Australian TV Plays: Gaslight (8 Jan 1958)

More Patrick Hamilton, following Rope. Like that, this is famous for being turned into a movie. It's a terrific play - original title Angel Street.

It was shot in Melbourne. According to advertising it was the 11th drama made in that city.

It aired in Sydney on 4 March.

Brian James was a very good actor. I bet this was fun. I sensed by late 1957 and early 1958 the ABC Drama Dept was building in confidence. Longer running times. More famous plays. More advertising. The first year it seemed they were not shining a light on what they were doing - little advertising, more obscure plays. This was changing. I could be wrong about that.

Premise

Years after her aunt was murdered in her home, a young woman, Bella Manningham, moves back into the house with her new husband. However, he has a secret that he will do anything to protect, even if means driving his wife insane.

Cast

Beverley Dunn as Bella Manningham
Brian James as Manningham
John Morgan as Inspector Rough
Mary Ward as Elizabeth the housekeeper
Judith Godden as Nancy the housemaid
Neville Thurgood as police constable

Original play

The play debuted in London in 1938. It was soon turned into a 1940 British film.

Other adaptations

The BBC filmed the play in 1939, 1947, 1948 and 1957. ITV filmed it in 1960.

It was filmed for American TV in 1958.

It was filmed for Canadian TV in 1952.

It was on ABC radio in 1950.

A list of performances on stage in Australia is here.

This was a very popular play.

Production

William Sterling came down from Sydney to direct. It was the eleventh play to be performed live on Melbourne television. (Sterling would soon settle permanently in Melbourne.)

It starred Beverly Dunn who was very popular with producers of Melbourne TV drama around this time.

Reception

The Age called it an "outstanding success".

The Sydney Morning Herald said the "production was well received by viewers and critics in Melbourne."

Several of the cast appeared in The Small Victory.

Listener In called it "a major television event" adding "in 75 minutes of concentrated viewing... the national channel again proved that local talent can give just as good value as we can get from overseas." The critic added "it was a bold move by producer William Sterling to challenge two such great screen players [as Boyer and Bergman] on television with a local cast. But, the bold choice made, it seems Mr Sterling faltered in the execution of his resolve. Gaslight on television was produced very much as a stage play by predominant use of distance and medium shots rather than close ups. Result was a loss of the intimacy which is an essential ingredient of television. Victorian drawing rooms make messy sets in any case, but when you watch long shots of people in sombre dress moving across such a background for more than an hour on a small screen the messiness amounts to eye-strain.

Whenever the camera came close, the play gained impact. It was no longer a tale seen through a glass darkly. Viewers were almost painfully caught by a sense of being involved in the predicament of the bedevilled, desperate wife. Was Mr Sterling hampered by technical difficulties, or did he doubt the ability of his acting team to carry prolonged close ups? If his problem was technical, one hopes it will disappear when the new and better equipped ABV2 studio at Ripponlea comes into operation. If he doubted his cast, I think he was wrong. None showed sign of breakdown. Beverly Dunn... played the part of the distraught wife with sustained intensity - although certainly with a difference. It was a forthright, dour performance... one never really doubted she was insane. Brian James... was consistently oil and sadistic, although less convincing in portrayal of the philandering aspect of the murderer's character... All in all "Gaslight" was a notable achievement. More important, it was a notable milestone nearer the goal of producing top rating television for Australians by Australians."