My Three Angels (film)

Last updated

My Three Angels
Genrecomedy
Based onplay My Three Angels by Samuel and Bella Spewack
based on play by Albert Husson
Written by Noel Robinson
Directed by Alan Burke
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time75 mins [1]
Production companyABC
Release
Original release19 December 1962 (1962-12-19) (Sydney)
2 January 1963 (1963-01-02) (Melbourne) [2]

My Three Angels is a 1962 Australian television adaptation which marked the acting debut of champion swimmer Murray Rose. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

It was based on the play My Three Angels by Samuel and Bella Spewack which in turn was based on the French play La Cuisine Des Anges by Albert Husson.

Plot

On Christmas Eve in French Guiana, Felix and Emillie Ducotel struggle to maintain a small shop and the arrival of Felix's unpleasant cousin, Henri (Owen Weingott). They have a daughter, Marie-Louise (Anna Volksa).

Three convicts (Gordon Chater, Richard Davies, Murray Rose), decide that, as a Christmas gift to the family, they will set everyone's problems to rights.

Cast

Production

The show marked the acting debut of swimmer Murray Rose. [6] [7] Rose had become interested in acting after appearing in a play at college in the US. When back in Australia, a friend told Alan Burke of Rose's interest, and Burke called the swimmer to offer him a role. [8] "He read very well," said Burke. "I was very pleased with him. His looks are ideal for the part. He was the only one of the actors I considered who could get across the gallic charm I was looking for." [9]

Rose said the emphasis was different from the film version. [10]

It was also the TV debut of Anna Volska, who was then 18. [11] It was the first Australian TV play from Gordon Chater. [12]

Chater had met Volska in a production of The Cherry Orchard at the Old Tote and said with her "I met my match in the giggling stakes... We both tended to be uncontrollable and diagraced ourselves later in a TV studio where something sparked us off, enraging the director whoch made us both worse. Well, it's better to have been sacked than never to have laughed at all. We were reinstated." [13] It is likely this production was My Three Angels.

Reception

The Sydney Morning Herald called it "moderately successful" because it did not manage to treat the material "so whimsically and delicately that its rather dubious morality remains in the realm of fantasy." However he did think that "on its own rather obvious terms it [the production] was efficient enough." The critic added that Murray Rose was "amiable and decorative and obviously did everything the producer had told him to do; but it would be overcharitable to suggest that he did it with any conviction or distinction." [14]

The Sun Herald said Rose's performance was "neat, workmanlike and competent" adding that Gordon Chater "was superb." [15]

The Age called it "a mediocrity". [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murray Rose</span> Australian swimmer

Iain Murray Rose, was an Australian swimmer, actor, sports commentator and marketing executive. He was a six-time Olympic medalist, and at one time held the world records in the 400-metre, 800-metre, and 1500-metre freestyle. He made his Olympic debut at the 1956 Summer Olympics as a 17-year-old and won three Olympic medals, all gold. Four years later, as a 21-year-old, he won three Olympic medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics.

The Old Tote Theatre Company (1963–1978) was a New South Wales theatre company that began as the standing acting and theatre company of Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). It was the predecessor to the Sydney Theatre Company. The Old Tote was one of the leading Australian theatre companies.

Stewart Ginn was an Australian radio, stage and television actor, best known as the character Nancarrow in the 1960s television comedy My Name's McGooley, What's Yours?.

Hamlet is a 1974 filmed adaptation of John Bell and Richard Wherrett's theatre production of the play.

President Wilson in Paris is a 1973 play by Ron Blair set during the Paris Peace Conference, 1919. It was also adapted for television by the ABC.

A Little South of Heaven is Australian live television play which aired in 1961 on ABC. It was based on a radio play by D'Arcy Niland and Ruth Park,

His Excellency is a 1958 Australian television film.

<i>Killer in Close-Up</i> 1957 Australian television film

Killer in Close-Up was a blanket title covering four live television drama plays produced by the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1957 and 1958. It could be seen as the first anthology series produced for Australian television.

Adventure Unlimited is a 1965 Australian anthology TV series. It was produced by Lee Robinson and associate produced by Joy Cavill. The directors included Ken Hannam. It was made by Waratah Film Productions a short lived company that came out of an unsuccessful attempt to gain a third commercial television licence.

