| The Survivor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Based on | The Survivor by Thomas Keneally |
| Written by | Thomas Keneally |
| Directed by | Alan Burke |
| Starring | Wyn Roberts Dinah Shearing Enid Lorimer Arthur Dignam |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Cinematography | Peter Hendry |
| Running time | 75 minutes |
| Production company | ABC |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | 5 March 1972 (1972-03-05) |
The Survivor is a 1972 Australian television film based on the novel Thomas Keneally of the same name. The film was originally broadcast on ABC on 5 March 1972.
Cast
- Wynn Roberts
- Enid Lorimer as the widow
- Arthur Dignam
- Dinah Shearing
- Alastair Duncan
Production
Thomas Keneally adapted the script himself. It was his first screenplay and he enjoyed the experience so much he wrote other scripts for the ABC such as Essington and Behind the Legend.
The production was shot in Sydney. Director Alan Burke says Charles Russell was the main executive on it - he is credited as script editor although that does not give a guide as to the extent of his contribution. There was some location work done at Richmond Air Base.
John Cameron, head of drama at the ABC at the time, said the novel was bought by the ABC because it had won a prize. He later said "that was a terrible book and a dreadful script" but claims Charles Russell improved it with some script editing although he says Russell "wasn't very happy with it."
Reception
The Age thought the original novel was "one of the most tedious books ever published in Australia" but felt the television version "gripped the imagination as the book never could."
Burke later recalled "I don't think I pulled it off. It was I think a bit inadequate... It just didn't add up somehow. I just didn't feel happy about it. Maybe it was partly the adaptation that Tom had said he tried the various styles, maybe that had something to do with the fact they didn't quite marry."
References
- Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p149
- "TV Guide". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 February 1972. p. 16.
- "ANTARCTIC STORY IS ABSORBING". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 39, no. 41. Australia. 8 March 1972. p. 23. Retrieved 3 June 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Shirley, Graham (May 2004). "Alan Burke interview". National Film and Sound Archive.
- Cameron, John (29 April 1981). "Oral History" (Interview). ABC Radio Unit.
- Pinkey, John (5 April 1972). "Anti-pot a block off the old chip". The Age. p. 2.
External links
- The Survivor at IMDb