Black Limelight (1959 film)

{{Infobox television

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| director = William Sterling

| starring = Patricia Kennedy

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| country = Australia

| language = English

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| runtime = 75 mins{{cite news|title=TV Guide|date=9 July 1959|page=33|newspaper=The Age}} or 90 mins{{cite news|title=TV Guide|date=20 July 1959|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald|page=20}}

| network = ABC

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| released = {{Start date|1959|07|15|df=y}} (Melbourne)

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Black Limelight is a 1959 Australian TV play. It was shot in ABC's Melbourne studios. It was made at a time when Australian drama production was rare.{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/60-australian-tv-plays-1950s-60s/|magazine=Filmink|title=60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s|date=February 18, 2019}}

Premise

A married man, Peter, is suspected of murdering his mistress. His wife Mary fights to clear his name. She discovers his lawyer friend is the killer.

Cast

Patricia Kennedy as Mary
Bruce Beeby as Peter
Diana Bell
Moira Carleton
Frank Gatliff as lawyer friend
Kenneth Goodlet
Laurie Lange
Joy Mitchell
Beverley Phillips as the girlfriend
Nevil Thurgood

Production

A bathing scene was shot at Canadian Bay.{{cite news|newspaper=The Age|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=MDQ-9Oe3GGUC&dat=19590709&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|date=July 9, 1959|page=12|title=Beach Scene in Suspense Drama}} It also included scenes shot in North Balwyn.{{cite news|date=18 June 1959|newspaper=The Age|title=Melbourne Beach Scenes in Love TV drama|page=25}}

Patricia Kennedy had a five-minute monologue which was reportedly to be the longest speech up to that moment on Melbourne TV drama.{{cite news |newspaper=The Age |date=4 July 1959 |page=9 |title=Jottings}}

Reception

The TV critic from The Sydney Morning Herald thought that "Patricia Kennedy's remarkable dramatic strength in the big leading role did much to minimise the gimmicky construction of thriller plot and some lack of incisive editing" and that "William Sterling's production was, in most places, worthy of the material."{{cite news|title=Murder Drama From ABN|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald|date=23 July 1959|page=6}}

The critic from The Age said "there wasn't a great deal to enthuse about... Channel 2 can and will do more significant dramas."{{cite news|newspaper=The Age|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JFsRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TKsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7013%2C3673654|date=23 July 1959|page=14|title=On Channel|last=Janus}}

References

External links

{{IMDb title|3584640}}

Category:Australian drama television films

Category:1959 Australian television plays

Category:Australian crime drama films

Category:Television plays directed by William Sterling (director)