Australian TV Plays: Call Me a Liar (12 July 1961)

Based on the play by John Mortimer but nothing to do with law!

Premise

Sammy Moles lives in a world of make believe. For his employer's benefit he invents a wife and child and for his fellow lodgers he lies about his past, background and job.

He meets a German girl called Martha who falls in love with him. Martha discovers that Sammy is a liar ,and at the end of the play discovers why.

Cast

David Mitchell as Sammy Moles
Jane Oehr as Martha
Barbara Brandon as landlady
Campbell Copelin as man on park bench
Rose du Clos as lady boarder
Reginald Newson as businessman
Roger Hornery as professional man
Ken Goodlet as Mr Pheeming
Joe Jenkins as Dr Bowker
James Lynch as solitary drinker
Stewart Weller as street musician
Ligia Bonamis as Indian girl
James Lych as solitary drinker
Nancy Cato and Peter Oliver as English couple
Abdul Ghani as a Malayan
Elizabeth Crosby as child
Carole Potter as girl
John Norman as boy
Jeffrey Hodson as American
Ron Pinnell as father
Reginald Newsom as businessman
Cecile Glass as Norwegian girl
Margherita Kean as bar girl
Shirley Young as mother

Original TV play

It was based on a TV play by John Mortimer which had been performed in England in 1958 with Alec McCowen and Cornell Borchers.

The script was published in a collection of early plays by Mortimer. Borrow a copy here.

My thoughts on the play.i I found it frustrating, to be honest. It was the story about a person who lies constantly and is caught out on it ("call me a liar?"). It was repetitive and I didn't care. The guy needs a therapist and instead winds up with a German girl. It's revealed he lied because he lost his family in a bombing, which is sad, but he still needs therapy. The writing is competent, I just didn't care.

The play came out before Billy Liar. It's odd two such similar works came out around the same time. I'm not accusing anyone of plagiarism, such things happen. Must've been something in the air.

Other adaptations

It was also adapted for Australian radio in March 1961. And played again in 1965. These sort of dramas were in vogue.

The play was filmed again for Canadian TV in 1963.

Production

A BBC production of Mortimer's David and Broccoli had been shown on Australian TV in 1961.

William Sterling gave the lead to Jane Oehr, a 19 year old second year university arts student who was relatively inexperienced as an actor. She had been in Macbeth and Night of the Ding Dong.

David Mitchell has been in both those productions as well, along with Who Killed Kovali?, Shadow of Heroes and The Astronauts.

Gunnars Jurgan did the sets.

Location filming was done at Parliament House steps, outside a Cheslea type terrace in Albert Park, and in the Gardens.

Reception

The Sydney Morning Herald TV critic said the production "had the lightness of heart and the deftness of touch so necessary to such a whimsical part-comedy, part-sentimental drama."