Company (1977) – director
• Patrol Boat (1979) – director
• Timelapse (1980) – director (five episodes)
• Premiere (1980) – producer
• Menotti (1981) – director ^[7]
• Runaway Island (1984) – director ^[8]
• Five Mile Creek (1984) – director
• Butterfly Island (Series 1 – 1985 mini-series) – director
• The Haunted School (1986 mini-series) – director ^[9]
• Butterfly Island (Series 3 – 1992) – director
• Home and Away (2000–01) – director
• All Saints (2002) – director ^[10]

TV movies

• Everyone's got Wheels (1971) ^[11]
• Linehaul (1973) – director ^[12]
• Lindsay's Boy (1974) – producer, director
• The Champion (1974) – director
• Record of Interview (1976) – director
• Going Home (1977) – producer, director ^[13]
• Shimmering Light (1978) – producer ^[14]
• Ripkin (1978) – director, producer ^[15]
• Lay Me Down in Lilac Fields (1981) – producer, director ^[16]
• A Waltz Through the Hills (1988) – director ^[17]
• Whose Daughter Is She? (aka Semi-Precious) (1995) – director ^[18]

• Josh Kirby: Time Warrior! The Human Pets (1995) – director ^[19]
• Josh Kirby: Time Warrior! Trapped on Toyworld (1996) – director ^[20]
• Josh Kirby: Time Warrior! Last Battle for the Universe (1996) – director ^[21]

Documentary

• This is NIDA (1981) – producer, director
• Death in the Afternoon (1990) – director ^[22]

Awards

• Nominated Best Director (TV) Patrol Boat; 'Death of a Sailor' Sammy Awards (1980).
• Nominated Best Children's TV Series; Butterfly Island AFI Awards (1986) - Director.
• The Haunted School, Gold Plaque. Chicago International Film Festival (1987) - Director.
• A Waltz Through the Hills, First Prize – Frank Arnold. The Chicago International Festival of Children's Films (1988).
• A Waltz Through the Hills, Penguin Award. Australian Television Award for Excellence in a Children's Drama (1988).
• A Waltz Through the Hills, Pater Award for Professional Excellence in television and radio arts and sciences: children's program. The Australasian Academy of Broadcast Arts and Sciences (1988).
• Best Actor in a Telefeature: Ernie Dingo; A Waltz Through the Hills. Australian Film Institute Awards (First, First-Nations Actor to win Best Actor Award (1988). ^[23]

Other interests

• Arnold and sound engineer Noel Cantrill wrote an e-book Highly Inflamably [sic] recounting their 1966 journey from Sydney to London (Karachi to London in a Kombi van) which was published by UXED Pty Ltd. ^[24]

References

1. Albert Moran (1993). Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series. AFTRS.
2. "From the Cutting Room Floor". Filmnews . Vol. 17, no. 1. New South Wales, Australia. 1 February 1987. p. 4. Retrieved 3 February 2025– via National Library of Australia.
3. Don Storey. "Delta episode details". Classic Australian TV. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
4. "Television Highlights and lowlights", The Bulletin, Sydney, N.S.W: John Haynes and J.F. Archibald, 30 September 1972, nla.obj-1499745108, retrieved 3 February 2025– via Trove
5. "This Running Man". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 April 1974. p. 30.
6. Certain Women (TV Series 1973–1977) - Full cast & crew - IMDb . Retrieved 2025-10-05– via www.imdb.com.
7. "Production notes". The Australian Women's Weekly . Vol. 48, no. 10. Australia, Australia. 6 August 1980. p. 28 (FREE Your TV Magazine). Retrieved 3 February 2025– via National Library of Australia.
8. Runaway Island (TV Series 1983–1985) – IMDb . Retrieved 2025-02-09– via www.imdb.com.
9. The Haunted School (TV Mini Series 1986– ) – IMDb . Retrieved 2025-02-09– via www.imdb.com.
10. All Saints (TV Series 1998–2009) – IMDb . Retrieved 2025-02-09– via www.imdb.com.
11. Arnold, Frank (1972-01-26), Everyone's Got Wheels (Drama), Robert Brockman, Max Meldrum, Lynne Murphy, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), retrieved 2025-02-09
12. "Big local series planned for later this year". The Australian Women's Weekly . Vol. 40, no. 49. Australia. 9 May 1973. p. 10. Retrieved 4 September 2018– via National Library of Australia.
13. "The screen guide: Going Home". Screen Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
14. "The screen guide: Shimmering Light". Screen Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
15. "The screen guide: Ripkin". Screen Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
16. "The screen guide: Lay Me Down in Lilac Fields". Screen Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
17. "A Waltz Through The Hills (1988) – The Screen Guide – Screen Australia". www.screenaustralia.gov.au. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
18. Arnold, Frank (1995-09-24), Whose Daughter Is She? (Drama), Joanna Kerns, Stephanie Zimbalist, Gaby Hoffmann, Bernhardt-Friestat Entertainment, Robert Greenwald Productions, retrieved 2025-02-09
19. Arnold, Frank (1995-10-31), Josh Kirby: Time Warrior! Chap. 2: The Human Pets (Action, Adventure, Family), Corbin Allred, Jennifer Burns, Derek Webster, Castel Film Romania, Full Moon Entertainment, Moonbeam Entertainment, retrieved 2025-02-09
20. Arnold, Frank (1996-02-13), Josh Kirby: Time Warrior! Chap. 3: Trapped on Toyworld (Action, Adventure, Family), Corbin Allred, Jennifer Burns, Derek Webster, Castel Film Romania, Full Moon Entertainment, Moonbeam Entertainment, retrieved 2025-02-09
21. Arnold, Frank (1996-05-21), Josh Kirby: Time Warrior! Chap. 6: Last Battle for the Universe (Action, Adventure, Drama), Corbin Allred, Jennifer Burns, Derek Webster, Castel Film Romania, Full Moon Entertainment, Moonbeam Entertainment, retrieved 2025-02-09
22. "The screen guide: Death in the Afternoon". Screen Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
23. "Ernie Dingo". Opera Australia. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
24. "Highly Inflamably". UXED. Retrieved 9 May 2022.

External links

• Frank Arnold at IMDb
• Frank Arnold at Screen Australia