An Enemy of the People (1958 film)

An Enemy of the People is a 1958 Australian television play starring James Condon. It was based on the 1882 play by Henrik Ibsen and was updated to a contemporary Australian setting. It was broadcast live.[2]

An Enemy of the People
Directed byRoyston Morley
Written byGeorge F. Kerr
Based onplay by Henrik Ibsen
StarringJames Condon
Edward Smith
Production
company
ABC
Release date
5 November 1958 (Sydney, live)
14 December 1958 (Melbourne, taped)
Running time
65 mins[1]
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time.[3]

Plot

Dr Stockman develops mineral health waters. He discovers the tannery is poisoning the water. This would be expensive to fix so the townspeople are opposed to him. His daughter Jan resigns from her teaching post.

Cast
  • James Condon as Dr. Stockman
  • Eleanor Elliott as Jan Stockman[4]
  • Aileen Britton as Jan's mother
  • Moray Powell
  • Lou Vernon

Production

George F. Kerr was an English writer who had moved to Australia. He was asked to adapt the play to Australia and decided to set it in Queensland.[5] Morley had done a number of Ibsen adaptations in England on TV.[6]

It was broadcast in a series of "live" dramas on Sunday night on ABV-2 Melbourne. 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").[7]

See also
  • List of live television plays broadcast on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1950s)

References
  1. "TV Guide". Sydney Morning Herald. 3 November 1958. p. 10.
  2. "Untitled". Sydney Morning Herald. 3 November 1958. p. 9.
  3. Vagg, Stephen (18 February 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". Filmink.
  4. "Ibsen Drama". The Age. 12 December 1958. p. 25.
  5. "STUDIO PORTRAIT George F. KERR". ABC Weekly. 19 February 1958. p. 9.
  6. "Ibsen's Message in TV Drama". The Age. 12 December 1958. p. 26.
  7. "Line Up of TV Dramas for Sunday Night". The Age. 26 September 1958. p. 24.


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