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No Picnic Tomorrow
"No Picnic Tomorrow" is an Australian television drama one-off which aired in 1960 on ATN-7 in Sydney and GTV-9 in Melbourne (as this was prior to the creation of the Seven Network and Nine Network). Part of the ''Shell Presents'' series of one-off television dramas and comedies, it was produced in Melbourne, but first shown in Sydney on 9 January 1960, and on 23 January 1960 Melbourne. Plot An Australian woman, Gwennie, and a man of Greek descent, Tony, intend to marry. However Tony's mother decides to arrange a marriage between him and a Greek woman who is coming to Australia. Cast *Margaret Browne as Gwennie * Robin Ramsay as Tony *Peter Aanensen as Mr Sweeney *Marjorie Archibald as Mrs Sweeney *Nina Black as Mrs Demetrius *Carol Armstrong as Greek girl *Bruce Archer Production The drama was written by Barbara Vernon, best known at the time for writing the play ''The Multi-Coloured Umbrella'' (adapted for television in 1958), and who had previously written the ABC TV comedy o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shell Presents
''Shell Presents'' was an early attempt at Australian television drama, being an umbrella title for several different productions. It debuted on 4 April 1959, and aired on ATN-7 and GTV-9, who split production of plays for the series between them. It was an anthology series, each program being a self-contained play for television. The series won a Logie award in 1960 for ''TV Highlight of 1959''. As the title suggests, it was sponsored by Shell. It was described as "a very big deal for the station: major institutional sponsorship from international companies for locally produced drama." It would be followed by ''The General Motors Hour''. Though it usually presented straight drama, it also presented a live musical production titled ''Pardon Miss Westcott'', set in colonial-era Australia. A total of 13 productions aired under the ''Shell Presents'' banner from 1959 to 1960. There is little information about this series online, however, some of the productions are held at the Nati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rod Kinnear
Rodney Scott Kinnear (11 May 1931 – 2 May 2006) was an Australian director, best known for his work in TV. Select credits *''Lovely to Look At'' (1957) (TV series) *'' Tragedy in a Temporary Town'' (1959) *'' The Big Day'' (1959) *''No Picnic Tomorrow'' (1960) *''Man in a Blue Vase'' (1960) *''The Sammy Davis Jnr Show'' (1960) - film of Sammy Davis Jnr in Australia - Kinnear was floor manager *'' The Concert'' (1961) *''In the Southern Cross Hotel Tonight'' (1962) - TV variety special - producer *''The One Day of the Year'' (1962) *''In Melbourne Tonight'' *''Rolf Harris Special'' (1966) *''Berioska Ballet'' (1966) *'' Benny Hill Down Under'' (1977) *'' Barley Charlie'' (1964) (TV series) *'' The World of the Seekers'' (1968) *''Ash Wednesday'' (1983) (documentary) References External linksRod Kinnearat National Film and Sound ArchiveRod Kinnearat IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barbara Vernon (writer)
Barbara Mary Vernon (25 July 1916 – 16 April 1978) was an Australian playwright, screenwriter, editor and radio announcer. Her plays included ''The Passionate Pianist'' and ''The Multi-Coloured Umbrella''. She was the head writer and script editor of the ABC TV drama series '' Bellbird'', the longest such series produced by the ABC, she also wrote the film adaptation of that series entitled ''Country Town''Jane Connors, 'Vernon, Barbara Mary (1916–1978)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/vernon-barbara-mary-11922/text21359, published first in hardcopy 2002, accessed online 5 June 2016. Biography Vernon was born on 25 July 1916, Inverell, New South Wales the youngest child of four to medical practitioner Murray Menzies Vernon and Constance Emma Elliot (née Barling). She attended the New England School in Armidale, New South Wales , before entering the Women's Auxiliary Aus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pardon Miss Westcott
"Pardon Miss Westcott" is a 1959 Australian TV play by the Seven Network as part of drama anthology series ''Shell Presents''. It was a musical set in colonial Australia and was broadcast live. It was Australia's first television musical comedy. "Pardon Miss Westcott" aired on 12 December 1959 in Sydney and on 19 December 1959 in Melbourne. It ran for 75 minutes and featured eight new songs and a cast of nineteen. Plot It is 1809 and Britain sends its convicts to the penal colony of New South Wales. On a convict ship travelling to Sydney, the convicts, notably three men, Mansfield, Harbutt, and Snark, sing "He-ho, you'll never go back". Elizabeth Westcott is being transported after being given a five year sentence for killing a pig and serving it to a pompous magistrate at her father's inn. On the boat over she meets Richard Soames, an army officer being transferred to the NSW Corps. Elizabeth befriends Mansfield, Harbutt, and Snark after she refuses to report them for theft; ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reflections In Dark Glasses
"Reflections in Dark Glasses" is an Australian television film, or rather a television play, which aired in 1960. It aired as part of ''Shell Presents'', which consisted of monthly presentations of stand-alone television dramas. It was written by Sydney writer James Workman, and is notable as an early example of Australian-written television drama. It was broadcast live in Sydney, then recorded and shown in Melbourne. Unlike some Australian television of the early 1960s, the program still exists, as a kinescope recording held by the National Film and Sound Archive. The program was much acclaimed. Plot A disturbed woman keeps searching for her young son. She tries to pick him up at school, but he isn't there. She insists that her husband took her son away. She threatens her mother in law with a pair of scissors. Cast *Muriel Steinbeck *James Condon as the husband *Ruth Cracknell as a psychiatrist *Winifred Green as the mother in law *Eve Hardwicke as a school teacher *Margaret M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seven Network
