Australian TV Plays: The Importance of Being Earnest (18 Dec 1957)

The Importance of Being Earnest was the longest-running Australian-made TV drama to appear on air until that time. It went for 90 minutes. This was 12 minutes longer than the longest to date - Sound of Thunder. (Random thought - did Sydney do this to ensure that Melbourne didn't have the record?)

Paul O'Loughlin directed.

It was the first adaptation of Oscar Wilde for Australian television. He actually wasn't that popular with the ABC - I thought they'd do more. They later did Salome.

Premise

A series of misunderstandings around the name "Earnest".

Cast

Lola Brooks as Cecily
Neva Carr-Glynn as Lady Bracknell
James Condon as John
Margo Lee as Gwendolyn
Richard Meikle as Algernon
Edward Howell as Rev. Canon Chasuble
Audrey Teesdale as Miss Prism
John Brunskill as Lane
Charles McCallum as Merriman

Original play

I'm assuming everyone knows the play. Its been performed on stage in Australia forever. It's great fun. Some of the Australian performances are listed here.

Other adaptations

It was done for Australian radio in 1953, (General Motors Hour) in 1955.

It was filmed by the BBC in 1937 (with Royston Morley), 1938 (with Royston Morley), 1946 and 1949. Also 1959 and a bunch of times. An article on all the adaptations is here.

It was adapted for BBC radio in 1925, 1930, 1935, and a bunch of times.

It was filmed for Canadian TV in 1956.

Production

O'Loughlin hired a studio at Artransa for the show. (Gore Hill facilities weren't open yet.)

He could only use it for two days meaning the production had to be carefully planned.

The director said, "We've never done a 90-minute play before. We've done one hour plays, and the extra half hour only adds to our difficulties in one respect. In every half-hour there are 90 to 100 shots. The camera has four lenses. Each shot must be worked out in advance, and the lens' for it nominated. We have 300 instead of 200 shots to plan in minute detail."

What a whinger! Is this why O'Loughlin didn't last long as a drama director?

Set designer Desmonde Downing said " "We are striving for a grand and spacious effect while retaining the atmosphere of the period."

Costumer Thelma Afford said "Every detail of the women's gowns must be just right—the tiniest crease in a gown is picked up and exaggerated. As most of the shots will be close-ups and mid-close-ups, we try to create period and character in necklines and shoulderlines, and hat—we've had a lot of fun with the hats."

There were three scene changes.

It aired in Melbourne in January 1958. The 1953 film version was still playing in Melbourne in December 1957.

Photographs of it are at the NAA (not online). See here.