"The Affair" is a 1965 Australian television play based on

the novel ''The Novel'' (1991) is a novel written by American author James A. Michener. A departure from Michener's better known historical fiction, ''The Novel'' is told from the viewpoints of four different characters involved in the life and work of ...

by C. P. Snow. It starred Roger Climpson,

Richard Meikle Richard Meikle (10 October 1929 – 2 June 1991) was an Australian actor who worked extensively in film, theatre, and radio. He was the father of writer Sam Meikle. Career Meikle began his career as a stage actor. His first recorded role was i ...

and

Anne Haddy Anne Haddy (5 October 1930 – 6 June 1999), credited also as Anne Hardy, was an Australian actress, television presenter and voice artist, who worked in various facets of the industry including radio, stage and television. She was married ...

and aired on the ABC as part of '' Wednesday Theatre''. Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time.

Plot

A young Cambridge scientist, Donald Howard, introvertive and unpopular, is accused of fraud and dismissed from his fellowship. The twenty fellows attempt to dismiss their feelings of unease by calling him guilty. His wife campaigns for him, splitting the college into two factions, one which sticks by the original verdict the other which seeks to re-try him.

Cast

as Donald Howard * Brian James as Sir Lewis Eliot *

as Laura Howard * Alexander Archdale *

Raymond Westwell Raymond Westwell (6 January 1919 – 23 November 1982) was a British actor and director who worked for many years in Australia. He made his Australian TV debut in ''The Angry General''. He worked as a director of theatre, notably ''Camelot''. Sel ...

as Gibert Dawson-Hill * Roger Climpson * John Brunskill as the master * Ron Haddrick as Skefflington * Richard Parry * Atholl Fleming * Frank Taylor *

Charles Tasman Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...

* Wendy Playfair *

Lou Vernon Lou Vernon (26 June 1888, Brisbane – 22 December 1971, Sydney) was an Australian actor of stage, radio and screen and producer. He started his career in musical comedy, and was particularly noted for his versatility and ability as a character a ...

Production

The script was based on the

Dreyfus Case The Dreyfus affair (french: affaire Dreyfus, ) was a political scandal that divided the French Third Republic from 1894 until its resolution in 1906. "L'Affaire", as it is known in French, has come to symbolise modern injustice in the Francop ...

. The production was filmed at the ABC's studios in Gore Hill, Sydney. It was the third in a trilogy of stories set at Cambridge.

Reception

The ''Woman's Weekly'' called it "a milestone in local drama. It was good, world-class TV, not a production that can be tarnished by the tag "good for an Australian one." It was a wonderful play... The cast did well, and the producer did wonders." The ''Sydney Morning Herald'' thought it was "outstandingly cast and intelligently produced" but thought the story had flaws.

References

External links

*
''The Affair''
at Milesago 1965 television plays 1965 Australian television episodes 1960s Australian television plays Wednesday Theatre (season 1) episodes {{tv-episode-stub