The Slaughter of St. Teresa's Day (1960 film): Difference between revisions
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==Plot== |
==Plot== |
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Oola Maguire is throwing a St. Theresa's Day Party for her clients and friends, along with her right "hand" Essie Farrell. |
Oola Maguire is throwing a St. Theresa's Day Party for her clients and friends, along with her right "hand" Essie Farrell. She has a party every year on that day to celebrate surviving the time she was shot by a gunman. Her rules for the party are no guns and no alcohol. Oola also does not invite any women. |
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Before the guests arrive she is introduced to Horrie, a friend of her associate Charlie Gibson; Horrie has just got out of prison after serving a five-year |
Before the guests arrive she is introduced to Horrie, a friend of her associate Charlie Gibson; Horrie has just got out of prison after serving a five-year sentence. Other guests include Whitey Maguire, who has just got out of prison after two years, and his girlfriend Wilma Cartwright, a former prostitute; Oona wants to reconcile Whitey with his father Paddy. |
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Oola's 16-year-old convent educated daughter Thelma visits the party accompanied by two nuns, Sister Mary Luke and Sister Mary Mark. Oola is considering becoming a nun. |
Oola's 16-year-old convent educated daughter Thelma visits the party accompanied by two nuns, Sister Mary Luke and Sister Mary Mark. Oola is considering becoming a nun. |
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The guests arrive and are unhappy about giving up their guns but do it for Oonas's sake. The men propose a "treasure hunt" which will enable them to drink. |
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Whitey and Paddy confront their differences, which include Wilma. It turns out Wilma and Whitey were secretly married. Oola finds Thelma in the arms of conman Horrie. |
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Whitey and Paddy confront each other - Paddy was unhappy about Whitey dating Wilma. Paddy defends Wilma, saying she waited for him for two years. It turns out Wilma and Whitey were secretly married shortly before the party. |
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Oola finds Thelma in the arms of conman Horrie. |
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Thelma returns to the convent. It is ambiguous as to what her future relationship with her mother will be. |
Thelma returns to the convent. It is ambiguous as to what her future relationship with her mother will be. |
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Revision as of 09:49, 6 August 2020
| The Slaughter of St. Theresa's Day | |
|---|---|
 Ad from SMH 21 March 1960 | |
| Directed by | Alan Burke |
| Written by | Peter Kenna |
| Based on | play by Peter Kenna |
| Starring | Neva Carr Glynn |
| Distributed by | ABC |
Release dates | 23 March 1960 (Sydney, live)[1] 29 June 1960 (Melbourne, taped)[2][3] |
Running time | 75 mins |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
The Slaughter of St Teresa's Day was a 1960 Australian TV play based on the stage play of the same name by Peter Kenna.
It was filmed by the ABC on 23 March 1960 at a time when local drama production was rare. The spelling of the title was "Theresa's Day" not "Teresa's Day" like the play.[4]
Neva Carr Glyn reprised the role that Kenna had written for her.[5] Extra scenes and characters were added from the play.[2]
Plot
Oola Maguire is throwing a St. Theresa's Day Party for her clients and friends, along with her right "hand" Essie Farrell. She has a party every year on that day to celebrate surviving the time she was shot by a gunman. Her rules for the party are no guns and no alcohol. Oola also does not invite any women.
Before the guests arrive she is introduced to Horrie, a friend of her associate Charlie Gibson; Horrie has just got out of prison after serving a five-year sentence. Other guests include Whitey Maguire, who has just got out of prison after two years, and his girlfriend Wilma Cartwright, a former prostitute; Oona wants to reconcile Whitey with his father Paddy.
Oola's 16-year-old convent educated daughter Thelma visits the party accompanied by two nuns, Sister Mary Luke and Sister Mary Mark. Oola is considering becoming a nun.
The guests arrive and are unhappy about giving up their guns but do it for Oonas's sake. The men propose a "treasure hunt" which will enable them to drink.
Whitey and Paddy confront each other - Paddy was unhappy about Whitey dating Wilma. Paddy defends Wilma, saying she waited for him for two years. It turns out Wilma and Whitey were secretly married shortly before the party.
Oola finds Thelma in the arms of conman Horrie.
Thelma returns to the convent. It is ambiguous as to what her future relationship with her mother will be.
Cast
- Neva Carr Glyn as Oola Maguire
- Annette Andre as Thelma Maguire
- Walter Sullivan as Horrie Darcel
- Alma Butterfield as Essie Farrell
- Frank Waters as Uncle Paddy Maguire
- Wendy Playfair as Wilma Cartwright
- Rodney Milgate as Whitey Maguire
- Gordon Glenwright as Charlie Gibson
- Mary Mackay as Sister Mary Luke
- Moya O'Sullivan as Sister Mary Mark
- Nat Levison as Barney Doyle
- Kenneth Goodlet
- Les Berryman
- Ron Dunphy
- John Fegan
- Christopher Douglas
Production
It was designed by Philip Hickie. Les Weldon did the technical supervision.
Reception
The Australian Woman's Weekly called it " one of the best bits of live TV I have seen... Alma Butterfield as Aunt Essie stole the acting honors. She was splendid, such a real character — everyone's elderly aunt, the one that lives with the family and smoothes things out for them. Neva Carr-Glyn as Oola was good, but not in Aunt Essie's class. There should be more TV like this. It was excellent entertainment."[6]
Max Harris of The Bulletin wrote this was when "Australian television drama came of age ."[7]
The critic for the Sydney Morning Herald thought the play "lost little of its waywardness and some of its liveliness in a television production" and had faults with the play ("Kenna seems unable to settle decisively on one theme and to develop it boldly enough to carry his admirable intentions and considerable ability") but felt it was a "very worthwhile production, organised with some tact and imagination by Alan Burke."[8]
The critic for The Age called it "a gem of a TV script... a triumph for the ladies."[9]
In December 1960, reviewing the year in television, the Age thought it was "one of the most entertaining and best produced of its ilk."[10]
In 1967, Agnes Harrison reviewed the first decade of Australian television and wrote Day was "Australian drama at its very best".[11]
See also
References
- ^ "TV Merry Go Round". Sydney Morning Herald. January 31, 1960. p. 80.
- ^ a b "An SP Bookmaker's Party Setting for a Comedy". The Age. 23 June 1960. p. 14.
- ^ "TV Guide". The Age. 23 June 1960. p. 35.
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (February 18, 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". Filmink.
- ^ Martha Rutledge, 'Carr-Glyn, Neva Josephine Mary (1908–1975)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1993, accessed online 11 February 2017.
- ^ "Perry Masonnew honors". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 27, no. 45. 13 April 1960. p. 66. Retrieved 11 June 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Harris, Max (January 11, 1961). "Shows Never-Never was Nearly-Nearly". The Bulletin. p. 26.
- ^ "Teresa s Day" On Television". Sydney Morning Herald. 24 March 1960. p. 5.
- ^ Janus (7 July 1960). "Feather in TV Cap of Peter Kenna". The Age. p. 27.
- ^ "Year ABC Gave Us a Heart Attack - and Remedy". The Age. 29 December 1960. p. 9.
- ^ Harrison, Agnes (6 April 1967). "The Glamour That Was". the Age. p. 29.