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A Night Out (1961 film)

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A Night Out
The Age 20 Dec 1961
Written byHarold Pinter
Directed byAlan Burke
StarringNeva Carr Glynn
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
Original release
Release7 November 1961 (1961-11-07) (Sydney, live)
Release20 December 1961 (1961-12-20) (Melbourne, taped)[1][2]
Release12 June 1962 (1962-06-12) (Brisbane)[3]

A Night Out is a 1961 Australian television play. It was based on A Night Out by Harold Pinter. It starred John Ewart and Richard Meikle.[4]

The play had previously been filmed in England in 1960 for Armchair Theater. It was one of three plays the BBC commissioned from Pinter. The BBC also did the play for radio a version which had been broadcast in Australia by the ABC. The TV production was shot in Sydney.[1]

Plot

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Albert is dominated by his mother. He is goaded at work by the accountant Gidney. He is driven to an act of violence and attempts to assert his individuality. He tries to be a "real man" with a girl who picks him up. Mr King holds the party that is the night out for everyone.[5]

Cast

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Production

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Designed Desmonde Dowling constructed four unique sets. It was the 20th live play directed by Alan Burke who said "though this is a drama it is never far from comedy. Pinter's special talent is to see the ironic humour in ordinary people's frustrations, as well as the incipient horror in their most everyday actions. The playwright's vivid life among people with tangy speech and his experience as an actor give him an extraordinary command of language."[3]

Release

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The Sunday Sydney Morning Herald called it "a brilliant bit of production, and one of the best contemporary dramas the Sydney studios of the A.B.C. has done yet. "[6]

The Sydney Morning Herald thought Ewart was "excellent" but felt the female leads over-acted.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Untitled". The Age. 14 December 1961. p. 14.
  2. ^ "Advertisement". The Age. 20 December 1961. p. 6.
  3. ^ a b "Angry young man clocks". TV Times. 7 June 1962. p. 18.
  4. ^ "Phone Call is Key to Drama". The Age. 14 December 1961. p. 27.
  5. ^ "TV Guide". The Age. 14 December 1961. p. 33.
  6. ^ "TV Merry Go Round". Sydney Morning Herald. 12 November 1961. p. 90.
  7. ^ Marshall, Valda (9 November 1961). "Play by Pinter on Television". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 6.
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