Australian TV Plays: Paul O'Loughlin

Alan Burke called Paul OLoughlin in a 2004 interview: "He’s a nice man. Very moral. Wouldn’t let me do something I wanted to do about Tennessee Williams because it was too sexy. Wanted to keep it nice and clean. He had a perfect right to do that. "

Paul O'Loughlin was born in Melbourne. He studied law and joined the ABC in 1935. He worked for the ABC in Adelaide (from 1937) and Brisbane and joined the Sydney section in 1940. He joined the army and transferred to the RAAF, serving in 33 missions over Europea - his wife did this article on him here. By 1948 he was the senior producer at ABC Sydney.

In January 1950 he went on exchange to the BBC; in return the ABC got Ayton Whitaker. O'Loughlin spent three weeks at Alexandra Palace learning about television but mostly worked in light programs. He returned by October 1950 saying how much he liked French acting but he thought Australian radio actors were among the best in the world. He did urge them to get more stage experience to help with Tv.

By Dec 1950 he was appointed assistant director of Drama and Features. (While he was in Australia, Ayton Whitaker criticised Australian acting - see here. Whitaker was anti TV see here). O'Loughlin in Dec 1956 directed a radio adaptation of The Fortune of Richard Mahoney. He continued to alternative TV and radio. His producing credits seem to stop after 1959. He became acting head of drama.

Early radio - The Wraith (1939)

*1950 at BBC

Radio - Venus Observed (1951),

*The Twelve Pound Look (1956)

*Three Cornered Moon (1957)

*Sunday Costs Five Pesos (1957)

*The Passionate Pianist (1957)

*A Phoenix Too Frequent (1957)

*The Importance of Being Earnest (1958)

*Act of Violence (1959)

*1960-63 acting head of drama while Neil Hutchison away at the Trust