Roundabout (1957 film)

Last updated

Roundabout
Newspaper ad for the 1957 production Roundabout.png
Ad from 4 Jan 1957
Based onplay by Michael Clayton-Hutton
Written by William Sterling
Directed by Bill Eldridge
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time30 mins [1]
Production companyABC
Original release
Network ABV-2
Release4 January 1957 (1957-01-04) [2]

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. [3] [4]

Contents

It was made at a time when Australian drama production was rare. [5]

"Official" television broadcasting in the city had only begun two months earlier. There seems to have been a Melbourne production and a Sydney production, as happened with The Twelve Pound Look .

Plot

The original TV listing in The Age newspaper described the plot as "a woman's reactions to her husband's suspected affair with another woman". [6]

Melbourne cast

Production

The show is based on a 1952 one-act play by Michael Clayton-Hutton.

A Melbourne production was aired live on 4 January 1957 over 30 minutes. Production was by Bill Eldridge. [7] Filming took place at ABC's studios at Ripponlea. Star Patrick Horgan was appearing on stage at the time and had to get in a taxi to the theatre after filming. [8] Beverly Dunn went on to appear in a number of live TV productions. [9]

Sydney production

Roundabout
Based onplay by Michael Clayton-Hutton [10]
Directed by Raymond Menmuir
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
Production
Production companyABC
Original release
Network ABC
Release19 February 1957 (1957-02-19) [11]

A Sydney production was directed by Raymond Menmuir and aired February 19, 1957. [12] [13]

Cast

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.

<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.

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>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.

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.

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>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.

<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.

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 Duke in Darkness</i> 1942 psychological drama play

The Duke in Darkness is a 1942 play by Patrick Hamilton. A psychological drama set during the French Wars of Religion, it was first staged on 7 September 1942 at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh. It ran for 72 performances at the St. James Theatre, London, and had a brief run on Broadway in 1944.

The Proposal is a 1957 Australian television play based on the play A Marriage Proposal by Anton Chekhov. It was made at a time when Australian drama production was rare and mostly adaptations of overseas shows.

<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.

Murder Story is a 1958 Australian television play.

Gaslight is a 1958 television play broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation based on the 1938 play Gas Light by Patrick Hamilton. It starred Beverley Dunn.

A Rose without a Thorn is a 1958 Australian television play about King Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine Howard. It was directed by Alan Burke from a play by Clifford Bax. The play was shown live in Sydney, recorded, then shown in Melbourne.

<i>The Lark</i> (1958 film) 1958 Australian TV series or program

The Lark is a 1958 Australian TV version of the 1952 Jean Anouilh play of the same title.

References

  1. "TV Guide". The Age. 3 January 1957. p. 20.
  2. "Advertising". The Argus (Melbourne) . Victoria, Australia. 4 January 1957. p. 18. Retrieved 11 May 2020 via Trove.
  3. "From School Plays to Success on TV". The Age. 19 September 1958. p. 20.
  4. "Gaslight on TV with Melbourne Cast". The Age. 2 January 1958. p. 8.
  5. Vagg, Stephen (18 February 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". Filmink.
  6. "ABC Channel 2". The Age. 3 January 1957. p. 11.
  7. "TV Guide". The Age. 3 January 1957. p. 8.
  8. "Drama, Interviews "Live" on ABV-2". The Age. 3 January 1957. p. 15.
  9. Lane, Richard (2000). The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama Volume 2. National Film and Sound Archive. pp. 132–134.
  10. "TV—Channel 2 ABN". ABC Weekly. Vol. 19, no. 7. 16 February 1957. p. 31.
  11. "TV Guide". Sydney Morning Herald. 4 January 1957. p. 14.
  12. "TV—Channel 2 ABn". ABC Weekly. 19 February 1957. p. 39.
  13. "TV, Radio Programs". Sydney Morning Herald. 19 February 1957. p. 13.