Australian TV Plays: GMH - Shadow of the Vine (3 June 1962)

One of the four Peter Cotes productions for HSV-7 (all from foreign scripts). From a play by Beverly Nichols.

Shadow of the Vine was the second one Cotes made and the last one that aired.

Premise

Mark Heath is a once brilliant lawyer who has become an alcoholic, affecting his two sons, Julian and Arthur. Only his wife Lilian remains loyal.

Cast

W Edward Hodge as Mark Heath
Sophie Stewart as Lilian Heath
Mark Kelly as Arthur Heath
Edward Brayshaw as Julian Heath
Bettina Welch as Janet, Arthur's fiancee
Ellis Irving as Dr James Ritchie
Lorna Forbes
Carole Potter

Original play

Adapted from a 1949 play by Beverly Nichols.

The original play by Beverly Nichols was based on Nichols' personal struggles in coming to terms with his father's alcoholism. The play had been performed on Australian stages and adapted for Australian radio.

Production

It was one of four productions Cotes made in Australia in 1961 for HSV-7, the others being Long Distance, Suspect, and Candida. The first production shot was Long Distance which was filmed on 18 May 1961. Shadow of the Vine was the second play produced by Cotes.

It ran for 90 minutes.

The show was recorded live in Melbourne on 8 June 1961.

Cotes made Candida then announced that his production operation was being wound up due to the credit freeze. He made one more production, Suspect, before leaving Australia. Cotes said he read 100 plays by Australian writers and considered making 2, both by Alan Seymour, but neither was made. Long Distance had been screened while Cotes was in Australia but the other three were not shown until 1962, by which time he had left the country.

GMH announced them in May 1962.

Reception

The Age TV reviewer praised "a sensitive performance by Sophie Stewart" and Hodge's "well-directed portrayal as a drink addicted father... Once again the Peter Cotes touch came through for me. Interesting it was to see how the inside of the house sets helped rather than hindered to put across the realism of the story. Contrast this use of space to the intimate sets usually preferred by some ABC producers... Pity the drama lesson by Peter Cotes, now ended, is in danger of being forgotten. There is no idea of a continuity in drama by HSV-7 in sight, I believe."

It received a positive review from TV Times.

Listener In thought it was the weakest of the commercial plays that year, blaming the script.