Citizen of Westminster

Citizen of Westminster
Written byJohn Morgan
Directed byRaymond Menmuir
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time60 mins
Production companyABC
Original release
NetworkABC
Release8 October 1958 (1958-10-08) (Sydney, live)[1]
Release30 November 1958 (1958-11-30) (Melbourne, taped)[2]

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.[3]

It is not known if a copy still exists of the presentation, given the wiping of the era.

Plot

A British M.P. is in love with a married woman.

Cast

  • Bruce Beeby
  • Madi Heed
  • Ric Hutton
  • Geoffrey King
  • Frank Taylor
  • Robin Blyth

Production

The show starred real-life husband and wife Bruce Beeby and Madi Hedd. The two had just returned to Australia in 1957 after six years of working in British theatre, films and TV. They had previously appeared together for the ABC in Ending It.[4]

The show was filmed at the ABC Studios in Gore Hill, Sydney.[5]

It was broadcast in a series of "live" dramas, shown every fortnight on Sunday night on ABV-2 Melbourne (some broadcast live from Melbourne, others taped from a live Sydney production). In order, they were The Governess, The Last Call, The Rose without a Thorn, The Lark, Citizen of Westminster, and Enemy of the People (the last of "the season").[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "TV Guide". Sydney Morning Herald. 6 October 1958. p. 8.
  2. ^ "TV Guide". The Age. 28 November 1958. p. 17.
  3. ^ Vagg, Stephen (18 February 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". Filmink.
  4. ^ "Couple Co Star in New Play", Sydney Morning Herald, 6 Oct 1958
  5. ^ "Film Alert 101: Vale Raymond Menmuir - Storry Walton and Tom Jeffrey remember a TV pioneer with affection". 2 April 2016.
  6. ^ "Line Up of TV Dramas for Sunday Night". The Age. 26 September 1958. p. 24.


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