Shadow of a Pale Horse (The General Motors Hour)
| Company type | Television drama |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television production |
| Founded | September 17, 1960 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Television drama |
Shadow of a Pale Horse is a television drama produced for Australian audiences by Sydney's ATN-7 and broadcast on Melbourne's GTV-9 prior to the formation of the Seven Network and Nine Network. It debuted simultaneously in both cities on 17 September 1960.[1] This play was featured within The General Motors Hour, an irregularly scheduled anthology showcasing standalone Australian productions.[2]
Cast
- Brian James portraying Kirk
- Leonard Teale in the role of Jack Rigger
- Kurt Ludescher as Condringer
- Ben Gabriel
- Thelma Scott
- Lynne Murphy as Mrs. Rigger
- John Gray
- Henry Gilbert
- Stuart Finch
- Peter McCredie
Production
The filming took place at ATN's studios in Sydney, where art director Cul Cullen undertook extensive research to achieve period accuracy.[3] European actor Kurt Ledescher had recently relocated to Australia when cast in this production. The Australian version aired shortly after an American adaptation was completed.[4]
Brian Wright, a member of the cast, had previously authored the radio serial Hop Harrigan, which featured Bruce Stewart, who also wrote this teleplay.[5] Leonard Teale’s participation marked one of his early television appearances.[6]
Gwen Plumb’s memoirs reveal that the production initially used a brown horse dusted with Johnson's Baby Powder to simulate a ghostly appearance; however, this method caused difficulties for both the animal and crew, leading to the horse being painted white for filming.[7]
A notable aspect of the production was that one six-minute sequence was captured using just a single camera.[8]
Reception
While the Sydney Morning Herald praised the production as "successful in almost every aspect," The Age expressed disappointment with it.
At the 1961 Logie Awards, the play received the accolade for Best Australian Drama.
Rebroadcasts occurred in Melbourne on 21 October 1961 and in Sydney on both 12 October 1960 and 28 October 1961. Additionally, an Australian radio adaptation was produced in 1965.
Filmink magazine acknowledged some imperfections like distracting facial hair and varying accents but commended the performances—particularly those of James, John Gray, and Ben Gabriel—and described the narrative as "highly engaging" without concessions.