Lady in Danger (TV play)

Last updated
Lady in Danger
Genrecomedy-tjriller
Based on play by Max Afford
Written by Philip Albright
Directed by Colin Dean
Starring Madi Hedd
James Condon
Queenie Ashton
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerLes Weldon
Running time60 mins
Production companyABC
Original release
NetworkABC
Release9 September 1959 (1959-09-09) (live broadcast Sydney) [1]
Release24 September 1959 (1959-09-24) (taping Melbourne)

Lady in Danger is a 1959 Australian television play based on the stage play of the same name by Max Afford. [2]

Contents

Broadcast live in Sydney on 9 September 1959, a kinescope recording ("telerecording") was made of the broadcast and shown in Melbourne on 24 September 1959. [3]

Cast included Madi Hedd, James Condon and Queenie Ashton. [4] It is not known if the kinescope recording still exists.

Cast

Production

It was the first drama directed by Colin Dean at the ABC. He was assigned the job by ABC's Director of Drama, Neil Hutchinson. "It was a 'try-out' to see if I can do it," said Dean. "It wasn't a substantial play." [5]

An especially trained cat was used for certain scenes. [6]

Reception

The Age said it "provided an interesting hour's entertainment... outstanding feature was the fine sustained acting from Madi Hedd... James Condon... was not quite as convincing." [7]

The Sydney Morning Herald called it a "neatly tailored thriller" which set "out to do nothing more ambitious than pass an entertaining hour" and "did just that and nothing more in a very competent live television production... [the cast] all played as though they had been doing this kind of thing for most of their working lives. Colin Dean's production aptly matched their efficiency and craftsmanship." [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

Autumn Affair is an Australian television series made by and aired by Network Seven station ATN-7, and also shown in Melbourne on Nine Network station GTV-9. Television in Australia had only been broadcasting since 1956 and Seven was the first commercial station to make drama a priority.

<i>Lady in Danger</i> (play) 1942 play by Max Afford and 1959 television film directed by Colin Dean

Lady in Danger was a play by Australian writer Max Afford. It was one of the few Australian plays to be produced on Broadway. It was also adapted for radio and television.

<i>The Outcasts</i> (Australian TV series) Australian TV series or program

The Outcasts was a 1961 Australian television serial. A period drama, it was broadcast live, though with some film inserts. All 12 episodes of the serial survive as kinescope recordings. It was a sequel to Stormy Petrel.

<i>The Purple Jacaranda</i> Television series

The Purple Jacaranda was an Australian television mini-series which aired on ABC in 1964 based on a novel by Nancy Graham. Cast included James Condon, Margo Lee, Ronald Morse, Diana Perryman, Walter Sullivan and John Unicomb.

<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.

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.

Black Limelight is a stage play by Gordon Sherry, which has been adapted for television at least four times. However, at least three of these adaptations are now lost.

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.

<i>Blue Murder</i> (1959 film) 1959 Australian TV series or program

Blue Murder is an Australian live television play which aired in 1959 on ABC. Broadcast live in Sydney on 2 December 1959, a kinescope ("telerecording") was made of the broadcast so it could be shown in Melbourne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reflections in Dark Glasses</span> 12th episode of the 1st season of Shell Presents

"Reflections in Dark Glasses" is an Australian television film, or rather a television play, which aired in 1960. It aired as part of Shell Presents, which consisted of monthly presentations of stand-alone television dramas. It was written by Sydney writer James Workman, and is notable as an early example of Australian-written television drama. It was broadcast live in Sydney on 6 February 1960, then recorded and shown in Melbourne.

Treason is a 1959 Australian television live drama, which aired on ABC about the 20 July plot during World War Two. Originally broadcast 16 December 1959 in Melbourne, a kinescope ("telerecording") was made of the program and shown in Sydney on 13 January 1960. It was an adaptation of a stage play by Welsh writer Saunders Lewis, which had previously been adapted as an episode of BBC Sunday-Night Theatre.

"The Scent of Fear" is television play written by Ted Willis. It was originally written for British anthology series Armchair Theatre, adapted from the story "Stowaway" by Mary Higgins Clark which was reportedly based on a real story that happened in 1949. It was filmed for Australian TV in 1960.

A Dead Secret is a 1957 play by Rodney Ackland. It is a murder drama set in 1911 London and is based on the Seddon murder trial.

<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.

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

Sixty Point Bold is a 1959 Australian television play which aired on ABC. It was produced by the Sydney station of the network, ABN-2, and was kinescoped/telerecorded for showing in Melbourne on ABV-2. It was the second 90-minute live television play produced by ABN. It was written and produced by Royston Morley and aired July 16, 1959 for 90 minutes.

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.

Madi Hedd was an Australian actress. She appeared in a number of plays, television shows and films in Britain and Australia. From 1951 to 1957 she worked in Britain, appearing in a number of stage shows. She also appeared in Australian television dramas.

Farewell, Farewell, Eugene was a play by John Vari.

LBW Smith is a 1958 Australian radio serial drama from the Australian Broadcasting Commission. It was produced to coincide with the 1958–59 Ashes cricket series between Australia and England, and it is notable for its innovative production which incorporated the results of games in the scripts at the last minute.

References

  1. "Afford thriller on TV identifier". ABC Weekly. September 9, 1959. p. 12.
  2. Leslie Rees, Australian Drama in the 1970s, Angus & Robertson, 1978 p 232
  3. "TV Guide". The Age. 24 September 1959. p. 17.
  4. "ABN 'Live' Drama". Sydney Morning Herald. 7 September 1959. p. 11.
  5. "Interview with Colin Dean". ABC TV Gore Hill. November 2004.
  6. ""Role" for a cat on TV". The Age. 24 September 1959. p. 12.
  7. "Madi Hedd Impresses in Lady in Danger on TV". The Age. 8 October 1959. p. 14.
  8. "Competent Thriller on ABC 2". Sydney Morning Herald. 10 September 1959. p. 14.