Lady in Danger (TV play)

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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
Network ABC
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

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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.