| Killer in Close-Up | |
|---|---|
 Ad fromThe Age 14 Nov 1957 | |
| Genre | Anthology |
| Written by | George F. Kerr |
| Directed by | Christopher Muir William Sterling Raymond Menmuir |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | ABC |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | 9 September 1957 (1957-09-09) – 13 August 1958 (1958-08-13) |
Killer in Close-Up was a blanket title covering four live television drama plays produced by theAustralian Broadcasting Commission in 1957 and 1958. It could be seen as the firstanthology series produced for Australian television.
Production of the plays was split equally between the Melbourne and Sydney ABC stations, with the first and fourth being produced in Sydney, the second and third in Melbourne.[1] Each ran for 25 minutes. The plays were produced byChristopher Muir,Raymond Menmuir and Will Sterling.
The title came from the use of the close up in television drama.[2]
The drama plays were based on real-life cases, dramatised for television byGeorge F. Kerr.[3] They were, in order:
In Melbourne, the play aired againstChesebrough-Ponds Playhouse on HSV-7 (which consisted selections from US anthology series) andDouglas Fairbanks Theatre (akaDouglas Fairbanks Jr Presents, a British-American anthology production) on GTV-9, and was broadcast at 8:30PM.[8] In effect, viewers had a choice of three different half-hour self-contained dramas during that night.
It was broadcast "live" from Sydney on 4 September 1957, recorded and shown in Melbourne on 4 October 1957. It was directed byRaymond Menmuir.[4][2]
Based on the 1907Camden Town Murder, where Robert Wood was tried for the murder of a prostitute and was acquitted.
The first play used nine sets and twelve actors. TheSydney Morning Herald said its goal was "to show new techniques in Australian TV production and acting."[9]
The Wallace Case was directed byChristopher Muir in Melbourne. It was broadcast live in that city on 20 November 1957.
In 1931,William Herbert Wallace is accused of murdering his wife.
Muir used close ups extensively to build tension. George F. Kerr came down from Sydney to help with the production and acted asa narrator.[5]
This episode was recorded live in Melbourne and aired on 18 June 1958. It was directed by Will Sterling.
The episodeThe Rattenbury Case may be held by theNational Archives of Australia (per a search of their website).
Francis Rattenbury, a famous architect, is murdered.
It was the first TV performance from experienced actorPatricia Kennedy.[6]
The play was broadcast "live" from Sydney on 13 August 1958.[7][10] It aired Melbourne 25 October 1958.[11]
In 1857 Glasgow, a girl is tried for the murder of her lover. From the first meeting between the lovers to the final verdict in Edinburgh Court.
Janette Craig was Miss NSW in 1957.[11]