"The Grey Nurse Said Nothing" is a television play written by

Sumner Locke Elliott Sumner Locke Elliott (17 October 191724 June 1991) was an Australian (later American) novelist and playwright. Biography Elliott was born in Sydney to the writer Sumner Locke and the journalist Henry Logan Elliott. His mother died of eclam ...

. It was based on elements of the

Shark Arm case The Shark Arm case refers to a series of incidents that began in Sydney, Australia, on 25 April 1935 when a human arm was regurgitated by a captive 3.5-metre tiger shark, subsequently leading to a murder investigation and trial. Discovery of ...

but is mostly fictitious. The play was screened in the US in 1959 as an episode of '' Playhouse 90''. It was performed on American and Australian television.

Plot

A shark is captured and throws up an identifiable human arm, with a tattoo. It is presumed the arm belongs to a boatman. A local tycoon is arrested for murder. Witnesses at the trial include the tycoon's alcoholic wife, whom the boatman tried to seduce, and a local school teacher in love with the boatman.

Cast

* Ann Todd as Laura Mills *

Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...

as Hazel Wills *Paul Comi as Patrick Aherne *Gary Crutcher as Lynch mob leader *Patricia Cutts as Mavis Greenop *Michael David as Herbert Wills *Don Dubbins as Bluey *

Hugh Griffith Hugh Emrys Griffith (30 May 1912 – 14 May 1980) was a Welsh film, stage, and television actor. He is best remembered for his role in the film '' Ben-Hur'' (1959), which earned him critical acclaim and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Acto ...

as Rev. Light *Tony Haig as Boy

Production

The play was set in Australia, a location that was uncommon on American TV at the time. The show had a cast of 120. Sumner Locke Elliot provided the sounds of a

Kookaburra Kookaburras are terrestrial tree kingfishers of the genus ''Dacelo'' native to Australia and New Guinea, which grow to between in length and weigh around . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri ''guuguubarra'', onomatopoeic of its call. The ...

because none were available; he imitated one in the studio.

Reception

The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' called it a "suspenseful telecast" in which the cast "gave universally good performances." The ''

Chicago Daily Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television are ...

'' called it "thoroughly enjoyable".Staccato Format Is Still Bad Anderson, Robert. Chicago Daily Tribune 1 Dec 1959: b10.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grey Nurse Said Nothing (), The 1959 American television episodes 1959 television plays Playhouse 90 (season 4) episodes