The Strong Are Lonely
| Company type | Television drama |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television production |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Founder | Ray Menmuir (producer) |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Key people | Ray Menmuir (producer), John Alden (lead actor) |
| Products | Television plays |
The Strong Are Lonely is a 1959 Australian television drama produced by Ray Menmuir, featuring John Alden in the lead role. This production was one of several narratives situated in South America.
Plot
The narrative centers on Spanish Jesuits attempting to create a mission in Paraguay. When a government official from Madrid arrives, Spanish slaveholders express concern that Indigenous workers are escaping to the mission, where they reside freely within communal settlements.
Cast
- John Alden portraying Father Provincial
- Ric Hutton as the inquisitor
- Peter Carver
- Don Crosby
- Al Thomas
- Philip College
- Nat Levison
Production
Originally written in 1942 by Fritz Hochwälder and first performed in German under the title Das heilige Experiment, the play was later translated into both French and English. A 1956 British television and radio adaptation starred Donald Wolfit.
This live Australian TV drama featured a notably large ensemble with 16 speaking parts and 23 extras, including five Indian students from Sydney University among the background cast.
Advertised as "the ABC's 56th live TV play" with an entirely Australian cast, it garnered acclaim across London, Paris, and Rome as an important work in modern drama.
Reception
The Age commended Alden for his "very fine acting," describing the production as superior to recent television dramas.
According to The Bulletin, producer Ray Menmuir received significant praise for his work on the play.
The Sydney Morning Herald referred to it as "an absorbing live-play" that skillfully addressed major themes supported by strong performances. While Alden and Hutton occasionally showed hesitation transitioning between theatrical and film acting techniques, Menmuir's direction delivered a production marked by "stature, substance and challenge," though it was ultimately perceived as somewhat flat and underwhelming.