<i>The Life and Death of King Richard II</i> (1960 film) 1960 Australian TV series or program

The Life and Death of King Richard II was a 1960 Australian live TV production of the play by William Shakespeare directed by Raymond Menmuir. It aired on 5 October 1960 and was one of the most elaborate productions made for Australian TV at that time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pardon Miss Westcott</span> 10th episode of the 1st season of Shell Presents

"Pardon Miss Westcott" is a 1959 Australian TV play by the Seven Network as part of drama anthology series Shell Presents. It was a musical set in colonial Australia and was broadcast live. It was Australia's first television musical comedy. "Pardon Miss Westcott" aired on 12 December 1959 in Sydney and on 19 December 1959 in Melbourne.

Wuthering Heights is a 1959 Australian television play adapted from Emily Brontë's 1847 novel Wuthering Heights. It was directed by Alan Burke and based on a script by Nigel Kneale which had been adapted by the BBC in 1953 as a TV play starring Richard Todd. It was made at a time when Australian drama production was rare.

<i>Hamlet</i> (1959 film) 1959 Australian TV play by Royston Morley

Hamlet is a 1959 Australian TV play starring William Job and produced by Royston Morley.

Marriage Lines is a 1962 Australian television play directed by Christopher Muir.

<i>The Merchant of Venice</i> (1961 film) 1961 film by Alan Burke

The Merchant of Venice is a 1961 Australian television adaptation of the play by William Shakespeare.

The Taming of the Shrew is a 1962 Australian television play, adapted by Alan Burke from the play by William Shakespeare. It stars Ron Haddrick and Brigid Lenihan.

<i>The Tempest</i> (1963 film) 1963 Australian film

The Tempest is a 1963 Australian television play, an adaptation of the play by William Shakespeare. Directed by Alan Burke, it stars Reg Livermore.

<i>You Cant Win Em All</i> (1962 film) 1962 Australian TV series or program

You Can't Win 'Em All is a 1962 Australian television play directed by Patrick Barton. Filmed in London, it was based on a play by Alun Owen which had been previously filmed by the BBC in 1962.

<i>Harlequinade</i> (Australian TV play) 1961 Australian TV series or program

Harlequinade is a 1961 Australian TV play based on the Terence Rattigan play Harlequinade. It was directed by Bill Bain.

The Square Ring is a 1960 Australian TV play based on a stage play by Australian Ralph Petersen which had been successful on the stage in England and been filmed in 1953.

References

  1. ↑ "TV Guide". Sydney Morning Herald. 17 December 1962. p. 15.
  2. ↑ "TV Guide". The Age. 27 December 1962. p. 25.
  3. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (12 July 2019). "Good Sports: Australian Athletes Who Act". Filmink.
  4. ↑ "A new style". Sydney Morning Herald. 6 December 1962. p. 6.
  5. ↑ "Murray Rose, from swimmer to actor". The Age. 6 December 1962. p. 28.
  6. ↑ "Murray Rose In Acting Debut". The Canberra Times . Vol. 37, no. 10, 412. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 19 December 1962. p. 25. Retrieved 11 June 2016– via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ The bulletin, John Haynes and J.F. Archibald, 1880, retrieved 22 March 2019
  8. ↑ Rose, Murray (9 October 1963). "It's What I Want". TV Times. p. 17.
  9. ↑ "A plunge into TV drama". TV Times. 22 November 1962. p. 6.
  10. ↑ Smith, Jan (29 December 1962). "A DEGREE OF COMMUNICATION Murray Rose and Tony Madigan: after the games ore over". The Bulletin. p. 14.
  11. ↑ "Murray Rose's New Role". Sydney Morning Herald. 10 December 1962. p. 16.
  12. ↑ "Murray Rose's Acting Debut will be Watched". The Age. 27 December 1963. p. 17.
  13. ↑ Chater, Gordon (1996). The Almost Late Gordon Chater. Bantam. p. 117.
  14. ↑ "Adaptation of Stage Comedy" . Sydney Morning Herald. 20 December 1962. p. 6.
  15. ↑ Marshall, Valda (23 December 1962). "TV Merry Go Round" . Sydney Morning Herald. p. 38.
  16. ↑ "Teletopics". The Age. 10 January 1963. p. 10.
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.