The Sundowners is a 1953 Australian radio serial based on the novel of the same name by Jon Cleary.[2] It was a 15-minute morning serial for the ABC starting in April 1953[3] and played as a night-time serial in November of that year (where episodes ran for 30 minutes).[4][5]
 The Age 5 Nov 1953 | |
| Genre | serial drama |
|---|---|
| Running time | 15 mins (8:45 am – 9:00 am) |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Language(s) | English |
| Home station | 2FC |
| Announcer | John Morgan[1] |
| Written by | Colin Roderick |
| Produced by | Max Afford |
| Recording studio | Sydney |
| Original release | April 20 – May 22, 1953 |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 27 |
Cleary returned to Australia to live in October 1953 after several years away.[6]
Premise
editThe adventures of the Carmody family in outback Queensland: Paddy, Ida and their son Sean.
Cast
edit- Rod Taylor as Paddy Carmody
- Sheila Sewell as Ida Carmody[7]
- Kevin Brennan as Venneker
- Ray Hartley as Sean
- Fifi Banvard
- Sidney Chambers
- Ossie Wenban
- John Meillon
- Alma Butterworth
- Alan Herbert
- John Ewart
Reception
editThe Sunday Mail said the serial was inferior to the book, alleging "Cleary never hams his characters, prolongs his situations, or over dramatises his action. The radio version lavishly does all three and commits the further solecism of introducing Cockney speech and accent where Cleary never dreamt at it."[8]
References
edit- ^ "Women's Interests On The Air: Work-and-Study Plan At U.S. Varsity". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 35, 980. New South Wales, Australia. 16 April 1953. p. 7 (Women's Section). Retrieved 30 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "McGilvray for 2UE test broadcasts". The Sun. No. 13, 474. New South Wales, Australia. 17 April 1953. p. 12 (LATE FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved 30 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "THE SUNDOWNERS NEW MORNING SERIAL", ABC Weekly, 15 (16), Sydney: ABC, 18 April 1953, nla.obj-1687586201, retrieved 30 August 2023 – via Trove
- ^ "Jon Cleary Tale on Air", ABC Weekly, 15 (45), Sydney: ABC, 7 November 1953, retrieved 30 August 2023 – via Trove
- ^ "Studio News Brevities". The Age. No. 30, 738. Victoria, Australia. 5 November 1953. p. 19. Retrieved 30 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Women's News Fashions and Gossip". The Sun. No. 13, 641. New South Wales, Australia. 29 October 1953. p. 43 (LATE FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved 10 September 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Sundowner". South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus. Vol. LIII, no. 90. New South Wales, Australia. 16 November 1953. p. 2 (Women's Magazine). Retrieved 10 September 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Roy Connolly's LOOK at a BOOK: Radio version unfair to "The Sundowners"". Sunday Mail. Queensland, Australia. 29 November 1953. p. 23. Retrieved 30 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.