| Killer in Close-Up | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Anthology |
| Written by | George F. Kerr |
| Directed by | Christopher Muir William Sterling |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | ABC |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | 9 September 1957 – 13 August 1958 |
Killer in Close-Up was a blanket title covering four live television drama plays produced by the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1957 and 1958. It could be seen as the first anthology series produced for Australian television. Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time.[1]
Production of the plays was split equally between the Melbourne and Sydney ABC stations, with the first and fourth being produced in Sydney, the second and third in Melbourne. Each ran for 25 minutes. The plays were produced by Christopher Muir, Raymond Menmuir and Will Sterling.
The title came from the use of the close up in television drama.[2]
The drama plays were based on real-life cases, dramatised for television by George F. Kerr. They were, in order:
In Melbourne, the play aired against Chesebrough-Ponds Playhouse on HSV-7 (which consisted selections from US anthology series) and Douglas Fairbanks Theatre (aka Douglas Fairbanks Jr Presents, a British-American anthology production) on GTV-9, and was broadcast at 8:30PM.[7] In effect, viewers had a choice of three different half-hour self-contained dramas during that night.
Based on the 1907 Camden Town Murder, where Robert Wood was tried for the murder of a prostitute and was acquitted.
The first play used nine sets and twelve actors. The Sydney Morning Herald said its goal was "to show new techniques in Australian TV production and acting."[8]
It was broadcast "live" from Sydney, recorded and shown in Melbourne on 4 October 1957.[3]
In 1931, William Herbert Wallace is accused of murdering his wife.
The Wallace Case was directed by Christopher Muir in Melbourne. It was broadcast live on 20 November 1957. Muir used close ups extensively to build tension. George F. Kerr came down from Sydney to help with the production and acted asa narrator.[4]
This episode aired on 18 June 1958 and was directed by Will Sterling.
The episode The Rattenbury Case may be held by the National Archives of Australia (per a search of their website).
Francis Rattenbury, a famous architect, is murdered.
The show was shot live in Melbourne. It was the first TV performance from experienced actor Patricia Kennedy.[5]
In 1857 Glasgow, a girl is tried for the murder of her lover. From the first meeting between the lovers to the final verdict in Edinburgh Court.
The play was broadcast "live" from Sydney on 13 August 1958.[6][9]