Guide to the Papers of Harry M. Miller
MS 7981
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Created: 2017
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Harry M. Miller
- Title
- Papers of Harry M. Miller
- Date Range
- 1958 - 2003
- Collection Number
- MS 7981
- Extent
- 27.3 metres (5 map folios + 2 medium folio boxes + 3 large folio boxes + 1 folio + 84 ms boxes + 26 ms cartons + 1 over sized music score)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- Special Collections (Manuscripts)
Introduction
Scope and Contents
MS 7981 comprises correspondence, press clippings, programmes, photographs, posters, financial records, contracts, music scores, scripts, administrative files, stage management reports and other papers dealing with the numerous concert tours, stage musicals and theatrical productions promoted by Miller from the late 1950s to the late 1970s. These include such artists as Louis Armstrong, Arthur Rubinstein, Roy Orbison and the Rolling Stones; such musicals as Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar; and, theatrical productions including The boys in the band and The secretary bird. The collection also includes material on individuals managed by Miller including Graham Kennedy, Barry Humphries, Dame Zara Bate and Sir John Kerr. Also present are papers of an autobiographical nature such as those relating to Miller's trials and imprisonment on fraud charges in the early 1980s (85 boxes, 26 large cartons, 5 fol. boxes, 1 fol. packet, 2 elephant folios).
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1655866).
Conditions Governing Use
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Preferred Citation
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Harry M. Miller, National Library of Australia, [class/series/file number]'.
Separated Materials
40 audio tapes from this collection have been stored in the Oral History Collection (see Appendix 4).
10 original cartoons by "Weg" have been stored in the Pictures Collection.
Biographical Note
Harry Maurice Miller was born in Auckland, New Zealand in 1934. In the late 1950s he established himself as a show business promoter and entrepreneur. In 1963 he moved to Australia, establishing the firm Pan Pacific Productions Pty Ltd. Throughout the 1960s he promoted a large number of concert and theatre tours of Australia and New Zealand. These included tours by such artists as Louis Armstrong, Artur Rubinstein, the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys. He consolidated his reputation in the early 1970s by promoting the hugely successful musicals "Hair" and "Jesus Christ Superstar". Later in the 1970s he was appointed a Director of Qantas and organiser of the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations in Australia. In 1978 he established the firm Computicket which went into receivership within six months. In 1982 Miller was convicted on five charges of fraudulent misappropriation in connection with Computicket, and spent ten months in Long Bay and Cessnock jails.
Item Descriptions
Class MS 7981. Original Consignment
Series 5. Hair
See also scrapbooks in Boxes 17-20
Series 6. Jesus Christ Superstar
See also scrapbooks in boxes 21-22
Series 7. Barry Humphries
See also scrapbooks in boxes 10-11
Series 8. Miscellaneous productions
Includes scripts, scores, administrative files, correspondence, promotional material and schedules.
Series 9. Autobiographical
Boxes 106 and 107 contain background files for My story. (See also newscuttings in boxes 32-34)
Series 10. Photographs
Series 11. Posters
Colour and black and white posters of musical groups, theatre productionss and variety shows.
Herman's Hermits, Tom Jones and the Squires, plus Ray Columbus (File) - Map-Folio 1 (MS 7981)
Venue Palais Theatre. Dates Jan 27-29. No year
No sex please, we're British (File) - Map-Folio 1 (MS 7981)
Venue Metro, Kings Cross. Dates Opens November 22. No year
Alan Sherman and Joe 'Fingers' Carr (File) - Map-Folio 1 (MS 7981)
Venue Palais Theatre. Dates May 1-2. No year
Eric Burdon and the Animals, the Hollies, Paul and Barry Ryan (File) - Map-Folio 1 (MS 7981)
Venue Sportsdrome. Dates April 13. No year
Gene Pitney Show with special guest star Mike Preston (File) - Map-Folio 1 (MS 7981)
Venue Opera House. Dates October 25. No year
Tully, Max Merritt, Sharon Redd, plus The Chant (File) - Map-Folio 1 (MS 7981)
Venue Sydney Town Hall. Dates Nov 9. No year
Swan Lake, Leningrad Kirov Ballet Company, Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra (File) - Map-Folio 1 (MS 7981)
Venue Capitol Theatre. Dates June 7. No year
Peter Wyngarde in 'Butley' (File) - Map-Folio 1 (MS 7981)
Venue Metro Bourke St. Dates May 18. No year
Die Brucke (File) - Map-Folio 1 (MS 7981)
Venue University Theatre, Kensington. Dates August 23-27. No year
Das Schloss (The Castle) Die Brucke, German Theatre Tour, 1968 (File) - Map-Folio 1 (MS 7981)
No venue
Jesus Christ Superstar (File) - Map-Folio 1 (MS 7981)
Venue Festival Hall, Dates April 14-15.No year
Leslie Uggams, Jimmy Hannan, Duo Revelles, Joe Martin (File) - Map-Folio 1 (MS 7981)
Venue Palais Theatre, July 14 and 16. No year
Barry Humphries in A Load of Olde Stuffe, Jan 30 - Feb 10, 1973 (File) - Map-Folio 1 (MS 7981)
Venue S.G.I.O. Theatre, Turbot Street, Brisbane
The Rocky Horror Show (File) - Map-Folio 1 (MS 7981)
Venue Warner Theatre, Adelaide. Dates August 12. No year
The Secretary Bird starring Patrick Macnee, Anne Charleston, Noel Trevarthen, Barbara Stephens, Esme Melville (File) - Map-Folio 1 (MS 7981)
No venue and dates
Hair: the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, June 5, 1970 (File) - Map-Folio 2 (MS 7981)
Venue Metro Theatre Kings cross.