The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of five main free-to-air television networks in Australia. The network's headquarters are located in Sydney. As of 2014, it is the second-largest network in the country in terms of population reach. The Seven Network shows various nonfiction shows—such as news broadcasts (''Seven News'') and sports programing—as well as fiction shows. In 2011, the network won all 40 out of 40 weeks of the ratings season for total viewers, being the first to achieve this since the introduction of the OzTAM ratings system in 2001. As of 2022, the Seven Network is the highest-rated television network in Australia, ahead of the Nine Network, ABC TV (Australian TV channel), ABC TV, Network 10 and SBS (Australian TV channel), SBS. Headquarters Seven's admin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nine Network
The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television networks in Australia. From 2017 to 2021, the network's slogan has been "We Are the One". Since 2021, the network has changed its slogan back to the iconic Golden Era slogan "Still the One". As of 2022, the Nine Network is the second-rated television network in Australia, behind the Seven Network, and ahead of the ABC TV, Network 10 and SBS. History Origins The Nine Network's first broadcasting station was launched in Sydney, New South Wales, as TCN-9 on 16 September 1956 by ''The Daily Telegraph'' owner Frank Packer. John Godson introduced the station and former advertising executive Bruce Gyngell presented the first programme, ''This Is Television'' (so becoming the first person to appear on Australian television). Later that year, G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robin Ramsay (actor)
Robin Ramsay is an Australian former television, film and stage actor. He appeared in the rural series '' Bellbird'' as Charlie Cousins, in which he was best known for the scene where he falls from a wheat silo and dies. Early life and education Ramsay is the grandson of William Ramsay, the founder and manufacturer of the shoe polish firm Kiwi, Ramsay is the disowned son of Thomas Meek Ramsay and Alice née James (1909-2009). His parents divorced, and his mother later married her long-time paramour, the architect Roy Grounds. Ramsay studied at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1957. He worked briefly for the BBC then returned to Australia. Career Theatre After returning to Australia, Ramsay joined the fledgling Union Theatre Company in Melbourne, whose members included Zoe Caldwell and Barry Humphries. He starred in ''Moon on a Rainbow Shawl'', produced for the first Adelaide Festival in 1960. He has played roles in theatre locally starting from 1957 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Multi-Coloured Umbrella
''The Multi-Coloured Umbrella'' is an Australian play written by Barbara Vernon. Plot The play is set at a house in Bondi Beach belonging to the Donnellys, an upwardly mobile family who are bookmakers at Randwick Racecourse. The younger son, Joe, has troubles with his bride, Kate, a woman from a "good" family. Joe's brother Ben is in love with Kate. This leads to a fight between Joe and Ben. Background Vernon said she was inspired to write it when working as a radio announcer for 2NZ Inverell. She would read out ads for the local bookie which would say "do your punting under the multi-coloured umbrella". She thought about umbrellas and how they protected you from the light - just as some people can't see the light (their own motives) and have trouble clarifying their thought and action. "But don't think it throbs with psychology," said Vernon. "It's a comedy drama - a family play about ordinary people." The role of Ben was specifically written for the actor Con Fardouly. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Passionate Pianist
''The Passionate Pianist'' is an Australian television film, or rather a live one-off television play, which aired in 1957 on ABC. This was part of ABC's twice monthly presentations of live plays during the late-1950s (one live play each month in Sydney and Melbourne, respectively, with most kinescoped for showing in the other city). At the time, most one-off drama and comedy plays produced for Australian television were adaptations of overseas works, and ''The Passionate Pianist'' is notable as it represents an early example of a locally-written comedy for the medium. Plot summary Ben, the teenage son of a Sydney bookmaker prefers football to practicing piano. His mother (Marion Johns) is convinced he is a genius and enters him in an eistedford. Cast *Mark Kelly as Ben *Marion Johns as Ben’s Mother * Edward Howell *Ivor Bromley * Bruce A. Wishart Play version ''The Passionate Pianist'' was produced as a one act play. Barbara Vernon was a radio announcer in Inverell and wrote ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Big Day (1959 Film)
"The Big Day" is an Australian television film, or rather a live television play, which aired in 1959. The fifth episode of the ''Shell Presents'' presentations of standalone television dramas, it originally aired 11 July 1959 on Melbourne station GTV-9, a video-tape was made of the broadcast and shown on Sydney station ATN-7 on 25 July 1959 (this was prior to the formation of the Nine Network and Seven Network). It was the first hour of drama made for commercial Australian TV which was written and produced by an Australian with an all Australian cast. It was called "a gentle study of an ordinary life." ''Shell Presents'' was a monthly series presenting locally produced television dramas and comedies. Most of these were adaptations of overseas dramas such as ''Johnny Belinda'' and ''One Bright Day'', but a few were locally-written. ''Filmink'' magazine called this "one of those naturalistic slice of life dramas that they liked to do on TV in the late ‘50s off the back of the su ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Little South Of Heaven
''A Little South of Heaven'' is Australian live television play which aired in 1961 on ABC. It was based on a radio play by D'Arcy Niland and Ruth Park. Plot Set in Sydney. An Italian widow who has moved to Australia plans a marriage for her son Primo to an Italian, Serena, despite his affections for an Australian, Ruby. However he sends Serena the photo of Primo's more handsome cousin Franki. Cast *Lyndall Barbour as Mama Chiapetta *Owen Weingott as Primo * Henry Gilbert as Father Felix * Delore Whiteman as Ruby *Ben Gabriel as Eddy *Anthony Wickert as Franki *Victoria Anoux as Serena * Alma Butterfield as Mrs Stringer Radio Play It was based on a radio play that had been performed in Australia and on the BBC in 1960. The BBC production starred Ina De La Haye and Robert Rietty. Reception The ''Sydney Morning Herald'' TV critic called it "rather stale fare" as the plot and characters were too predictable, adding that thematically the play "a warm-blooded extension of an Immigr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
