| Based On: | play by Aimée Stuart |
| Director: | Bill Eldridge |
| Country: | Australia |
| Language: | English |
| Runtime: | 60 mins |
| Company: | ABC |
| Network: | ABC |
| Released: | (Melbourne, live) |
| Released2: | (Sydney, taped)[1] [2] |
Fair Passenger is a 1957 Australian television film which aired on ABC. It was the first one-hour television drama produced in Melbourne, and aired there live on 17 July 1957.[3] [4]
It was described as a "drama of mixed romances".[5]
Although it was kinescoped in order to be shown in Sydney, it is not known if the kinescope still exists. The UK version is lost.[6]
Erica Tranmore is dissatisfied in her marriage with a quiet adoring husband. She goes to London on the pretext of visiting an old school friend, Meg, but actually to see an infatuated young man, Clive. She meets Rosemary, a young film star, at Meg's flat and sets out to captivate Meg's boss with a screen test.
Rosemary falls in love with Clive. Erica has an unsuccessful screen test and returns home.
The show was based on a play by Aimee Stuart. It had been adapted for Australian radio in 1951[8] 1952[9] and 1954[10] and for British TV in 1955 as part of anthology series London Playhouse.[11]
The ABC had a site in the Melbourne suburb of Rippon Lea. However it did not have normal TV studio facilities yet so the production was filmed at a temporary studio at Coppin Hall in Richmond. (The studio was used for a six-month period from 1 July while the Rippon Lea studios were being built. Among the shows made there were variety shows, musicals and the Village Glee Club.)[4] [12]
It was the first hour-long television drama broadcast in Melbourne. Marcia Hart, who was in the cast, had previously appeared in the first hour long television drama broadcast in Chicago (a production of Gaslight).[13]