Australian TV Plays: One Bright Day (7 Oct 1959)

A rare ABC adaptation of an American play - in this case, one by Sigmund Miller.

Premise

Julian Prescott is the president of a large chemical company. His business is almost ruined by his ambitious general manager, George Lawrence, who in the president's absence has changed the formula of a popular patent medicine produced by the company.

The president is faced with a lawsuit by a man who claims the new formula drug caused the death of his son. The president's daughter Margot becomes involved.

Cast

Patricia Kerr as Margot Prescott
Joe McCormick as Julian Prescott
Kevin Sanders as George Lawrence, general manager
Eric Gormley as Fred Newberry, an executive
Julian Flett as a lawyer
Georgie Sterling
Nigel Lovell
Eve Hardwick
Carlotta Kalmar
Laurier Lange
John Llewellyn
Al Thomas

Original play

The play was by Sigmund Miller (1910-2011), a New York writer. He was blacklisted and spent a decade in London.

The play was presented on Broadway in 1952. It played 29 performances. Walter Matthau was in the cast.

It reached London the following year.

The original play had been performed on stage in Melbourne in 1957.

Other adaptations

It was adapted for Australian radio in 1956.

The play was adapted for American TV in 1957 - the Robert Montgomery Show.

It was adapted for British TV in 1957 in a production directed by Silvio Narizzano. The BBC did it for radio in 1955.

It was adapted for Australian radio again in 1957. Possibly again in 1958 though that may be a repeat. This production included Joe McCormick was in the TV version.

Production

It was shot in Melbourne. Ray Menmuir directed and Alan Seymour adapted.

It was the first TV play for many of the cast.

Reception

The TV critic for the Sydney Morning Herald thought that "neither the writing nor the acting... allowed deep or gripping investigation of the play ' s essential issue whether it is better to be callous and stay rich, or to be decent and plunge down to poverty.... For the most part, the characters were being run by the plot, instead of themselves begetting the plot—which is mere yarn-spinning, and not drama."

TV Week praised the "sureness of touch".