Australian TV Plays: GMH - Long Distance (8 June 1961)

One of those Peter Cotes shows. It was the only one of Cotes' Australian productions to air while he was in Australia; the others were not screened until the following year.

Premise

A woman's husband is to be executed. After finding proof that he is innocent, his wife tries to contact the judge, but only has 30 minutes to do so.

Cast

Joan Miller as Anne Jacks
Mary Disney as chief telephone operator
Letty Craydon as Mrs Maclean
Ken Goodlet as warden
Pat Hackett as first operator
Olive Jan as second operator
Bunney Brooke as Golden Gate operator
Ken Warne as room clerk
Elizabeth Goodman as San Francisco operator
Margaret Browne as Chicago operator
Diana Bell as information operator
Peter Aanensen as barman
Don Crosby as Mr Anderson
Kendrick Hudson as Judge Maclean
Ron Shand as porter

Original play

It was based on a 1948 American radio play by Harry Junkin, and retained the U.S. setting. You can hear the 1948 radio play here.

Other adaptations

It was filmed by US TV in 1949, 1953, 1955, 1958. The BBC filmed it in 1958.

Production

It was among the first local drama productions by station HSV-7, and aired in a 30-minute time-slot.

Cotes arrived in Australia in March 1961. It was the first of four productions he made in Australia, the others being Suspect, Candide and Shadow of the Vine. He said he would have made more but for the credit freeze. (In May Cotes announced he would make Shadow of the Vine and Candida and hoped to make Caller Anonymous by Patrick Hamilton),

Overseas versions of Long Distance had previously been seen on Australian TV. Cotes said his main reason for making Long Distance was to introduce Miller, his Canadian-born wife, to Australian audiences. Miller had previously appeared in a production of the play for British TV. Cotes was in Australia until September 1961 to set up the HSV Drama Department.

There was a cast of fifteen. Rehearsals started 8 May 1961 and it was taped on 18 May 1961. It was filmed in two of HSV-7's studios in Dorcas Street, connected by a central control room. It ran for 30 minutes. The next shows made, Shadow of the Vine and Candida ran for 90 minutes

The air date was pushed back to June 8, 1961 due to a talk by the Prime Minister.

Reception

The Age newspaper, in the section Teletopics, said that "Joan Miller gave a most moving portrayal" and that the show "lived up to expectation"

LITV praised Miller's "virtuoso performance... no actress on the Australian horzon could have matched her performance".

TV Week said it was "a good show".