Half an Hour with Robert Helpmann
| Company type | Television special |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Television program |
Half an Hour with Robert Helpmann is a 1964 Australian television special starring Robert Helpmann. The program was created during Helpmann’s visit to Australia for the Adelaide Arts Festival and highlighted his wide-ranging talents.
As noted by Filmink, within a brief thirty-minute timeframe, Helpmann presents an assortment of performances including Shakespearean characters, popular songs, ballet, and crime drama, resembling a solo variety show.
Throughout the half-hour presentation, Helpmann delivers individual performances such as:
- singing a ballad
- portraying Oberon and Hamlet
- performing a solo dance
- singing the song "Surfer Doll"
- reenacting his part in Box for One (with Carole Potter providing the female voices).
The production was recorded at ABC’s studios in Melbourne. A copy of the show is maintained by the National Film and Sound Archive.
Later that same year, ABC produced a thirty-minute documentary about Helpmann for the series The Lively Arts.
Reception
Filmink characterized the program as "captivating and highly enjoyable," emphasizing the unconventional rendition of “Surfer Girl” as a challenge to common age-related stereotypes in pop music. The review commended the elegant lighting and cinematography, and praised Sterling’s direction as perfectly tailored to the content without excessive flair.