Australian TV Plays: The Governess (5 Oct 1958)

Another Patrick Hamilton adaptation. Like the earlier Gaslight it was directed by William Sterling in Melbourne. The first in the series of Australian plays at ABC Melbourne.

It showed in Sydney on 21 December 1958.

Plot

Ethel Fry is the governess at the house of Ernest Drew, a successful businessman. Ernest is infatuated with Ethel. Ernest's baby son has disappeared and Ellen, his 12 year old sister who walks in her sleep, says his cot has been empty since five o'clock. The boy has been missing for three months and it is generally accepted that the gypsies stole him.

Inspector Rough (a character who was in Gaslight) arrives to unravel the mystery. He becomes convinced the child was taken by someone connected with the house.

Cast

Patricia Kennedy as Ethel Fry
Carole Potter as Ellen Drew, the daughter of the house
Brian James
John Morgan
Mary Disney
Sydney Conabere
Lesley Pope
Muriel Hearne
Nevil Thurgood
Charmain Jacka

Play

Hamilton wrote it after the success of Angel Street. It featured the character of Inspector Rough from that play, earlier in his career. However it took him a few years to find a producer and the play was never performed in West End. The play debuted in 1945 in Glasgow but was not a success. At one stage it was called Ethel Fry and starred Flora Robson.

It was never published.

Other adaptations

It was adapted for British TV in 1949 and in 1957. Both times by the BBC.

The play had been adapted for Australian radio as recently as 1958. It was also done in 1955 and in 1952.

Production

It was the first in a series of "live" dramas to be broadcast every fortnight on Sunday night on ABV-2. (Either broadcast live in Melbourne or telerecordings of plays originally broadcast live in Sydney.) This was in response to criticism of viewers of "old American and British films". Mr Ewart Chapple, Victorian manager of the ABC, said when announcing the policy that ""We have complete faith in local artists and in their ability to provide entertainment of world standard. We want to display this confidence to television viewers bu making full use of the talent here, not only of performers but of the team of experienced drama producers at our disposal. .. We believe that viewers will welcome this bold experiment in the development of Australian television."

It was followed by The Last Call, The Rose without a Thorn, The Lark, Citizen of Westminster, and Enemy of the People (the last of "the season").

TV Week said "this is the first time in the short but colorful history of Australian television that such an ambitious series of live dramas has been planned on such a long range scale, and ABC official will be anxiously awaiting the reaction of local viewers."

The advertisement for the show made nationalistic appeals saying "do you really want to encourage talented local young artists" and "we're doing our part - you can tell by tuning in." Way to go beg for audiences!

The play was the TV debut of Carole Potter, a 15-year-old school girl whose family had emigrated to Australia only 12 months earlier. She later married Sterling. Er... when did they get together?

William Sterling wrote a series of articles in The Age around this time explaining TV directing. See one here.

The NAA has photos though not on line. See here. They also have some papers to do with the play see here. Plus possibly a radio script see here.

Designer John Peters.

In a letter Alan Seymour told a friend "with Will Sterling" he did "a terrible Patrick Hamilton thriller that was quite well done."

Reception

TV Listener In called it a letdown.