Seagulls Over Sorrento (TV play) explained
| Genre: | war |
| Based On: | play Seagulls Over Sorrento by Hugh Hastings |
| Director: | Alf Potter |
| Country: | Australia |
| Language: | English |
| Producer: | Dorothy Crawford |
| Runtime: | 90 mins |
| Company: | Crawfords |
| Budget: | £3,500[1] |
| Released: | (Melbourne)[2] |
| Released2: | (Sydney)[3] |
Seagulls Over Sorrento is a 1960 Australian television play. It was based on the popular stage play Seagulls Over Sorrento and was produced by Crawford Productions for Melbourne's HSV-7, airing on 1 May 1960 as an episode of "ACI Theatre".[4] It screened on TCN-9 in Sydney on Sunday 12 June.[5]
It was the first full-length TV play made by an independent production company in Australia, in his case Crawfords.[6] [7]
A kinescope recording of the production exists.[8] It was an early depiction of homosexuality in Australian television drama.[9]
Cast
Production
It was the second time live drama had appeared on HSV-7. The first was The Caine Mutiny Court Martial.[10]
Hodge, James, Taylor and Bleazby had appeared in the 1952 J. C. Williamson's production of the play.[11] Hodge came out of semi retirement to star. It was reportedly the 594th time he had played the part.[5] [12]
The adaptation of the play was more faithful to its source material than the 1954 film version.[13]
Reception
A critic from the Sydney Morning Herald "thought it came off pretty well as a TV show" with an "excellent cast".[14]
The critic from The Age said "it was adequately presented but lacked atmosphere. The players were scared of the TV cameras for the first half hour."[15]
Notes and References
- Book: Day, Christopher. 136. TV Drama. Peter Beilby. Australian TV: The First 25 Years. 1981. Thomas Nelson.
- News: The Age. Radio and TV. 3 March 1960. 15.
- News: TV guide. Sydney Morning Herald. June 12, 1960. 75.
- News: The Age. Green Guide: 'Seagulls Over Sorrento. 5 May 1960. 3.
- News: Sydney Morning Herald. Channel Spot. June 6, 1960 . 25.
- News: IT'S A FAMILY VERDICT . . 30 . 5 . Australia . 4 July 1962 . 19 February 2019 . 2 (Television) . National Library of Australia.
- Stephen. Vagg. 60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s. Filmink. February 18, 2019.
- http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;adv=;group=;groupequals=;holdingType=;page=0;parentid=;query=seagulls%20over%20Media%3A%22TELEVISION%22;querytype=;rec=1;resCount=10 "Title No: 19490, Title: 'Seagulls Over Sorrento'."
- Forgotten Australian TV Plays: A Season in Hell. Filmink. Stephen. Vagg. 14 June 2021.
- News: The Age. 29 April 1960. 32. Videotape of Seagulls.
- https://news.google.com.au/newspapers?id=wq5VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GcQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5852,5342886&dq=seagulls+over+sorrento&hl=en "Advertisement: 'Seagulls Over Sorrento'."
- TV Times. The Seagulls will Fly on TV. 23 June 1960. 10.
- Filmink. Forgotten Australian TV Plays: Seagulls Over Sorrento. Stephen. Vagg. December 20, 2020.
- News: Sydney Morning Herald. 19 June 1960. TV Merry Go Round. Valda. Marshall. 87.
- News: The Age. Janus. 5 March 1960. 27. Seagulls Unworthy of Revival on TV.
