Close to the Roof
| Company type | Television play |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television drama |
| Founded | 14 December 1960 (Sydney broadcast) |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Live television drama |
Close to the Roof is a 1960 Australian live television drama broadcast on ABC. It debuted in Sydney on 14 December 1960 and was recorded via kinescope for subsequent airing in Melbourne on 25 January 1961. The play may also have been shown in additional Australian cities. During an era when locally produced TV drama was rare, this production marked a significant commitment to Australian content.
In the same year, the ABC produced a radio adaptation of the play.
Plot
Set in Sydney’s Surry Hills, the story follows siblings Lucy and Charlie as they prepare their attic to accommodate visitors. Their father, Tony Perelli, an Italian migrant and widower disheartened by his lack of success in Australia, is planning to return to his homeland. Tony forbids Lucy from seeking employment and mistakenly believes Charlie is pursuing a career in music, unaware that he has taken up boxing.
Two men, Wally and Joe, arrive seeking refuge in the attic after participating in a robbery in Newtown that left victims injured; their third partner, Bill, was captured following a shootout. Tony accepts money from the pair, much to the reluctant approval of his children.
Joe is a former rural boxer engaging in his first criminal act, while Wally has more experience in such matters. A romantic connection develops between Joe and Lucy. Joe also provides boxing guidance to Charlie.
Conflict escalates between Joe and Wally over Lucy and the division of stolen money. After Bill dies in hospital, Joe insists that Bill’s widow receive his share. When Wally attacks Lucy, Joe retaliates by fatally striking him.
Tony and Charlie bury Wally’s body at French’s Forest. Upon discovering Joe has been training Charlie in boxing, Tony expels him from the home. Charlie agrees to drive Joe to Queensland. Joe confides in Lucy that he has a girlfriend—though she suspects otherwise—and they share a kiss. Spotting police outside, Joe incapacitates Charlie to avoid capture and leaves the house; a gunshot is then heard.
Cast
- Stewart Ginn as Wally Fox
- Ron Haddrick as Joe Cullon
- Edward Howell as Tony Perelli
- Josephine Dunphy as Lucy Perelli
- Ken Lawrence as Charlie Perelli
Source material
The television play was adapted from the 1937 stage production Hideout, written by Rex Rienits and Stewart Howard, which was performed at Sydney’s Independent Theatre under the direction of John Alden.
This work originated from Howard’s 1934 narrative Heat, initially published in Melbourne’s periodical Pandemonium.
Significantly, Heat led to Adelaide police confiscating copies of the magazine due to its contentious subject matter. The story was later reprinted in Coast to Coast in 1941.
Production
In the early years of Australian television drama, productions predominantly depended on scripts sourced from overseas. However, by 1960, the ABC initiated an "Australiana drive" aimed at creating narratives rooted in local culture. Despite this shift, advertising still highlighted such programs as "the play seen on British TV." This particular production also marked the first television appearance of Ron Haddrick.
Reception
The Sydney Morning Herald characterized the play as "a reasonably effective if relatively minor take on the 'and then there were none' motif," emphasizing its unique dialogue and drawing comparisons to acclaimed Australian dramas such as The Shifting Heart and Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. Ron Haddrick's portrayal was commended for its authentic Australian quality, while Ginn's role was noted as especially engaging. The production was distinct in its absence of background music and its confinement to a single location, although the sound effects of gunfire towards the conclusion were regarded as unconvincing.
Addressing claims of resemblance to other works, Rex Rienits explained that the piece originated from his earlier stage play Hideout, which had been performed twenty years earlier. He later refuted any accusations suggesting plagiarism.
See also
References
External links
- 1960 television plays
- 1960 Australian television plays
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming
- British English-language television shows
- Black-and-white Australian television shows
- Australian live television shows
- 1930s Australian plays
- Works by Rex Rienits
- Television plays directed by Raymond Menmuir
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation television plays
- Television plays filmed in Sydney
- British television plays set in Australia
- Australian plays adapted for television