Australian TV Plays: Crime Passionel (11 Nov 1959)

Royston Morley's last production for the ABC. Based on a play by Sartre. (Morley did go on to write a novel and TV play set in Australia).

Premise

At the end of World War Two, in the mythical European country of Illythia, the German armies are retreating from the Russians.

Hugo, a young intellectual who wants to be revolutionary hero, sets about assassinating Hoederer, leader of the local communist party. Hoederer has been considered to have outlived his usefulness. Hugo goes to work as Hoederer's secretary so he is close to his target.

The play starts after Hoederer has been shot and proceeds in flashback.

Hugo has a wife Jessica, who is spoilt. There is also a fellow party member, Olga, who is sympathetic to Hugo. Hugo finds Jessica in Hoederer's arms. It raises the question of whether Hugo shooting Hoederer was an assassination or a crime of passion.

Adfter spending two years in prison, Hugo tries to explain his actions to a former comrade and himself. Matters become more complicated when Hugo discovers that the party now regards Hoederer as a hero

Cast

Brian James as Hoederer
William Job as Hugo
Jacqueline Kott as Olga
John Fegan as Charles
Tony Arpino as Franz
Peter Williams as Louis
James Elliott as Ivan
Rosemary Webster as Hugo's wife
Don Crosby as Georges
Julian Flett as Prince Paul
Nat Levison as Slick
Richard Parry as Karsky
Bill Waters as Leon

Original play

The play was translated into English by Kitty Black in 1948, I believe.

The original stage production starred Roger Livesey and Ursula Dean.

Other versions

The play was adapted by the ABC for radio in 1951 starring Lloyd Berrell.

The ABC did another radio version in 1955 directed by Ray Menmuir. There was another radio version in 1957 with Gordon Chater.

The play was produced in Melbourne in 1952. It was revived in 1965 in Melbourne.

The BBC adapted it for radio in 1948 and TV in 1949.

Production

It was shot in Sydney. There were camera rehearsals on 10-11 November, and broadcast happened a 8.30 pm on 11 November (a Wednesday night).

Brian James was flown in from Melbourne to play the lead. William Job was known for Hamlet on stage and TV and this was a Hamlet style part.

The play involved filming an explosion, in a sequence when a hand grenade is thrown.

Morley left Sydney in January 1960 to take a job in Canada. He took William Job with him.

Crew -director Royston Morley. Script asst - Betty Robertson. Floor manager - Helen Lockhart. Designer - Philip Hickey. Technical producer - John Garton.

Broadcast

It was broadcast live in Sydney on 11 November 1959. A recording was made of this and shown in Brisbane on 17 November 1959 and Melbourne on 10 February 1960.

It went for 90 minutes.

Reception

The Sydney Morning Herald TV reviewer wrote that the play was "a little slow in movement, because of the sheer weight of its talk... [but] was given an absorbing live performance... the cast was uncommonly strong."

Frank Thring called it "shabby and unexciting" blaming Morley'd direction and the two lead performers though he felt James was excellent.