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Crime Passionel

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Crime Passionel
Based onplay by Jean-Paul Sartre
Directed byRoyston Morley
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time90 minutes
Production companyABC
Original release
NetworkABC
Release11 November 1959 (1959-11-11) (Sydney, live)
Release17 November 1959 (1959-11-17) (Brisbane)
Release10 February 1960 (1960-02-10) (Melbourne)

Crime Passionel is a 1959 Australian television play. It was based on a play by Jean-Paul Sartre and was directed by Royston Morley.

The play had been broadcast that year by the BBC.

It was broadcast live in Sydney on 11 November 1959. A recording was made of this and shown in Brisbane on 17 November 1959[1] and Melbourne on 10 February 1960.[2] It went for 90 minutes.[3]

Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time.[4]

Plot

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At the end of World War Two, in the mythical European country of Illythia, the German armies are retreating from the Russians. Hugo, a young intellectual who wants to be revolutionary hero, sets about assassinating Hoederer, leader of the local communist party. Hugo is Hoederer's secretary. Hugo has a wife Jessica, and a fellow party member, Olga.

Cast

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  • Brian James as Hoederer
  • William Job as Hugo
  • Jacqueline Kott as Olga
  • John Fegan as Charles
  • Tony Arpino as Franz
  • Peter Williams as Louis
  • James Elliott as Ivan
  • Rosemary Webster as Hugo's wife
  • Don Crosby as Georges
  • Julian Flett as Prince Paul
  • Nat Levison as Slick
  • Richard Parry as Karsky
  • Bill Waters as Leon

Production

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Brian James was flown in from Melbourne to play the lead.[5]

Reception

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The Sydney Morning Herald TV reviewer wrote that the play was "a little slow in movement, because of the sheer weight of its talk... [but] was given an absorbing live performance... the cast was uncommonly strong."[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Bomb in the Studio". TV Times. 12 November 1959. p. 5.
  2. ^ "Wednesday Television". The Age. 4 February 1960. p. 11 Radio TV Supplement.
  3. ^ "TV Guide". Sydney Morning Herald. 9 November 1959. p. 14.
  4. ^ Vagg, Stephen (18 February 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". Filmink.
  5. ^ "Telecast Of Crime Drama". Sydney Morning Herald. 9 November 1959. p. 13.
  6. ^ "Crime Passionel on ABN". Sydney Morning Herald. 12 November 1959. p. 14.
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