Afternoon of a Nymph
A TV play about a starlet's exploitation in showbiz.
Back in 1962, when most TV plays went out live, one episode of Armchair Theatre was recorded in advance. That was Afternoon of a Nymph, written by Robert Muller for ABC Weekend TV. Philip Saville directed it, with Janet Munro and Ian Hendry starring. ITV first aired it on 30 September. The script later appeared in print.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Armchair Theatre
- Director
- Philip Saville
- Teleplay
- Robert Muller
- Air date
- 30 September 1962
Facts from the source article.
Production
Robert Muller's debut play was Afternoon of a Nymph. As a showbiz columnist, he wanted to explore the harsh realities facing an unknown actress in a predatory industry. Sydney Newman recalled assigning Peter Luke to help Muller, which produced a script that Philip Saville directed with great creativity. Muller had interviewed a young Shirley Bassey in November 1958. Her biographer John L. Williams called that interview exceptionally revealing and suggested the play may have been inspired by that troubled encounter.
Reception
Mark Duguid wrote that while the play lacks the cynical bite of The Sweet Smell of Success, Muller's script convincingly evokes the sordid shallows of showbiz. Maurice Wiggins in The Sunday Times described it negatively as a pretentious affair. Variety noted that the script drew the background and witty dialogue sharply but could not win much sympathy for the character Elaine. Hendry and Munro married in 1963.
More in Television Shows Produced by ABC Weekend TV
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