My First Wife

Plot

The film follows the dissolution of John and Helen's marriage and the aftermath.

Cast

Production

The film was based on the breakdown of Cox's marriage. He started writing the script, showed it to Bob Ellis and the two men wrote the screenplay together. (Ellis says they spent a day and a half on it.)

The film was shot mostly at a house in Williamstown in Melbourne.

Music

Coir: Members of the Tudor Choristers directed by David Carolane

Christoph Willibald Gluck: “Orpheus & Euridice.”

Berliner Symphoniker – Hermann Prey

Conductor – Horst Stein

Joseph Haydn - “Paukenmesse”

Bayerischen Rundfunks Symphony Orchestra & Chorus

Conductor – Rafael Kubelik, Polygram

Ann Boyd - “As I crossed a Bridge of Dreams”, “Cycle of love”, Faber Music Ltd.

Carl Orff - “Carmine Burana”

Czech Philarmonic Orchestra & Chorus, Conducted by Vaclev Smetacek, Supraphon

Rene Geyer - “Hot Minuets”, Mushroom Records, Australia

Frans Sussmayr - “Grandfather's Birthday Celebration”, Hungarian Radio Children’s Chorus, Budepest Symphony Orchestra, Conductor – Laszlo Csanyl

Box office

My First Wife grossed $413,199 at the box office in Australia, which is equivalent to $1,049,525 in 2009 dollars.

Awards

My First Wife won in 1984 AFI Awards in the Best Actor in a Lead Role (John Hargreaves), Best Director (Paul Cox), Best Original Screenplay (Paul Cox, Bob Ellis) categories and was nominated in 4 more categories. Paul Cox also won the 1986 Grand Prix award at the Flanders International Film Festival in 1986.