"Ring Out Wild Bells" is a 1965 Australian television play which aired as part of ''

Wednesday Theatre ''Wednesday Theatre'' is a 1960s Australian anthology show which aired on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC. Many of the episodes were imported from the BBC. However a number of episodes were made locally. Episodes 1965 1966 1 ...

''. It was based on a play by. It was the third locally shot ABC drama after '' Vacancy in Vaughan Street'' and ''Dark Brown''. "Ring Out Wild Bells" aired on 11 November 1964 in Brisbane, 10 February 1965 in Sydney and Canberra, and on July 1, 1965 in Melbourne.

Plot

Conflict emerges between a minister, Reverend Stephen Millcote, and race promoter Peter Lambert. Millcote is trying to conduct marriage services on Saturday afternoons while Lambert is running race meetings, complete with loudspeaker commentaries, from close by. Matters are complicated by the fact that Millcote's daughter is in love with Lambert's son.

Cast

*Edward Howell as Reverend Stephen Millcote *Belly Ross as Pamela Millcote, Millcote's sister and horse racing fan *James Stevens as Peter Lambert *Alistair Smart as John Lambert *Monica Smith as Judy Millcote *Gwen Wheeler as Alice Lambert *Beverly Bates as Beverly *Larry Pratt as announcer

Production

It was based on the 1958 play by

George Landen Dann George Landen Dann (1 January 1904 – 6 June 1977) was an Australian playwright, writer, and draftsman. He is best known for a number of award-winning and critically acclaimed plays such as '' In Beauty It Is Finished'', ''Fountains Beyond'', ' ...

. It was Dann's first TV play produced although he had written a number of radio and stage plays. It aired in Melbourne the same week as another Brisbane shot play, ''The Quiet Season''. It was filmed at the ABC's Brisbane studios in Toowong and broadcast in Brisbane. All the cast were local Brisbane actors except for Edward Howell; this was his 45th TV play. Betty Ross was experienced in Brisbane theatre. Larry Pratt the ABC radio announcer provided his voice for the role of the race caller.

Reception

The ''Sydney Morning Herald'' said "its dialogue consisted of a great deal of characterless and self consciously conventional prattle which reduced the play to the level of a soap opera domestic upheaval and gave the Brisbane cast of actors no chance of proving themselves. The standards were close to church hall dramatics and only in Edward Howell was it possible to recognise an authoritative actor who had succeeded in kindling the beginnings of a live part out of the cardboard figure of the vicar."

References

External links

TV production
at

AustLit AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource (also known as AustLit: Australian Literature Gateway; and AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature), usually referred to simply as AustLit, is an internet-based, non-profit collaboration betwee ...

Original play
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''Ring Out Wild Bells''
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Ausstage AusStage: The Australian Live Performance Database is an online database which records information about live performances in Australia, providing records of productions from the first recorded performance in Australia (1789, by convicts) up unt ...