Based on the play by French writer Marcel Pagnol.
Premise
Topaze is a school master sacked for being too honest who, subsequently, becomes involved with thieves.
Cast
- Mark Albiston as Topaze
- Fernande Glyn as Suzy
- Allan Trevor as Castel-Benac
- Patricia Kennedy as Baroness
- Fay Kelton as Ernestine, daughter of the headmaster
- Terry Norris as Tamise
- Edward Howell as Journalist
- Jack Allan as Muche, the headmaster
- Robert Bogden as Roger
- Peter Drake as Butler
- Diana Wilson as Typist
- Christie Clayton as Typist
- Ron Hoenig as Pupil
Original play
The play premiered in 1928. A complete French copy is here.
Other adaptations
It was filmed several times. Most recently with John Barrymore in 1933 Peter Sellers in 1961 (the fourth screen version).
There's reference in this 1969 article to the ABC doing a radio play.
It was on ABC radio in 1964.
Production
John Warwick did the adaptation.
This was director Christopher Muir's first production back in Australia after six months abroad.
It was the first locally produced edition of Wednesday Theatre for 1966. The production was given an Edwardian setting designed by Cass van Pufelen.
Muir said "essentially the play shows how men can be corrupted by power. Marcel Pagnol... begins all his plays as amusing, lighthearted comedies. However as the plot unfolds you find there's some extremely important point which he's trying to get across. In Topaze we see how a timid, almost stupid person becomes a cold hearted business tycoon. The peculiar twists of fate which produce a totally different man give you something to think about."Reception
The Sydney Morning Herald said "Topaze is a fine French satire and the Melbourne production was impeccable... Nobody could complain about how it was done. But to the Australian people... of 1966 it could only look and sound like a fussy little piece about some French types who may have lived 40 years ago...The A.B.C. has no right to spend money, time and effort on a little show. In fact, the executives who selected Pagnol's play could take a cue from one line spoken by Fernunde Glyn: "I think you might go out and meet people".
It took critics ten years to get to this realisation but they got there.
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| SMH 4 Aug 1965 TV Guide |
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| The Age 30 March 1966 p 14 |
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| The Age 13 Jan 1966 TV Guide p 2 |
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| SMH 8 April 1966 p8 |
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| The Age TV Guide 24 March 1966 p 5 |
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| The Age 24 March 1966 |
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| TV Times 20 April 1966 |
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