Described as a 'psychological thriller', the radio play was 'centred around two middle-aged spinsters. The idea came from a report of the notorious trial in 1892 of Lizzie Borden, though the plot carries no resemblance to that case.'
Source:
'Australian Pens Lux Play', Examiner [Launceston], 9 August 1947, p.1.
Wicked Is the Vine
United States of America (USA)
:
NBC
,
1949
6447550
1949
single work
film/TV
thriller
crime
The production appears to have sparked some dissatisfaction is listeners. A letter quoted in the Argus reads:
'They gave us Wicked Is the Vine. Well acted and well produced, we grant, but what a thing to inflict on people trying to escape for one brief hour from the real life tragedies of these troubled times. Open any newspaper any day and you can get your callous murders and your shootings and your wicked people without having to go to the radio plays for it.
'Wicked Is the Vine gave us two murders and one attempted murder, complete with the horrible sounds of blows on a human head, shots, screams, gaspings for breath, and groans. Our reaction was that we had been badly let down by this usually good session. Truly wicked is the man who chose Wicked Is the Vine.'
Source:
'Listeners Do a Little Solid Hating', The Argus, 9 August 1947, p.43.
Commissioned by Harry Dearth.
First aired on Dearth's Australian version of long-running American radio anthology series Lux Radio Theatre in August 1947. (It appears to have aired on 3 August in Melbourne and 10 August in Tasmania.)
Cast members included Brenda Dunrich.
See 'Australian Pens Lux Play', Examiner [Launceston], 9 August 1947, p.1.
Aired again at 8:30pm on 10 September 1952 on 2GB, as part of General Motors Hour.
See 'Programs and People', Sunday Herald, 31 August 1952, p.9.
