The Shadow of Doubt

Last updated

The Shadow of Doubt is a 1955 stage play written by Norman King. It had its world premiere at the King's Theatre, Glasgow in 1955. [1]

Contents

Plot

A nuclear physicist seeks to return to his lab after serving five years in prison for breaching the Official Secrets Act. Disgraced and friendless, he can only get work as a clerk. He is followed by MI5.

1957 Australian television version

The Shadow of Doubt
Based onplay by Norman King
Directed by Raymond Menmuir
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
Production
Production companyABC
Original release
NetworkABC
Release5 June 1957 (1957-06-05) (Live) (Sydney)
ReleaseJuly 1957 (1957-07) (Melbourne) (taped) [2]

A version for television aired on Australian broadcaster ABC. It was the second hour-long "live" drama ever broadcast on the ABC. [2] [3] [4]

Originally shown live in Sydney on 5 June 1957, it was kinescoped, and shown in Melbourne on 5 July 1957. [5]

Cast

Production

The show was rehearsed for 44 hours. ABC's head of drama Neil Hutchinson told the press:

TV actors have to forget all the traditions of the stage. Theatre audiences accept without question the convention that allows an actor to say 'I love you,' projecting his voice so that it is heard in the back row of the gods. Televiewers in their own living rooms won't accept this convention at all. They don't want to hear his emotions shouted at them; they want to see and hear at normal pitch. They also have to learn to cut down on gestures, to get their meaning across in the space encompassed by the eye of the camera. [2]

Desmonde Downing, one of the leading theatre designers at the time, did the sets. [2] It was the TV debut of Don Crosby. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

The year 1956 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1956.

<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 setin 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.

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.

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.

<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.

Dark Brown is an early Australian television film, broadcast during 1957 on ABC.

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>Shadow of Heroes</i> 1961 film by William Sterling

Shadow of Heroes, a play in five acts from the Hungarian Passion is a 1958 documentary drama by Robert Ardrey. It concerns the lead-up to the Hungarian Uprising and its aftermath. Its premiere resulted in the release from Soviet custody of two political prisoners, Julia Rajk and her son.

"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>The Strong Are Lonely</i> 1959 Australian TV series or program

The Strong Are Lonely is a 1959 Australian television play produced by Ray Menmuir and starring John Alden. It was one of several plays set in South America.

<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.

A Fourth for Bridge is a 1957 Australian TV play starring Richard Meikle. It aired on the ABC.

<i>The Sound of Thunder</i> (film) 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.

References

  1. ↑ "Physicist and the theatre", Glasgow Herald 25 June 1955
  2. 1 2 3 4 "TELEVISION PARADE". The Australian Women's Weekly . Vol. 25, no. 1. Australia. 12 June 1957. p. 12. Retrieved 8 May 2016– via National Library of Australia.
  3. ↑ "Television" Sydney Morning Herald29 May 1957
  4. ↑ "Looking Ahead On Channel 2". ABC Weekly. 1 June 1957. p. 33.
  5. ↑ "TV Guide". The Age. 4 July 1957. p. 13.
  6. ↑ "Television News". Sydney Morning Herald. 29 May 1957. p. 7.
  7. ↑ Lane, Richard (2000). The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama Volume 2. National Film and Sound Archive. pp. 89–91.

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.