Burst of Summer (TV play)
| Company type | Television play |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television, Entertainment |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Television drama |
Burst of Summer is a 1961 Australian television play adapted from Oriel Gray's stage work Burst of Summer. Co-written by Gray and Rex Rienits, the television adaptation first aired in Melbourne on 9 August 1961, with subsequent broadcasts in Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth within the same year. The production has been hailed by Filmink as "a genuine landmark of Australian television."
Plot
Peggy, an Aboriginal woman who has recently appeared in an Australian feature film, returns to her hometown accompanied by a camera crew and her publicist, Mrs Blyth. She visits Joe’s milk bar—Joe being an Italian immigrant—where Eddie, an Aboriginal employee, works. Joe dismisses Eddie and replaces him with Merv, a white man. Peggy refuses a previous job offer at the milk bar and instead takes up employment as a maid for the affluent Sally Blake.
Peggy reconnects with Don, a childhood friend working as a law clerk, who is also acquainted with Clinton, a white journalist and Sally’s boyfriend. Merv is attracted to Sally, who grows jealous of Clinton’s friendship with Peggy and encourages Merv to instigate trouble. This results in Merv drunkenly injuring Eddie by striking him in the eye with a beer bottle. Following Merv’s arrest, Peggy departs town alongside Clinton.
Cast
- Georgia Lee as Peggy Dinjerra
- Wynn Roberts as Clinton Hunter
- Robert Tudawali as Don Reynolds
- Edward Howell as Joe
- Edward Brayshaw as Mervyn Holmes
- Anne Charleston as Sally Blake
- Candy Williams as Eddie
- Joan MacDonald as Mrs Blyth
- Mort Hall as cameraman
- Robert Hornery as assistant
- David Mitchell
- Harry Williams
- Berys Marsh
- Nancy Cato
- Ron Hescott
- Peter Fitzgerald
Production
The production was filmed at ABC’s Melbourne Studios located in South Bank. Robert Tudawali was brought in from Darwin to make his debut in live television drama, having previously appeared in the series Whiplash. Alongside jazz vocalist Georgia Lee and rock singer Candy Williams, Tudawali was one of three Aboriginal actors featured—a notable contrast to the radio adaptation which employed an entirely white cast.
Producer William Sterling highlighted the significance of casting Aboriginal actors to maintain the play’s social relevance. Georgia Lee undertook her first dramatic role in this production, while Candy Williams had prior experience from The Sergeant from Burralee, and Tudawali from Whiplash. Oriel Gray intended to depict an educated Aboriginal character who could serve as a positive role model. Both Williams and Tudawali received £160 for their work; however, Tudawali was only permitted to retain part of his payment due to his status as a ward of the Northern Territory government.
Trevor Ling was responsible for design elements, with Les Bail serving as technical supervisor. According to Filmink, certain modifications made from the original play diminished the prominence of Aboriginal characters.
Reception
Critical responses were varied. The Sunday edition of the Sydney Morning Herald described the production as a "half-hearted stab" at exploring Aboriginal themes despite commendable performances by Georgia Lee and Edward Howell. The review suggested that the narrative lacked a distinctly Australian viewpoint and seemed influenced by American cinema.
Another critic from the Sydney Morning Herald observed that while the show promoted a valid message, it did so awkwardly, pointing out unrealistic character portrayals and occasionally theatrical dialogue. The Bulletin dismissed it as "a depressingly incompetent technical exercise" marked by weak character development.
Despite these criticisms, Filmink recognized it as "a genuine landmark of Australian television" due to its inclusion of three principal Aboriginal characters, significant roles for both male and female Aboriginal actors, and scenes focused exclusively on Aboriginal individuals. It also represented Robert Tudawali’s final dramatic performance and Georgia Lee’s sole acting role, underscoring its cultural importance despite certain shortcomings.