A Piece of Ribbon

1963 Australian TV series or program

A Piece of Ribbon
Advertisement in The Age 10 July 1963
Based on	play by Leslie Thomas
Starring	Elspeth Ballantyne, Dennis Miller
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
Production
Producer	Christopher Muir
Running time	60 mins^[1]
Production company	Australian Broadcasting Commission
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	10 July 1963 (1963-07-10) (Melbourne)
Release	24 July 1963 (1963-07-24) (Sydney)^[2]

A Piece of Ribbon is a 1963 Australian television play filmed. It was based on an English TV play by Leslie Thomas that had already been performed by the BBC.^[3]^[4]

It was filmed in Melbourne and was directed by Christopher Muir.^[5] Beach scenes were shot in Beaumaris, Victoria.^[6]

Although based on a British script it is the only Australian made television drama set during the Malayan Emergency.^[7]

Plot

During the Malayan Emergency, British soldiers are having a break from jungle patrol at a Malay Beach Club House. Several of them are attracted to a Eurasian girl, Marianna de Souza, who is there to meet her boyfriend Corporal Cutliffe. He arranges to meet Marianna later at a beach.

Marianna is found murdered. Investigations into her death are cut short when the company is sent out on patrol under Sergeant Wiley.

Cast

Neville Thurgood as Sgt Wiley
Jeffrey Hodgson
Heather Leembruggen as Marianna de Souza
Geoffrey Hodgson as Corporal Cutliffe
George Whaley
Roly Barlee
Terry Beattie
Kurt Beimel
Robin Farquhar
Joseph Gentile
Charles Haggith
Max Horder
Paul Karo
Dennis Miller
Alwyn Owen
Joseph Szabo
Christine Veld

Production

There was a cast of 25 including five models from the Mannequin and Models Guild. The producers shot scenes for the beach at Beaumauris. Heather Leembruggen was from Sri Lanka.^[8] The set was designed by Kevin Bartlett.^[9]

Reception

The Bulletin said the cast, "with one minor exception", were believable as British soldiers.^[10]

Filminkg called it "a very good production."^[11]

References

^ "TV Guide". Sydney Morning Herald. 22 July 1963. p. 11.
^ "Beach Scenes of Murder Play". Sydney Morning Herald. 15 July 1963. p. 12.
^ "Murder Thriller On Channel 3". The Canberra Times. Vol. 37, no. 10, 596. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 24 July 1963. p. 35. Retrieved 22 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Leslie Thomas obituary". The Guardian. 7 May 2014. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022.
^ "The Age - Google News Archive Search".
^ "Beach Scenes in Melbourne". Sydney Morning Herald. 15 July 1963. p. 11.
^ Vagg, Stephen (27 August 2022). "3 Forgotten Australian Television Plays". Filmink.
^ "Malaya Provides Set for Beach Murder". The Age. 4 July 1963. p. 12.
^ "TV Guide". The Age. 4 July 1963. p. 31.
^ The bulletin, John Haynes and J.F. Archibald, 1880, retrieved 23 March 2019
^ Vagg, Stephen (27 August 2022). "3 Forgotten Australian Television Plays". Filmink.