Murder Story

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Murder Story
Newspaper ad 19 May 1958
Genrethriller
Based onplay by Ludovic Kennedy
Written byAlan Seymour
Directed byRaymond Menmuir
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time60 mins[1]
Production companyABC
Original release
NetworkABC
Release21 May 1958 (1958-05-21) (Sydney)[2]
15 July 1958 (1958-07-15) (Melbourne)[3]

Murder Story is a 1958 Australian television play.[4]

It was based on a script by Ludovic Kennedy based on the Croydon roof top murder and starred Neva Carr-Glynn, John Ewart and Douglas Kelly. It was directed by Raymond Menmuir.[5]

Plot[edit]

A 19-year-old, Jim Tanner is sentenced to death for the murder of Constable Albert Tomkins. In prison, Tanner is taught to read and write. But he is executed.[6]

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Kennedy's play had been performed for British TV in 1958 as an episode of Armchair Theatre.[7] The show was filmed live at ABC's Sydney studios at Gore Hill.[8]

Reception[edit]

According to The Age after the show screened in Melbourne "viewers and ABV-2 staff were visibly upset by the realism created" and "ABV-2 hostess Corinne Kerby was too upset to introduce the succeeding feature."[9]

The production was well received critically, the Woman's Weekly reviewer saying "Murder Story" and its actors engrossed—indeed hypnotised—me."[10] The show was repeated in January 1960 - when announcing this The Sydney Morning Herald said the production "was regarded as one of the ABC's best TV productions."[11]

There was a production of Kennedy's original play put on at the Independent Theatre in Sydney shortly after the TV play aired.[12]

Raymond Menuir, John Edwart and Alan Seymour worked together again on Bodgie (1959).

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "TV Guide". Sydney Morning Herald. 19 May 1958.
  2. ^ "Suspense Drama". Sydney Morning Herald. 16 June 1958. p. 15.
  3. ^ "TV Guide". The Age. 11 July 1958. p. 30.
  4. ^ Vagg, Stephen (25 April 2021). "Forgotten Australian TV Plays: Murder Story". Filmink.
  5. ^ "All the TV Programmes". ABC Weekly. 21 May 1958. p. 34.
  6. ^ "Case That Shocked Britain for TV". The Age. 11 July 1958. p. 22.
  7. ^ Murder Story 1958 British version at IMDb
  8. ^ "Advertisement". Sydney Morning Herald. 19 May 1958. p. 15.
  9. ^ "Realism in TV Drama Upsets viewers, staff". The Age. 18 July 1958. p. 25.
  10. ^ "Western heroes revolt". The Australian Women's Weekly. Australia. 18 June 1958. p. 13. Retrieved 17 January 2020 – via Trove.
  11. ^ Marshall, Valda (19 November 1959). "TV Merry Go Round". p. 25.
  12. ^ ""MURDER STORY"". Le Courrier Australien. New South Wales, Australia. 19 September 1958. p. 5. Retrieved 17 January 2020 – via Trove.

External links[edit]