Ashes to Ashes (Wednesday Theatre)

18th episode of the 2nd season of Wednesday Theatre

"Ashes to Ashes"

Wednesday Theatre episode
Episode no.| Season 2
Episode 18
Directed by| Patrick Barton
Teleplay by| Marc Brendel
Original air date| 27 April 1966 (1966-04-27)
Episode chronology
| ← Previous
"The Sound of Murder"  | Next →

|

List of episodes

"Ashes to Ashes" is a 1966 Australian comedy thriller[1] television play which screened as part of Wednesday Theatre[2] on 27 April 1966 in Melbourne,[3] on 4 May 1966 in Sydney,[4] and on 11 May 1966 in Brisbane.[5]

## Plot

[edit]

Paris Beaumont has a whirlwind romance with Barbara Manson, marries her, and takes her to his house in Port Campbell. When Barbara finds a case containing women's clothing she starts asking questions about his first wife's disappearance.[6]

## Cast

[edit]

* Ray Taylor as Paris Beaumont
* Gerda Nicolson as Barbara Manson
* Terry McDermott as Tregembo
* John Royle
* Kevin Colebrook
* Michael Howley
* Diana Wilson
* Moira Carleton
* Gerard Kennedy

## Production

[edit]

The play starred Ray Taylor, best known for being a TV presenter. His variety program The Ray Taylor Show had been cancelled just before production of Ashes to Ashes.[7] Taylor had some experience acting in repertory in England; he described the play as "a fun sort of thing".[8]

Taylor said "it's a darn good play and I wouldn't mind doing some more but my time is taken up writing a play of my own."[5]

It was based on an English play but set in Australia. Location filming took place at Port Campbell and Como House, South Yarra.[3] Taylor said "it's kinky, switched on or whatever you like to call it in The Avengers style."[9]

The script had a character referring to amounts over £1 as "quids" and those under as "cents". The Sydney Morning Herald asked light-heartedly if this was having "two bob each way".[10]

## Reception

[edit]

The Age said "The ABC should take a bow" claiming Taylor gave "an excellent performance slightly reminiscent of the urbane George Sanders... The suspense is well contrived and sustained."[11]

The Sydney Morning Herald said Taylor "played out his own macabre sense of humour" in the play adding "he showed a magnetic side of his personality, but it would be interesting to see him playing a part further removed from his own self to assess Taylor the actor."[12]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Television". The Age. 27 April 1966. p. 22.
2. ^ "WEDNESDAY". The Canberra Times. Vol. 40, no. 11, 457. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 2 May 1966. p. 23. Retrieved 19 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
3. ^ a b "Make Believe TV Wedding". The Age. 21 April 1966. p. 16.
4. ^ "Television". Sydney Morning Herald. 4 May 1966. p. 20.
5. ^ a b "Ray Taylor, Sgt Bronson in ABC Play". TV Times. 4 May 1966. p. 11.
6. ^ "TV Guide". The Age. 21 April 1966. p. 37.
7. ^ "Ray Taylor Obituary". Television.
8. ^ "Ray Taylor in thriller". The Age. 24 February 1966. p. 11.
9. ^ "In Love Scene". The Age. 24 March 1966. p. 25.
10. ^ "Back Page". Sydney Morning Herald. 8 May 1966. p. 112.
11. ^ Monitor (30 April 1966). "Public affairs on TV". The Age. p. 25.
12. ^ Robinson, Harry (6 May 1966). "Impressions". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 9.

## External links

[edit]

* "Ashes to Ashes" at IMDb
* Ashes to Ashes at Austlit

* v
* t
* e

TV productions of Patrick Barton

* You Can't Win 'Em All (1962)
* The Gioconda Smile (1963)
* Night Stop (1963)
* The Hot Potato Boys (1963)
* Double Yolk (1963)
* The Angry General (1964)
* The Sponge Room (1964)
* The Road (1964)
* Wind from the Icy Country (1964)
* A Provincial Lady (1964)
* Dangerous Corner (1965)
* A Time to Speak (1965)
* Cross of Gold (1965)
* Othello (1965)
* Daphne Laureola (1965)
* Romanoff and Juliet (1965)
* Waiting in the Wings (1965)
* What About Next Year (1966)
* The Third Witness (1966)
* Ashes to Ashes (1966)
* Antigone (1966)
* Should the Woman Pay? (1966)
* The Paradise Shanty (1966)
* Flight into Danger (1966)
* Man of Destiny (1967)
* Goodbye, Gloria, Hello! (1967)
* Cobwebs in Concrete (1968)
* Quality of Mercy (1975) (TV series)
* Bellbird (TV series)

This article about a television episode is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[no.]: number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template