Two-Headed Eagle

Two Headed Eagle

Company type	TV drama
Industry	Television
Founded	1960
Founder	William Sterling (director)
Headquarters	Melbourne , Australia
Products	Television play

Two Headed Eagle is a 1960 Australian TV drama directed by William Sterling and featuring Margo Lee in a leading role. The script, adapted by Alan Seymour, originates from a play by Jean Cocteau that debuted in London in 1946, with the original stage version starring Tallulah Bankhead.

Premise

Set in an imaginary European nation, the story follows a Queen who has been grieving the murder of her husband for a decade. Stanislas, a peasant-poet and would-be assassin, plans to kill her but unexpectedly falls in love after she receives him with calm composure, which ultimately leads to his downfall.

Cast

• Edward Brayshaw portraying Stanislas
• Margo Lee as the Queen
• Michael Duffield in the role of Felix von Willenstein
• Christopher Hill playing Christopher Von Foehn, the police chief
• Madeline Howell as Edith Von Berg, the Queen’s reader
• Joe Jenkins appearing as Tony

Production

The costume design was managed by John Peters. Filming took place in Melbourne during 1960, with the broadcast occurring in Sydney the next year. The production is notable for featuring an extensive 15-minute monologue delivered by Margo Lee.

Reception

The Age recognized the production as a "personal triumph" for Margo Lee.

A critic from The Sydney Morning Herald commended Lee’s acting but remarked on the production’s lack of refinement. The camera work was confined to simple shots, and inconsistent audio quality reduced the effectiveness of the Queen’s lengthy speech.

See also

• List of television plays broadcast on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1960s)