A Season in Hell (1964 film)

A Season in Hell is a 1964 Australian TV movie broadcast on the ABC. It was directed by Henri Safran from a script by Patricia Hooker and was shot at the ABC's Gore Hill Studios.[1] It originally aired as an episode of Wednesday Theatre. A search of their website suggests the National Archives may hold a copy, with running time listed as 1:16:22.

Running time was one hour and 20 minutes.[2]

It was filmed twice for TV in Australia.[3]

Plot

The relationship between Arthur Rimbaud (Alan Bickford) and Paul Verlaine (Alistair Duncan). Rimbaud arrives i Paris age 16 and in three years shocks and revolts all who knows him.[4][5]

Cast

  • Alan Bickford as Arthur Rimbard
  • Alistair Duncan as Paul Verlaine
  • Marlon Johns as Madam Verlaine

Production

Patricia Hooker says the friendship of the two men always fascinated her, but felt it would be necessary to study in France to make the story authentic. When working on Concord of Sweed Sounds with Henri Safran, the director became interested in her idea of a play about Rimbaud. Hooker said, "With his help it was possible to collect the information I needed, much of which had never been translated from the French."[6] Alien Bickford as Arthur Rimbaud and Marlon Johns as Madame Verlaine. _+r_*r_+_r-t_*_+_**+*+*++_**++++

Reception

The TV critic for the Sydney Morning Herald thought the play "was thoughtfully and capably built on known episodes" from the two poets' lives but "suffered by its very episodic character, as well as from the impossibility of supplying several essentials to trie story' s full realisation." He added "if the play was a gallant but incomplete effort, its production by Henri Safran was beautifully assured and sensitive, its camera work expert, while an excellent cast was headed by the impressive performances of Alastair Duncan as Verlaine and Alan Bickford as Rimbaud."[7]

References

  1. ↑ "WHAT TO STAY HOME FOR..." The Canberra Times. 22 March 1965. p. 23. Retrieved 5 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ↑ "WEDNESDAY". The Canberra Times. 39 (11, 110). 22 March 1965. p. 24. Retrieved 20 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ↑ Nigel Muir (3 December 1967). "Edinburgh orders Aust. play". The Sydney Morning Herald. London – via Google News Archive Search.
  4. ↑ "Season of the hellbent". The Canberra Times. 22 March 1965. p. 23. Retrieved 5 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ "A fine Season". The Canberra Times. 26 March 1965. p. 15. Retrieved 5 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ↑ "Sydney Woman's drama of Paris". Sydney Morning Herald. 15 March 1965. p. 13.
  7. ↑ "Sydney Author's TV Play". Sydney Morning Herald. 2 April 1964. p. 5.


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