Murder Story

Murder Story is a 1958 Australian television play. It was based on a script by Ludovic Kennedy based on the Croydon roof top murder and starred Neva Carr-Glynn, John Ewart and Douglas Kelly. It was directed by Raymond Menmuir.[4]

Murder Story
Genrethriller
Based onplay by Ludovic Kennedy
Written byAlan Seymour
Directed byRaymond Menmuir
Country of originAustralia
Original language(s)English
Production
Running time60 mins[1]
Production company(s)ABC
Release
Original networkABC
Original release21 May, 1958 (Sydney)[2]
15 July 1958 (Melbourne)[3]
Newspaper ad 19 May 1958

Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time.[5]

Plot

A 19 year old, Jim Tanner, is sentenced to death for the murder of Constable Albert Tomkins. In prison, Tanner is taught to read and write. But he is executed.[6]

Cast
  • John Ewart as Jim Tanner
  • Neva Carr Glyn as his mother
  • Douglas Kelly as his father
  • John Alden as prison chaplain
  • Don Crosby as Warder Graves
  • Deryck Barnes as Warder Barty
  • Myrna Dodd as Cons Tomkins Widow
  • Richard Meikle as Ted Clift, Jim's accomplice
  • Frederick Powell as inspector

Production

Kennedy's play had been performed for British TV in 1958 as an episode of Armchair Theatre.[7] The show was filmed live at ABC's Sydney studios.

Reception

According to The Age after the show screened in Melbourne "viewers and ABV-2 staff were visibly upset by the realism created" and "ABV-2 hostess Corinne Kerby was too upset to introduce the succeeding feature."[8]

The production was well received critically, the Woman's Weekly reviewer saying "Murder Story" and its actors engrossed—indeed hypnotised—me."[9] The show was repeated in January 1960 - when announcing this The Sydney Morning Herald said the production "was regarded as one of the ABC's best TV productions."[10]

There was a production of Kennedy's original play put on at the Independent Theatre in Sydney shortly after the TV play aired.[11]

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

References
  1. "TV Guide". Sydney Morning Herald. 19 May 1958.
  2. "Suspense Drama". Sydney Morning Herald. 16 June 1958. p. 15.
  3. "TV Guide". The Age. 11 July 1958. p. 30.
  4. "All the TV Programmes". ABC Weekly. 21 May 1958. p. 34.
  5. Vagg, Stephen (18 February 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". Filmink.
  6. "Case That Shocked Britain for TV". The Age. 11 July 1958. p. 22.
  7. Murder Story 1958 British version at IMDb
  8. "Realism in TV Drama Upsets viewers, staff". The Age. 18 July 1958. p. 25.
  9. "Western heroes revolt". The Australian Women's Weekly. Australia, Australia. 18 June 1958. p. 13. Retrieved 17 January 2020 – via Trove.
  10. Marshall, Valda (19 November 1959). "TV Merry Go Round". p. 25.
  11. ""MURDER STORY"". Le Courrier Australien. New South Wales, Australia. 19 September 1958. p. 5. Retrieved 17 January 2020 – via Trove.


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