Escape from Singapore

1973 Australian TV series or program

Escape from Singapore

Written by| John Power
Directed by| John Power
Starring| Don Crosby
John Meillon
Martin Vaughan
Peter Gwynne
Music by| Richard Connolly
Country of origin| Australia
Original language| English
Production
Producer| John Power
Cinematography| Geoff Burrowes
Editor| Stewart Young
Running time| 90 mins
Production company| ABC
Original release
Network| ABC
Release| 26 September 1973 (1973-09-26) (Sydney)
Release| 18 October 1973 (1973-10-18) (Melbourne)

Escape from Singapore is a 1973 Australian TV dramatised documentary about General Gordon Bennett and his escape from Singapore in World War II.[1]

It was a number of dramatised documentaries Power made for Australian TV. He spent ten months researching it, accessing papers provided by Bennett's widow. Power said "I was interested in the dilemma of a man, an undoubtedly a brave man, facing a great personal crisis... should he or should he not leave his troops?.. It goes down as one of the great crises in Australian history."[2]

The film won Best Documentary at the 1974 TV Week Logie Awards.[3]

The show was repeated in 1975.[4]

## Cast

[edit]

* Don Crosby as General Gordon Bennett
* John Meillon as narrator
* Don Philps as Mr Dovey QC
* Martin Vaughan as Boots Callaghan
* Peter Gwynne
* Gordon Glenwright
* Max Osbiston

## Reception

[edit]

The Sun Herald praised it saying "a medal for this one."[5]

The Bulletin said "It deserves a massive audience... smooth, compelling and totally involving. "[6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p29
2. ^ "Wartime general caught in a trap". Sydney Morning Herald. 23 September 1973. p. 41. accessed 26 June 2013
3. ^ TV Week Logie Awards 1974 Archived 3 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine accessed 26 June 2013
4. ^ "Black and white's big 4 repeated". The Age. 20 February 1975. p. 36.
5. ^ "A medal for the general". The Sun Herald. 30 September 1973. p. 81.
6. ^ "TELEVISION Flesh on history's bones", The Bulletin, 095 (4872), Sydney, N.S.W: John Haynes and J.F. Archibald, 22 September 1973, nla.obj-1635240814, retrieved 5 March 2024 – via Trove

## External links

[edit]

* Escape from Singapore at IMDb

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