Australian TV Plays: The Public Prosecutor (23 July 1958)

Thi was based on a play by Fritz Hochwälder. It was shown live in Melbourne in July 1958 but did not screen in Sydney until 1960. William Sterling did the adaptation and directed.

Premise

The play is set in France during the second year of the Republic, after the deaths of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. The action takes place on 20 August 1794 in the office of the Public Prosecutor in the prison of the Concierge. The leader of the government is now Jean Tallien, who has sent Robespierre to the guillotine.

The Public Prosecutor, Fouquier-Tinville, is the most hated man in France, responsible for rounding up victims of the guillotine.

He wants the name of a man known only to Theresia Tallien, wife of Jean Tallien of the Revolution of Themidor.

Meanwhile the French Assembly of Deputies debate the end of terror.

The identity of the final victim is Fouquier himself.

Cast

Frank Gatliff as Fouquier, the Prosecutor
John Morgan as Tallien, Theresia's husband
Patricia Kennedy as Theresia

Original play

Hochwalder (1911-1986) was an Austrian playwright. He escaped to Switzerland in World War Two. This play The Strong are Lonely was also filmed by the ABC.

The play was first produced, I believe, in 1949. The characters are all based on real people. I'm not super across that period in history.

You can borrow it here.

My thoughts on the original play

I'd never read anything by this writer before. It was dense, clever, historical, wordy. It took me a while to get into the rhythm of it as well as to wrap my head around that particular period in history, which I'm not overly familiar with. I mean, I know the revolution, and the Reign of Terror but not the politicians in between the King and Napoleon except for Robespierre, and this starts after the latter has been killed.

But the stakes are high. The wrong move could get someone killed. It's a difficult, different plan. Theresia essentially tricks Fouquier into literally signing his own death warrant. I found this hard to believe just hearing the premise but actually reading it, I bought it, because he thinks she's trying to kill her husband and they're not close. It's quite gripping as we see Fouqier fall into the trap. Would we enjoy it better if we didn't know it was a trap? Maybe.

I also liked how Tallien and Theresia weren't close. They distrusted each other. It's a tough story. With a noble background: end of the Reign of Terror.

It was genuinely gripping.

I still don't think the ABC had any business making it.

Other adaptations

The play had been adapted for TV by the BBC in 1953 (with Jack Hawkins), in 1957 (with Alan Badel), and 1963. Kay Black did the translation.

It was adapted for ABC radio in 1955 and in 1956. The latter starred Alexander Archdale.

It was adapted for Canadian TV in 1956. And in 1963.

Production

It was shot at ABC's new studios at Rippon Lea.

It was Patricia Kennedy's second TV performance following playing Mrs Rattenbury in Killer in Close Up.

Frank Gatliff had also been in Captain Carvallo and The Lark.

The play took eight weeks to prepare and involved construction of an eight foot guillotine.

Designer John Peters had also designed sets depicting revolutionary France in the film The Elusive Pimpernel.