Australian TV Plays: A Local Boy (21 Oct 1964)

More Alun Owen. The play featured reportedly the first near-nude scene on Australian television. Hot!

Premise

In Wales a barrister, David Owen, attempts to become a member of Parliament. He comes up against the older member, Evan Lloyd.

Cast

John Meillon as David Owen
June Thody as Prue Owen
John Grey as Albert, the barman
John Huson as Gerran Jones, a political agent
Tom Farley as Evan Lloyd
Ethel Lang as Mrs. Williams

Original play

The play debuted on BBC TV in December 1963.

Other adaptations

It was performed on Australian radio in 1964. It later played on radio in 1965 and in 1968.

The BBC did it for radio in 1964.

Production

It was Meillon's first television play since he returned from England after five years to appear in the stage production of Rattle of a Simple Man. He went on to appear in The Recruiting Officer for the ABC soon afterwards.

Thoday was an Adelaide actor who had returned to Australia after five years in England. She came back to appear on stage in Barefoot in the Park.

The near-nude scene came when the character of Prue Owen tried to entice her husband back into bed. The camera focused on her bare back for a few seconds. "The scene is not designed for sensationalism," said director Henri Safran to the TV Times (below). "It wasn't put in there to shock the public. It is a very delicate scene and was handled tastefully. The play called for the scene and it was handled tastefully."

"The scene was very well handled," said Thody. "There was nothing ansty about it."

Reception

The Australian Woman's Weekly said they were "pleasantly surprised" by the quality.

The Canberra Times said "it was such a surprise this week to see a locally produced play that was worthy of the talents of the cast that I can not remember when it last happened."

The Sydney Morning Herald said it was made with "outstandingly high polish".