Written by Barbara Vernon Production
company ABC Country Australia Screenplay Barbara Vernon | Based on play by Barbara Vernon Running time 30 mins Initial release 1957 Production company ABC | |
Release date 2 October 1957 (Sydney)(live)
1 November 1957 (Melbourne) (taped) | ||
The Passionate Pianist is an Australian television film, or rather a live one-off television play, which aired in 1957 on ABC. Originally broadcast in Sydney on 2 October 1957, a kinescope recording was made of the broadcast, and shown in Melbourne on 1 November 1957.
Contents
It was part of ABC's twice monthly presentations of live plays during the late-1950s (one live play each month in Sydney and Melbourne, respectively, with most kinescoped for showing in the other city). At the time, most one-off drama and comedy plays produced for Australian television were adaptations of overseas works, and The Passionate Pianist is notable as it represents an early example of a locally-written comedy for the medium.
It is not known if the kinescope recording of the program still exists.
Plot summary
The teenage son (Mark Kelly) of a Sydney bookmaker prefers football to practicing. His mother (Marion Johns) is convinced he is a genius.
Cast
Play version
The Passionate Pianist was produced as a one act play. It was first performed at the Inverell Town Hall, on 22 November 1957. The cast included Lee Jones, Nell Stewart, Frank Sloman, Rob Jeffs, and Con Fardouly.
It is part of the trilogy 'The Growing Year', which also includes Vernon's unpublished plays 'The Bishop and the Boxer' and 'First Love'.
Follow up
Barbara Vernon is also known for writing the play The Multi-Coloured Umbrella, which saw a television version in 1958. It was focused on the same family of Sydney book makers.