The Telephone (1956 film)

1956 Australian TV series or program

The Telephone

Based on| The Telephone by Menotti
Starring| Marie Tysoe
Kevin Mills
Country of origin| Australia
Original language| English
Production
Producer| George Trevare
Running time| 30 mins
Production company| ABC
Original release
Release| 20 December 1956 (1956-12-20)

The Telephone is a 1956 Australian television play. It was a filmed version of the opera The Telephone by Menotti.[1] It was the first of many operas broadcast by the ABC.[2] It went for 25 minutes and only featured two people, played by Marie Tysoe and Kevin Mills.[3]

## Premise

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Ben attempts to marry Lucy but she keeps gossiping on the telephone. Ben decides to propose to her on the phone.

## Cast

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* Kevin Mills as Ben
* Marie Tysoe as Lucy

## Background

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Tysoe and Mills had performed the opera together many times in 1953 and 1954, on stage and on radio.[4][5][6]

Marie Tysoe later recalled making the film:

> It was done live to air from the radio studio at Kings Cross. The OB Van was parked at Kellett Street, and I remember all the cables going through the windows down to the van. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra was there. We had a marvellous producer, George Trevare, and it all went without a hitch. I actually sang this opera before for a group of singers called the Sydney Opera Group. The ABC – that is Tony Hughes or Werner Baer - probably knew about that, and I got the call. It was an ideal opera to start off on television, as it only had 2 performers and was a relatively simple set and not many props. During rehearsal I remember the producer asking me what I was going to wear. The conductor and one of the stage managers took me to a boutique shop at Kings Cross, and they bought an elegant dress for me to wear on the production.[7]

## See also

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* List of live television plays broadcast on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1950s)

## External links

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* The Telephone at IMDb

## References

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1. ^ "NewsLocal digital edition". newslocal.newspaperdirect.com. Archived from the original on 11 February 2013.
2. ^ "Advertisement". ABC Weekly. 15 December 1956.
3. ^ Vagg, Stephen (18 February 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". Filmink.
4. ^ ""The Telephone" Preview". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 36, 129. New South Wales, Australia. 7 October 1953. p. 12. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
5. ^ 'Talent Soars in Menotti Opera' The Age 22 July 1954
6. ^ ""Telephone" Sung At Art Gallery". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 36, 296. New South Wales, Australia. 21 April 1954. p. 8. Retrieved 31 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
7. ^ Interview with Marie Tysoe. Archived 2011-02-18 at the Wayback Machine

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