Herman's Hermits, Tom Jones and the Squires, plus Ray Columbus (File) - Map-Folio 2 (MS 7981)
Venue Town Hall. Dates Feb 5. No year
By public demand: Superstar extended into holiday season (File) - Map-Folio 2 (MS 7981)
Various venues Capitol Theatre, Opera House. Dates Dec 9, 16, 23, 30, Jan 6, 13, 20, 27, Feb 3, 10, 17, 24. No year
Leslie Uggams, Jimmy Hannan, Duo Revelles, Gerry Hannan (File) - Map-Folio 2 (MS 7981)
Venue City Hall, Brisbane. Dates July 12. No year
No sex please, we're British. Michael Crawford, Linda Anthony, Thorson Valentine, Evelyn Laye (File) - Map-Folio 2 (MS 7981)
Venue Strand Theatre. No dates
Paul and Paula with the Big '16' on Surfside '64 (File) - Map-Folio 2 (MS 7981)
Venue Stadium. Dates Jan 17-18. No year
Roy Orbison, The Walker Bros, The Yardbirds, Johnny Young (File) - Map-Folio 2 (MS 7981)
Venue Festival Hall. Dates Jan 28. No year
Swan Lake, Leningrad Kirov Ballet Company, Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra (File) - Map-Folio 2 (MS 7981)
Venue Lyrique Theatre. Dates Sept 20. No year
Swan Lake, Leningrad Kirov Ballet Company, Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra (File) - Map-Folio 2 (MS 7981)
Venue Lyrique Theatre. Dates Sept 20. No year
The Who, The Small Faces, Paul Jones (File) - Map-Folio 2 (MS 7981)
Venue Festival Hall. Dates Jan 20. No year
Goldberg and Solomon or Gilbert & Sullivan go Kosher! (File) - Map-Folio 3 (MS 7981)
Venue Playbox Theatre. No dates
Swan Lake, Leningrad Kirov Ballet Company, Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra (File) - Map-Folio 3 (MS 7981)
Venue Metro Theatre, Bourke Street. No dates
The Secretary Bird, Patrick Macnee (File) - Map-Folio 3 (MS 7981)
Venue Princess Theatre. Dates March 31 - May 2. No year
Butterflies are free. Miriam Karlin (File) - Map-Folio 3 (MS 7981)
Venue Playbox Theatre. Dates commences September 2 for six weeks. No year
It's a two foot six inch above the ground world … by Kevin Laffan (File) - Map-Folio 3 (MS 7981)
No venue and dates
Jesus Christ Superstar (File) - Map-Folio 3 (MS 7981)
Venue Capital Theatre. Dates August 16. No year
A load of olde stuffe, Barry Humphries (File) - Map-Folio 3 (MS 7981)
Venue S.G.I.O. Theatre, Turbot Street. Date Jan 30 - Feb 10. No year
Shirley Bassey (File) - Map-Folio 3 (MS 7981)
Various venues Apollo Stadium, Adelaide; Festival Hall, Brisbane; Palais St. Kilda, Melbourne. Dates June 20, 23, 26-27. No year
Don't just lie there, say something! Terry Thomas (File) - Map-Folio 3 (MS 7981)
Venue Metro Kings Cross. Dates September 7.No year
Antigone, Les femmes saventes, Le Treteau de Paris (File) - Map-Folio 3 (MS 7981)
Venue Conservatorium of Music. Dates May 22-27. No year
Brian Poole and The Tremelos (File) - Map-Folio 3 (MS 7981)
Venue Stadium. Dates April 17-18. No year
Dames at sea, Nancy Hayes (File) - Map-Folio 3 (MS 7981)
Venue Playbox Theatre, Melbourne. Dates March 11. No year
Eric Burdon and the Animals (File) - Map-Folio 3 (MS 7981)
Venue Festival Hall. Dates April 20-21. No year
Hair: the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical (File) - Map-Folio 3 (MS 7981)
Venue His Majesty's. Dates Feb 26-March 3. No year
Sleuth, Richard Todd, Gary Waldhorn (File) - Map-Folio 3 (MS 7981)
Various venues His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland; Ground Opera House, Wellington; Theatre Royal, Christchurch. Dates Oct 19-Nov 11; Nov 15-Dec 2; Dec 6-19. No year
Don't just lie there, say something! Terry Thomas (File) - Map-Folio 4 (MS 7981)
Venue Metro Kings Cross. Dates September 7. No year
Jesus Christ Superstar (File) - Map-Folio 4 (MS 7981)
Venue Capital Theatre. Dates August 16. No year
Hair: the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, 1968 (File) - Map-Folio 4 (MS 7981)
Venue Metro Bourke Street
Sleuth, Patrick Wymark, John Fraser (File) - Map-Folio 4 (MS 7981)
Venue Theatre Royal. Dates July 29. No year