''Luther'' is a 1964 TV play broadcast by the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

. It was adapted by

Phillip Grenville Mann Phillip Grenville Mann (24 December 1921 – 19 June 1990) was an Australian actor, playwright, stage director and manager, and writer. He won a series of prizes as a young writer. He served in the Royal Australian Navy. He worked for six years ...

from the 1961 play by

John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter and actor, known for his prose that criticized established social and political norms. The success of his 1956 play ''Look Back in Anger'' tra ...

. It was directed in Melbourne by

Christopher Muir } Christopher Muir (1931 - 2022) was an Australian director and producer, notable for his work in TV in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1980s he was head of ABC Television drama. Biography Most of his early childhood was spent in France, but he re ...

and starred

Terry Norris Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine). People Male * Terry Albritton (1955–2005), Ame ...

in the title role.

Premise

It is a biographical play about the life of

Luther Luther may refer to: People * Martin Luther (1483–1546), German monk credited with initiating the Protestant Reformation * Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), American minister and leader in the American civil rights movement * Luther (give ...

during the years of 1506–1530. The play shows his marriage and the interactions he had with the people in his life.

Cast

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...

Syd Conabere Sydney Leicester Conabere (8 July 191815 July 2008) was an Australian actor. He was notable for his work in theatre, film and television drama in a career spanning more than fifty years. In 1962 Conabere won the Logie award for Best Actor, for ...

as Knight *Douglas Kelly as

Johann Tetzel Johann Tetzel (c. 1465 – 11 August 1519) was a German Dominican friar and preacher. He was appointed Inquisitor for Poland and Saxony, later becoming the Grand Commissioner for indulgences in Germany. Tetzel was known for granting indulgence ...

*Michael Duffield as Staupitz *Brian James as

Cajetan Cajetan and Kajetan is the Anglicized and Germanized form of the Italian given name Gaetano. People with this name include: * Thomas Cajetan (1469–1534), Italian Dominican theologian, cardinal, and opponent of Martin Luther * Saint Cajetan (Gaet ...

*William Lloyd as Prior *James Lynch as Hans *Peter Aanensen as

Lucas Lucas or LUCAS may refer to: People * Lucas (surname) * Lucas (given name) Arts and entertainment * Luca Family Singers, also known as "lucas ligner en torsk" * ''Lucas'' (album) (2007), an album by Skeletons and the Kings of All Cities * ''L ...

* George Whaley as Brother Weinand *

Beverley Dunn Beverley Ruth Dunn (24 April 1933 – 27 November 2021) was an Australian veteran radio, stage, television and film actress based in Melbourne, Australia. Dunn had roles in films including ''Ground Zero'', '' Gross Misconduct'', '' Shine'' ...

Katherine Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and Catherina, other variations are feminine Given name, names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria ...

*Glen Farmer as Militz * Michael Cole as

Pope Leo X Pope Leo X ( it, Leone X; born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, 11 December 14751 December 1521) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death in December 1521. Born into the prominent political an ...

*Keith Lee as Eck *John Royle as

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

*Ian Neill as Ulrich *Ray Angel as archbishop *Colin McEwan as one of the monks

Production

Osborne's play was first performed in 1961. The play had a cast of 34 and was headlined by Norris, who that year had already been seen in ''

Nude with Violin ''Nude with Violin'' is a play in three acts (later revised into two acts) by Noël Coward. A light comedy of manners, the play is a satire on " Modern Art", criticism, artistic pretension and the value placed on art. It is set in Paris in 195 ...

'', ''

The Sponge Room ''The Sponge Room'' is an Australian television film which aired in 1964 on ABC. Produced in Melbourne, it aired in a 50-minute time-slot and was an adaptation of an overseas stage play, written by Willis Hall and Keith Waterhouse. It is not know ...

'' and ''

The Physicists ''The Physicists'' (german: Die Physiker) is a satiric drama/ tragic comedy written in 1961 by Swiss writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt. The play was mainly written as a result of the Second World War and many advances in science and nuclear technolo ...

''. Colin McEwan, who played a monk, was a radio personality. It was designed by Paul Cleveland. It was the TV acting debut of singer Michael Cole.

Reception

''The Age'' said it was "baffling". This review prompted a letter of response from Chris Muir. The ''Sydney Morning Herald'' called it "quite painfully cramped and distorted... Norris made Luther hardly credible... the play seemed to take place in the vacuum" ''The Canberra Times'' said "Christopher Muir's production, the best so far this year, was among the most successful of all local productions, at least .since Ray Mcnnuir's departure. The first moments of the play, in particular, made spectacular television."

References

External links

* Films about Martin Luther 1960s Australian television plays Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming English-language television shows Films based on works by John Osborne 1964 television plays Films directed by Christopher Muir {{Australia-tv-film-stub