Australian TV Plays: Citizen of Westminster (8 Oct 1958)

Shot in Sydney. Shown in Melbourne on 30 November.

Premise

A British M.P., Robert Whitlock, is a self made man. He is almost about to be made a Minister. He falls in love with married Brenda Marshall. Her husband names Whitlock as a co-correspondent in a divorce case.

Cast

Bruce Beeby as Robert Whitlock
Madi Heed as Brenda Marshall
Ric Hutton
Geoffrey King
Frank Taylor
Robin Blyth

Original novel

By Joan Morgan. Published in 1940. Morgan, born 1905, was a silent era film star who turned to writing and led a colourful life.

It was adapted for Australian radio in 1953 and in 1959.

It was adapted for BBC television in 1957 under the title The Honorable Member.

Production

Ray Menmuir directed. Alan Seymour did the adaptation. It was shot on Wednesday 8 Oct 1958 at Studio 21, Gore Hill, Sydney.

Why was this made?

The show starred real-life husband and wife Bruce Beeby and Madi Hedd. The two had just returned to Australia in 1957 after six years of working in British theatre, films and TV. They had previously appeared together for the ABC in Ending It.

It was broadcast in a series of "live" dramas, shown every fortnight on Sunday night on ABV-2 Melbourne (some broadcast live from Melbourne, others taped from a live Sydney production). In order, they were The Governess, The Last Call, The Rose without a Thorn, The Lark, Citizen of Westminster, and Enemy of the People (the last of "the season").

Producer - Raymond Menmuir. Script assistant - Dolores O'Callahan. Technical producer - Dave Tapp. Designer - Desmonde Downing.

The NAA has photos and the script.

Ray Menmuir said Rod Serling came out to give workshops. He did Citizen from Westninster with Bruce Beeby and his wife. Serling did a critique next day he said “well I could have told that in eight shots”. :And it was then I went on this kick that remained with me for the rest of my life - and that is, it’s about pictures, actually. Menmuir said he had confrontation with Chapel of Melbourne Writer Guild - “I said stop writing words for me and start writing pictures. And that’s where the Americans are supreme at creating mood, exposition with emotion all visually. They don’t explain verbiage.... Films that one were seeing Kazan and those guys it’s just a different thing. Then “I was making a rod for my own back but from then on it was about trying to get a picture.” (NB Did Menmuir get this confused with The Right Thing?"

Alan Seymour, who adapted the script, called it “a hoary political bedroomdrammer… a ghastly play and not one of Mr M’s [Ray menmuir’s] best productions, but though it didn’t deserve to it did win critical praise.”