Fair Passenger

Last updated

Fair Passenger
Based onplay by Aimée Stuart
Directed by Bill Eldridge
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time60 mins
Production companyABC
Original release
Network ABC
Release17 July 1957 (1957-07-17) (Melbourne, live)
Release1 September 1957 (1957-09-01) (Sydney, taped) [1] [2]

Fair Passenger is a 1957 Australian television film which aired on ABC. It was the first one-hour television drama produced in Melbourne, and aired there live on 17 July 1957. [3] [4]

Contents

It was described as a "drama of mixed romances". [5]

Although it was kinescoped in order to be shown in Sydney, it is not known if the kinescope still exists. The UK version is lost. [6]

Plot

Erica Tranmore is dissatisfied in her marriage with a quiet adoring husband. She goes to London on the pretext of visiting an old school friend, Meg, but actually to see an infatuated young man, Clive. She meets Rosemary, a young film star, at Meg's flat and sets out to captivate Meg's boss with a screen test.

Rosemary falls in love with Clive. Erica has an unsuccessful screen test and returns home.

Cast

Production

The show was based on a play by Aimee Stuart. It had been adapted for Australian radio in 1951 [8] 1952 [9] and 1954 [10] and for British TV in 1955 as part of anthology series London Playhouse . [11]

The ABC had a site in the Melbourne suburb of Ripponlea. However it did not have normal TV studio facilities yet so the production was filmed at a temporary studio at Coppin Hall in Richmond. (The studio was used for a six-month period from 1 July while the Ripponlea studios were being built. Among the shows made there were variety shows, musicals and the Village Glee Club.) [4] [12]

It was the first hour-long television drama broadcast in Melbourne. Marcia Hart, who was in the cast, had previously appeared in the first hour-long television drama broadcast in Chicago (a production of Gas Light ). [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABV (TV station)</span> Television station in Victoria, Australia

ABV is the call sign of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television station in Melbourne, Victoria.

Black Chiffon is a play in two acts written by Lesley Storm. Starring Flora Robson, the play premiered at the Westminster Theatre in London's West End on 3 May 1949, running for over 400 performances. The play debuted on Broadway on 27 September 1950 and ran until 13 January 1951, totalling 109 performances. That production starred Janet Barrow (Nannie), Richard Gale, Patricia Hicks (Louise), Raymond Huntley, Anthony Ireland, Patricia Marmont (Thea), and Flora Robson, and was produced by John Wildberg.

Sweet and Low was an Australian television series which aired from 24 August 1959 until 28 September 1959 on ABC Television station ABV-2 in Melbourne. Hosted by Bob Walters, the half-hour series presented performances by jazz musicians. Bruce Clarke appeared as a guest in the second episode.

The Jack Perry Show is an early Australian variety television series. Broadcast on Melbourne station GTV-9, it was one of the first regular series by the station. It was hosted by Jack Perry, aired live and also featured guests. Lasting about a month, the half-hour series aired at 7:30PM, with competition in the time-slot consisting of British series The Adventures of Robin Hood on HSV-7 and American sitcom Life with Elizabeth on ABV-2. Although his variety series was short-lived, host Jack Perry proved popular with 1950s and 1960s era Melbourne viewers as part of the clown duo Zig and Zag, who had a long running children's show on station HSV-7 originally titled Peters Fun Fair.

Any Questions was an Australian television series which aired on the ABC from 1958 to 1963. The series presented a panel, who would discuss various topics in each episode. ABC produced several discussion series during the 1950s and 1960s. Originally aired on Thursdays, it later moved to Wednesdays. Some of the editions were made in Sydney, while others were made in Melbourne.

<i>Tomorrows Child</i> (film) 1957 television film directed by Raymond Menmuir

Tomorrow's Child is an Australian television film, or rather a live one-off television play, which aired in 1957 on ABC. Directed by Raymond Menmuir, it is notable as an early example of Australian television comedy and was Australia's first live hour long drama. It was set in the future making it technically Australia's first science fiction drama.

Ending It was a 1939 BBC TV one-off play, written by Val Gielgud, and starring John Robinson, Joan Marion, and Dino Galvani. It was 30 minutes in duration. It was broadcast live on 25 August 1939.

