| Based On: | play by Jean-Paul Sartre |
| Director: | Royston Morley |
| Country: | Australia |
| Language: | English |
| Runtime: | 90 minutes |
| Company: | ABC |
| Network: | ABC |
| Released: | (Sydney, live) |
| Released2: | (Brisbane) |
| Released3: | (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]
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.
Brian James was flown in from Melbourne to play the lead.[5]
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]