Pardon Miss Westcott

Last updated

"Pardon Miss Westcott"
Shell Presents episode
Pardon Miss Wescott ad.png
Advertisement in The Age , 17 Dec 1959
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 10
Directed by David Cahill
Teleplay by
Featured musicPeter Stannard
lyrics
Peter Benjamin
Original air date12 December 1959 (1959-12-12)
Running time75 mins
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
 Previous
"Rope"
Next 
"No Picnic Tomorrow"
List of episodes

"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 commissioned for television musical comedy. [1] [2] [3] "Pardon Miss Westcott" aired on 12 December 1959 in Sydney and on 19 December 1959 in Melbourne.

Contents

It ran for 75 minutes and featured eight new songs and a cast of nineteen. [4]

Plot

It is 1809 and Britain sends its convicts to the penal colony of New South Wales. On a convict ship travelling to Sydney, the convicts, notably three men, Mansfield, Harbutt, and Snark, sing "He-ho, you'll never go back".

Elizabeth Westcott is being transported after being given a five year sentence for killing a pig and serving it to a pompous magistrate at her father's inn. On the boat over she meets Richard Soames, an army officer being transferred to the NSW Corps. Elizabeth befriends Mansfield, Harbutt, and Snark after she refuses to report them for theft; they sing "Send for Me" together.

The ship arrives in Sydney. Richard meets the new, temporary Governor, Colonel Patterson, who has taken over from Governor Bligh (the Rum Rebellion has just taken place). Paterson complains about the lack of decent servants and Richard recommends Elizabeth but Paterson is reluctant to employ a former convict.

Elizabeth arrives to track down Richard and impresses Paterson, who offers her the job of managing Government House. She persuades Richard to let Mansfield, Harbutt, and Snark join her as servants. Richard sings "You Walk By" to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth runs the house with great success but this causes the Governor's wife, Lydia, to become jealous and demand the convict leave. Paterson decides to grant Elizabeth a ticket of leave and loans her five pounds to set up an inn. Elizabeth sings "I'm on My Way". [5]

Elizabeth runs the inn, called the Silver Bottle, along with a servant girl, Mog. It is popular but they have trouble with the local soldiers. She decides to gate crash a party held by Paterson and his wife, in order to talk to the Governor. At the party, Lydia sings a song to her guests, "Our Own Bare Hands".

Elizabeth arrives to make an appeal to Paterson, but upsets Lydia. Richard arrives at the party and dances with Elizabeth; he sings her a song, "Sometimes".

At the Silver Bottle, the customers, including Mansfield, Harbutt, and Snark, sing and dance a number, "The Grog Song". The convicts mock Lydia, when Paterson arrives and overhears. He is upset and sends the convicts home. Paterson also tells Elizabeth she and Richard must not see each other, as she would be bad for his career. She briefly reprises "Send for Me".

Paterson tells Richard to not see Elizabeth and he reluctantly agrees. Mansfield, Harbutt, and Snark escape, taking Paterson's rabbits. Sent to find the convicts, Paterson sneaks out to see Elizabeth and they sing a song, "So Much More". Paterson catches the two of them together and demands Richard's resignation; he also orders Paterson to spend the night in prison with the three recaptured convicts.

In prison, Mansfield, Harbutt, and Snark sing "The Whole Shebang", watched by Richard. The convicts escape, during which Richard is knocked out. The convicts deposit Richard and Elizabeth's inn. When Richard wakes up he insists they go back to prison. He and Elizabeth sing "The Argument" along with Mansfield, Harbutt and Snark. The convicts eventually agree to return to their cell.

Lydia is convinced that Elizabeth and her husband are having an affair. The convicts have broken out of prison again. Elizabeth insists she loves Richard. Elizabeth and Richard sing a love duet, "You Walked By".

The convicts arrive, having recaptured Paterson's rabbits. Paterson tells Richard that the NSW Corps is being disbanded, Paterson is going home and Richard is out of the army. Elizabeth has to serve out the remaining four years of her sentence. Mansfield, Harbutt, and Snark are given an extra five years of service, but are assigned to Richard as servants. Mog, the convicts, Elizabeth and Richard sing a final song.

Cast

Production

The film was commissioned and broadcast live by the Seven Network's ATN-7 Sydney studio's from the writers of the musical Lola Montez , which had enjoyed a successful run on stage. The brief was to create a family musical for Christmas. The budget was £5,000 [6]

The book was by Alan Burke and Peter Benjamin, Benjamin also wrote the lyrics and the music was by Peter Stannard. Burke appeared "by courtesy of the ABC" who were employing him as a director. [1] [7] [8]

The music was conducted by Tommy Tycho, leading a full ATN Studio Orchestra (rather than show band). Kevin Cameron designed the sets, Bill Robinson prepared wardrobe and Vernon Best was operations manager. Ken Shadie supervised audio. Betty Pounder was borrowed from J.C. Williamsons to direct the choreography.

