James Workman (1912 – 28 March 2001) was a Scottish-born actor and writer who mostly worked in Australia.
A 1955 article called him "One of the finest scripters in the game, a writer with a hatred of the obvious, a constant seeker after new ideas."
Biography
Workman was born in South Africa, and worked as a sailor and a policemen. He lived in South Africa, working for in radio before going to Australia for his wife's health. In Australia he worked as an actor at first, mostly on stage, before becoming a radio writer for Gordon Grimsdale.
Workman died on 28 March 2001, at the age of 89.
Films
- Into the Straight (1948) - actor
Television
- ITV Television Playhouse - "2000 Minus 60" (1958) - TV play - writer
- Press Gang (1959) - TV series
- Reflections in Dark Glasses (1960) – TV play - writer
- Armchair Theatre - "Cold Fury" (1960)
- In Writing (1961) – actor
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents - "Apex" (1962) - writer
- Malibu Playhouse - "Finger on the Pulse" (1963) - writer
- Contrabandits - ep "Target, Smokehouse"
- Motel (1967) – writer
- Skippy – writer
- The Long Arm (1970) – writer
- Behind the Legend (1973) "Melba", "Charles Ulm" - writer
- Number 96 - writer
- Class of '74 - writer
- The Tichborne Affair (1978) – writer
Novels
- The Apologetic Tiger (1958)
- Lucifer at Ponsfordville (1959)
- Face of Fortune (1961)
- Impact (1962)
- the Mad Surgeon (1962)
- Shock Stories (1962)
- The Captain from Goondiwindi (1962)
- Havoc (1962)
- Sweet Taste of Venom (1963)
- Cleopatra of Egypt (1963)
- the Navy's here (1963)
- Sodom and Gomorrah (1963)
- The Witch Hunters (1963)
- Sin in Hong Kong (1965)
- Dragon Ships (1965)
- Genghis Khan (1965)
- Sin in Hong Kong (1965)
- Charge of the Light Brigade (1966)
- The Mad Emperor (1966)
- Sex and the Soviet Spy (1966)
- Attila the Hun (1967)
- The Courtesans (1967)
- Zenobia, Empress of Lust (1967)
- The Beautiful Beast of Buchenwald James Workman (1968)
- Shark Bait (1968)
Radio
- Thirty Minutes to Go (1951–54) - various episodes
- The Last Miracle (1953)
- Mirror Mirror on the Wall (1954)
- L'innoue The innocent (1954)
- This is My Play (1954)
- A Moment of Peril (1956)
- The Big Squeeze (1956) - series - writer, director
- Deadline (1957) - series - writer, director
- The Key (1958) - series - writer
- Call Box (1959) - writer
- Countdown - writer
- Timber Ridge - writer
- Odette - writer
Documentary
- Finding Facts - writer
Stage
- various plays as actor for the Globe Player in Sydney in 1949
- various productions as actor for John Alden Company in 1951-1952 including Hamlet
- Eternal Night (1954) - writer
- The Passion Play actor (1963)
- Cold Cure - writer
- The Tichborne inheritance : a play in two acts - writer
- Brain drain : a play in one act - writer
- Shut-up and Strip : a play in one act - writer
- See you at Philippi (1973) - writer
- The old poisoner : a play in two acts - writer
- Breadfruit for breakfast : a play in two acts - writer
- Possession : a play in one act / - writer
References
- "Tricks of the Game Writing For Radio", The Bulletin, 76 (3918 (16 Mar 1955)), Sydney, N.S.W: John Haynes and J.F. Archibald, nla.obj-688069409, retrieved 18 March 2024 – via Trove
- James Workman interview at National Film and Sound Archive
- Lane, Richard (2000). The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama Volume 2. National Film and Sound Archive. pp. 65–68.
- "Deaths". The Sydney Morning Herald. 30 March 2001. p. 28.
- Vagg, Stephen (20 March 2021). "Forgotten Australian TV Plays: Reflections in Dark Glasses". Filmink. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall". Commercial. The ABC Weekly. Vol. 16, no. 24. 12 June 1954. p. 25. nla.obj-1677801556. Retrieved 1 May 2023 – via Trove.
- "Worth hearing". The Herald. No. 24,027. Victoria, Australia. 31 May 1954. p. 8. Retrieved 1 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- "AROUND THE DIAL". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. XIX, no. 227. New South Wales, Australia. 11 December 1954. p. 12. Retrieved 1 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Stark play at theatre". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. XIX, no. 106. New South Wales, Australia. 23 July 1954. p. 33. Retrieved 1 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Audience Of 7,000 Sees Passion Play". The Canberra Times. Vol. 37, no. 10,481. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 11 March 1963. p. 19. Retrieved 1 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
External links
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