The Ides of March (1961 film)

The Ides of March is a 1961 Australian television play. Director William Sterling said it was a more impressionistic production than the usual television drama.[4][5]

The Ides of March
Ad in The Age 27 Dec 1961
Written byStanley Miller
Directed byWilliam Sterling
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time60 mins
Production companyABC
Release
Original release21 December 1961 (Melbourne)[1]
7 February 1962 (Sydney)[2]
20 April 1962 (Beisbane)[3]

Premise

A fantastia on certain events and persons in the last days of the Roman Republic.

Cast

Production

William Sterling said:

There is no beginning, middle or end in the recognised manner. Rather the treatment will be impressionistic and sstylised with much of the action mimed by the characters to prerecorded speech. The form of the novel is followed closely and the TV screen can 'picture' the thoughts of the principal characters as well as illustrating the events that have provoked these thoughts. There will be dialogue scenes as well but the play concentrates on centralising the character of Caesar against a vast background canvas that recreates the turbulent of the first century of Rome.[3]

More than 500 yards of material were used to make 24 costumes, five for Cleopatra.[4]

Reception

The TV critic from the Sydney Morning Herald thought "nothing could have seemed less promising" than an adaptation of the novel, which did not seem suited to television, but "the results were surprisingly successful" praising the writing and direction.[6]

References
  1. "TV Guide". The Age. 21 December 1961. p. 27.
  2. "TV Guide". 2 February 1962. p. 13.
  3. "When Cleopatra Loved". TV Times. 19 April 1962. p. 13.
  4. "Special Effects for Unusual Drama About Julius Caesar". The Age. 21 December 1961. p. 10.
  5. Vagg, Stephen (18 February 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". Filmink.
  6. "Wilder Novel as TV Play". Sydney Morning Herald. 8 February 1962. p. 5.


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