Michael Cole had been fired from Lola Montez and was hired by the writers for this to make it up to him. [9]

According to Ailsa McPherson, who worked on the show as a script assistant, during the live broadcast the actor who played Colonel Patterson accidentally omitted over a page of dialogue in an earlier scene. The other actors continued because it was live, but it meant later plot points would be confusing. After the show went to air, they re-shot the scene and re-inserted it into the tape and kine. [10]

Songs

Reception

The Beacon Research Company estimated that 250,000 adults and 10,000 children watched the broadcast. More than 100 people rang in to congratulate on the broadcast on the night it aired. [11]

Critical

The critic from the Sydney Morning Herald wrote the musical "had an entertaining and beguilingly tuneful premiere in a smoothly organised live production" despite "the lack of colour and space in which create spectacle and the effects which properly, and uniquely-belong to the stage." However:

Nine numbers in a 75-minute show is pretty fair value, and the... tunes and lyrics were fluent, neatly turned and literate. Equally important. they arose naturally from the situations arranged by the... book, and always took the story-line, and characterisation, a step further. And at least one song, "Bells Suddenly Ring" is a possible hit tune. Moreover, the show proved that for those who are willing to use their imagination, there is plenty of theatrical material in our early history... Michael Cole acted and sang very attractively indeed: Wendy Blacklock brought the proper strength of character... but was not entirely at ease with her songs. Nigel Lovell.. was engaging and sympathetic, and Queenie Ashton, his snooty hypochondriac wife, was nicely acid. Chris Christiansen, Nat Levispn and Michael Walshe made a usefully funny convict trio, and Joy Hill danced with considerable verve and enthusiasm. [12]

Reviewing it years later Filmink called it "charming... full of life and energy, with enjoyable tunes and dance numbers; the cast completely commits, particularly the supporting players, the production values are impressive, and the script even makes vague political points (about how laws should be just, and you shouldn't keep stealing things). It's very well directed... Admittedly, the script feels as though it could have done with another draft just to tighten the subplots, but there is some lovely comedy, bright tunes, as well as thrilling high-octane dance numbers (with spectacular high kicks courtesy of ballerina Joy Hill). [13]

Cast Album

A studio cast album, with different performers from the television version (apart from Queenie Ashton), was released in December 1960. [14]

Songs on 1960 Cast Album

  1. "Overture" (Orchestra)
  2. "Heigh Ho, You'll Never Go Back" (male chorus)
  3. "Send For Me" (Elizabeth, Mansfield, Harbutt, and Snark)
  4. "You Walk By" (Richard)
  5. "The Whole Shebang" (Mansfield, Harbutt, and Snark)
  6. "I'm On My Way" (Elizabeth)
  7. "Grog Song" (chorus)
  8. "So Much More" (Elizabeth and Richard)
  9. "Our Own Bare Hands" (Lydia)
  10. "The Argument" (Elizabeth, Richard, Mansfield, Harbutt, and Snark)
  11. "Sometimes" (Richard)
  12. "Finale" (Elizabeth, Richard, and Chorus)

Repeat

The show was repeated on Channel 7 in November 1960.

The Bulletin called it "bright and tuneful". [15]

The Sydney Morning Herald said "it came through even better on the second run than the first." [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

Wendy Blacklock AM is an Australian-born retired theatre actress and theatrical entrepreneur, radio and television actress, comedienne, producer, writer, singer, dancer and choreographer who has appeared in numerous performance roles, both locally and in the United Kingdom, and has been referred to as "The Grand Dame of the Stage".

<i>Jonah</i> (TV series) 1962 Australian TV series or program

Jonah is an Australian television drama series which aired for 20 episodes starting from 15 October 1962 on the Seven Network. Produced during an era when commercial television in Australia produced few dramatic series, Jonah was a period drama, and was inspired by the success of ABC's period drama mini-series like Stormy Petrel.

<i>Shell Presents</i> 1959 Australian TV series or program

Shell Presents was an early attempt at Australian television drama, being an umbrella title for several different productions. It debuted on 4 April 1959, and aired on ATN-7 and GTV-9, who split production of plays for the series between them. It was an anthology series, each program being a self-contained play for television. The series won a Logie award in 1960 for TV Highlight of 1959. As the title suggests, it was sponsored by Shell. It was described as "a very big deal for the station: major institutional sponsorship from international companies for locally produced drama." It would be followed by The General Motors Hour.

<i>Stormy Petrel</i> (TV series) Television series

Stormy Petrel is an early Australian television drama. A period drama, the 12-episode serial told the story of William Bligh and aired in 1960 on ABC. It was the first live TV serial from the ABC.

<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.

The Big Day (<i>Shell Presents</i>) 5th episode of the 1st season of Shell Presents

"The Big Day" is an Australian television film, or rather a live television play, which aired in 1959. The fifth episode of the Shell Presents presentations of standalone television dramas, it originally aired 11 July 1959 on Melbourne station GTV-9, a video-tape was made of the broadcast and shown on Sydney station ATN-7 on 25 July 1959.

