The Ridge and the River (radio drama)

The Ridge and the River

Genre	Drama play
Running time	70 mins (7:30 pm – 8:40 pm)
Country of origin	Australia
Language(s)	English
Home station	2FC
Syndicates	ABC
Written by	Edmund Barclay
Directed by	Eric John
Original release	February 8, 1953 (1953-02-08)

The Ridge and the River is a 1953 Australian radio play based on the novel The Ridge and the River .

It was adapted for radio by Edmund Barclay. The play was originally broadcast in February, and was recorded again in June with a slightly different cast. ^[1]

The ABC recorded the play again in Sydney in February 1956, directed by Raymond Menmuir, ^[2] and in Brisbane in September 1958. ^[3]

Premise

An Australian commando patrol in the northern islands during the war is led by Corporal Shearwood. He is upset by the arrival of a young lieutenant who knows nothing of local island conditions.

Cast

February 1953 production

• Brian Wright as Narrator ^{[4] [5]}
• Nigel Lovell as Corporal Shearwood
• Rodney Taylor as Corporal Malise
• Reginald Goldsworthy as Private Wallace
• John Tate as Major Lovatt
• Bruce Stewart at Lieutenant Wilder
• Walter Sullivan as Private Manetta
• Robert Levis as Private Sweet
• John Ewart as Private White
• Ossie Wenban as Private Evans
• Sidney Chambers as Beetle the Cook
• Lloyd Berrell as Womai

June 1953 production

• George Simpson-Lyttle as Narrator
• Rodney Taylor as Corporal Shearwood ^[6]
• John Meillon as Lieutenant Wilder
• Brian Wright as Major Lovatt
• Reginald Goldsworthy as Corporal Malise
• Barrie Cookson as Private Manetta
• Ossie Wenban as Private Evans
• Ben Gabriel as Private Wallace
• Richard Meikle as Private Sweet
• John Ewart as Private White
• Sid Chambers as Beetle, the Cook
• Gordon Chater as Womai
• Denys Burrows as Mummawa

1956 production

• Don Sanderson as Narrator
• Toby Harris as Corporal Shearwood
• Lew Luton as Lieutenant Wilder
• John Nash as Corporal Malise
• Geoffrey Baker as Major Lovatt
• Rex Hodell as Private Wallace
• Arthur Greenfield as Private Manetta
• Arthur Hall as Private Sweet
• Earle Cross as Private White
• John Bowen as Private Evans
• Alfred Raynor as Beetle, the Cook
• Bernard Barry as Womai
• John Miller as Mummawa

1958 production

• Clive Harburg as Narrator
• Donald McTaggart as Corporal Shearwood
• Kerry Francis as Lieutenant Wilder
• Brian Tait as Major Lovatt
• John Miller as Corporal Malise
• Rae Humphries as Private Wallace
• Hugh Curnow as Private Sweet
• Dick McCann as Private White
• Toby Harris as Private Evans
• Douglas Stark as Beetle, the Cook
• Bernard Barry as Womai
• Harold Cox as Mummawa

References

1. "Plays and Players". The Sun . No. 13, 522. New South Wales, Australia. 12 June 1953. p. 14 (LATE FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved 29 June 2023– via National Library of Australia.
2. Australian Broadcasting Commission. (1939), "RADIO PLAYS for NEXT WEEK A.B.C.", ABC Weekly, Sydney: ABC, nla.obj-1427435503, retrieved 21 September 2023– via Trove
3. Australian Broadcasting Commission. (1939), "A.B.C. radio plays for the week", ABC Weekly, Sydney: ABC, nla.obj-1448387495, retrieved 21 September 2023– via Trove
4. "Plays and Players". The Sun . No. 13, 415. New South Wales, Australia. 6 February 1953. p. 12 (LATE FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved 21 September 2023– via National Library of Australia.
5. "Radio plays for Next Week ABC", ABC Weekly, 15 (6), Sydney, 7 February 1953, retrieved 21 September 2023– via Trove
6. Australian Broadcasting Commission. (13 June 1953), "RADIO PLAYS for NEXT WEEK A.B.C.", ABC Weekly, 15 (24), Sydney: ABC, nla.obj-1689409835, retrieved 21 September 2023– via Trove