Box for One is a live television play which has been presented three times, twice on British broadcaster BBC and once on Australian broadcaster ABC. It is a drama about a "spiv", and the entire 30-minute drama takes place in a London telephone box. It was written by Peter Brook.

<i>Miss Mabel</i> 1948 play

Miss Mabel is a 1948 stage play by R. C. Sherriff. It has been adapted for television at least five times. The original production premiered at the Theatre Royal, Brighton before transferring to London's West End where it ran for 180 performances between 23 November 1948 and 30 April 1949, initially at the Duchess Theatre before switching to the Strand Theatre. The West End cast included Richard Warner, Clive Morton and Mary Jerrold.

Bodgie is an Australian television movie, or rather a live television play with filmed sequences, which aired on ABC during 1959. Originally broadcast on 12 August 1959 in Sydney on ABN-2, a kinescope recording was made of the program and shown in Melbourne on ABV-2 on 2 September 1959.

The Shadow of Doubt is a 1955 stage play written by Norman King. It had its world premiere at the King's Theatre, Glasgow in 1955.

Roundabout is a television movie, or rather a live television play, which aired on Australian television in 1957. Broadcast 4 January 1957 on ABC station ABV-2, it is notable as the first example of television drama produced in Melbourne.

<i>A Dead Secret</i> 1957 play

A Dead Secret is a 1957 crime play by Rodney Ackland. It is a murder drama set in 1911 London and is based on the Seddon murder trial. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool then transferred to the Piccadilly Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 212 performances. The West End cast included Paul Scofield, Madge Brindley, Dinsdale Landen, Megs Jenkins, Harold Scott, Gretchen Franklin, Arthur Lowe, Maureen Delany and Laidman Browne.

The Twelve Pound Look is a 1956 live television play which aired on Sydney Australia station ABN-2 during the opening night of the station. Based on a British stage play by J.M. Barrie, it is significant as it was the very first drama produced for Australian TV.

<i>Rope</i> (1957 film) 1957 television film directed by William Sterling

Rope is a 1957 Australian television film based on the play Rope by Patrick Hamilton. It was presented in real time.

<i>In the Zone</i> (play) Stage play by Eugene ONeill

In the Zone is a 1917 stage play by Eugene O'Neill.

Dark Brown is an early Australian television film, broadcast during 1957 on ABC.

Citizen of Westminster is an early example of Australian television drama which aired on ABC. A one-off play set in England, it aired live on 8 October 1958 in Sydney, and kinescoped for showing in Melbourne on 30 November 1958. Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time.

<i>The Sound of Thunder</i> (film) 1957 Australian TV series or program

The Sound of Thunder is a 1957 Australian television play by Australian writer Iain MacCormick. It starred Moira Carleton. It was described as "the longest and most ambitious play ABN [the ABC] has put over so far" although The Importance of Being Ernest, which followed on December 18, exceeded it by 12 minutes.

References

  1. ↑ TV Guide Sydney Morning Herald 6 November 1957
  2. ↑ "LOOKING AHEAD ON CHANNEL 2 ABN". ABC Weekly. 13 November 1957.
  3. ↑ "Gaslight on TV with Melbourne Cast". The Age. 2 January 1958. p. 8.
  4. 1 2 "ABV-2 To Make "Live" Drama History", The Age 11 July 1957
  5. ↑ TV Guide "The Age" 11 July 1957
  6. ↑ "Lost UK TV Shows Search Engine". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "From School Plays to Success on TV". The Age. 19 September 1958. p. 20.
  8. ↑ "SATURDAY, 9th June". The Age . No. 29, 987. Victoria, Australia. 8 June 1951. p. 3 (THE AGE RADIO supplement). Retrieved 22 June 2016– via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ ""Wings" To Broadcast". The Newcastle Sun . No. 10, 690. New South Wales, Australia. 14 May 1952. p. 10. Retrieved 22 June 2016– via National Library of Australia.
  10. ↑ "PICK OF THE PROGRAMMES". Truth . No. 3379. New South Wales, Australia. 31 October 1954. p. 54. Retrieved 22 June 2016– via National Library of Australia.
  11. ↑ Fair Passenger 1955 British TV version at IMDb
  12. ↑ "ABV-2 Shows Staged at Coppin Hall". 20 June 1957. p. 21.
  13. ↑ "Firsts". The Age. 17 July 1957. p. 2.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.