Johnny Gredula Sings is an Australian television series which aired on Sydney station ATN-7 from 1959 to 1960. It was a music series, with the songs sung by singer Hungarian-born Johnny Gredula, who sang requested songs.

"Johnny Belinda" was a 1959 Australian TV adaptation of the 1940 play by Elmer Harris which had been filmed in 1948. It was the first "live" one hour drama on commercial television in Australia.

<i>Lola Montez</i> (musical) 1962 Australian film by Alan Burke

Lola Montez is a 1958 Australian musical. It was written by Alan Burke, Peter Stannard, and Peter Benjamin and focuses on four days of Lola Montez visiting the Ballarat Goldfields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunder of Silence</span> 6th episode of the 1st season of Shell Presents

"Thunder of Silence" is an episode of the 1959 Australian TV drama anthology Shell Presents, and the fourth made in Sydney. It was based on an American play by Stewart Stern which had been produced in the U.S. with Paul Newman and Inger Stevens. It aired live on 22 August 1959 in Sydney with a recorded version airing on 28 November 1959 in Melbourne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Tongue of Silver</span> 8th episode of the 1st season of Shell Presents

"A Tongue of Silver" is an episode of the 1959 Australian TV drama anthology Shell Presents. Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time. It starred John Meillon, who had been in Thunder of Silence in the same series.

David Cahill was an Australian actor, writer-producer and director, notable for his work directing for television from its introduction in the 1950s through to 1970s. It has been claimed he was one of the best directors working in early Australian TV. His pioneering credits at ATN7 included Australia's first religious TV series, featuring a teenaged Annette Andre, and first long-running dramatic serial starring Muriel Steinbeck.

Alan Burke was an Australian writer and film director and producer. His credits include the musical Lola Montez.

Rope (<i>Shell Presents</i>) 9th episode of the 1st season of Shell Presents

"Rope" is a 1959 Australian TV play based on the play by Patrick Hamilton. It was part of Shell Presents. It aired on 31 October 1959 in Melbourne, and a tapped version aired on 15 November 1959 in Sydney.

"The Concert" is a 1961 Australian TV GTV-9's Melbourne studios. It was directed by Rod Kinnear. Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time. The episode aired on 3 June 1961 in Melbourne, and on 10 June 1961 in Brisbane.

Ruth (<i>Shell Presents</i>) 7th episode of the 1st season of Shell Presents

"Ruth" is a 1959 Australian television play. It was presented as part of the Shell Presents program and starred Lyndall Barbour. It was written by John Glennon, an American actor and writer who appeared in the production, and directed by Rod Kinnear. The play aired in Melbourne on 5 September 1959 and in Sydney on 19 September 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunder on Sycamore Street</span> 3rd episode of the 1st season of The General Motors Hour

"Thunder on Sycamore Street" is a 1960 Australian television play directed by David Cahill. It was based on a script by Reginald Rose. It aired on 23 July 1960 in Melbourne and Sydney.

Brett Porter was an Australian producer, writer and director best known for his work in TV. He worked at ATN-7 Sydney producing with David Cahill some of the first drama made for Australian television.

<i>Lola Montez</i> (1962 film) 1962 Australian TV series or program

Lola Montez was a 1962 Australian TV play which was based on the musical of the same name.

Michael Cole was an Australian singer and actor. He appeared in a number of Australian musicals.

References

  1. 1 2 "'Live' Telecast of New Musical". Sydney Morning Herald. 7 December 1959. p. 7.
  2. Vagg, Stephen (23 December 2019). "Australian Film Musicals You Probably Didn't Realise Existed". Filmink.
  3. Vagg, Stephen (18 February 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". Filmink.
  4. "As Miss Westcott". The Age. 17 December 1959. p. 13.
  5. "TV Guide". The Age. 17 December 1959. p. 29.
  6. "Australian TV is growing". Sydney Morning Herald. 30 October 1960. p. 38.
  7. "TELEVISION HIGHLIGHTS". The Biz . New South Wales, Australia. 9 December 1959. p. 19. Retrieved 9 April 2016 via National Library of Australia.
  8. Alan Burke obituary at Sydney Morning Herald
  9. "Alan Burke interviewed by Bill Stephens in the Esso Performing Arts collection". National Library of Australia.
  10. McPherson, Ailsa (2007). "Dramas and Dreams at Epping: Early Days of ATN-7's Drama Production". In Liz, Liz; Dolin, Tim (eds.). Australian Television History. ACH: The Journal of the History of Culture in Australia. Australian Public Intellectual Network. p. 161.
  11. "Replay of the Musical". Sydney Morning Herald. 21 December 1959. p. 15.
  12. "ATN's Live Musical". Sydney Morning Herald. 14 December 1959. p. 4.
  13. Vagg, Stephen (4 November 2020). "Forgotten TV Plays: Pardon Miss Wescott". Filmink.
  14. "Pardon Miss Westcott cast album". TV memories.
  15. "Shows". The Bulletin. 7 December 1960. p. 27.
  16. Marshall, Valda (20 November 1960). "TV Merry Go Round". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 111.