Candida (1961 TV play)
| Candida | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy, Drama |
| Created by | George Bernard Shaw |
| Based on | Candida |
| Written by | George Bernard Shaw |
| Directed by | Naomi Capon |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | John Hotchkis |
| Composer | John Hotchkis |
| Country of origin | England |
| Production | |
| Producer | Naomi Capon |
| Production location | England |
| Running time | 90 Minutes |
| Production company | BBC |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC Television |
| Release | 29 December 1961 |
Candida is a 1961 TV play starring Wendy Craig, Patrick, Peter McEnery, Peter Sallis, Rosamund Greenwood, Michael Brennan. The movie is based on George Bernard Shaw's play of the same name.[1][2] It was made by the BBC, produced in black and white and broadcast on 29 December 1961 on BBC Television.[3]
Plot
[edit]Candida a sensible wife has a husband named Reverend James Mavor Morrell, a clergyman who works at the Church of England with Rev. Alexander Mill and Miss Proserpine Garnett. However Reverend James Mavor Morrell starts to take his wife Candida for granted, but Candida has a young admirer named Eugene Marchbanks who doesn't. Eugene Marchbanks who is a young poet wants to rescue Candida. Both Morrell and Marchbanks end up arguing with each other and soon both of them ask Candida who she should pick to be with. After some thinking Candida eventually chooses her husband Reverend James Mavor Morrell after recognizing where her strength is truly needed.[4][5]
Cast
[edit]- Wendy Craig as Candida
- Patrick Allen as Rev. James Mavor Morrell
- Peter McEnery as Eugene Marchbanks
- Peter Sallis as Rev. Alexander Mill
- Rosamund Greenwood as Miss Proserpine Garnett
- Michael Brennan as Mr. Burgess
Reception
[edit]The film was in fact Wendy Craig's first ever acting role were she got to play the main central character on television.[6] The week after the play had aired on television the BBC would then air one of there most popular police programmes that being Z-Cars which brought a new kitchen-sink realism to TV drama. That same week the BBC also aired the series Steptoe and Son as well.[7] The play made its debut on BBC Television on 29 December 1961 at 9:25 pm.[8][9] The play was never rebroadcast after its first broadcast on television, mainly due to the BBC's lack of rebroadcasting rights.[10][11] The play is fully intact and exists in the BBC Archives as a 35mm monochrome film telerecorded from a 405/625 line videotape. Sadly though the play has not been released on DVD or any other home media platforms, although it is available to watch for public viewings at the British Film Institute.[12][13][14]
Candida BBC archive holding
[edit]Candida 1961 is also notable for being the fifth time the BBC had adapted the play for television, as well as the only one that has managed to survive in the BBC Archives.The 1939, 1946, 1950, 1955 and 1971 adaptations of Candida that the BBC made are all believed now to be lost making the 1961 version the only one that has survived in the BBC Archives.[15][16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Candida play by shaw". britannica.com.
- ^ "Candida Play". stageagent.com.
- ^ "Manchester Evening News · 29 Dec 1961". newspapers.com.
- ^ "SYNOPSIS: CANDIDA". bard.org.
- ^ "Candida Play". stageagent.com.
- ^ "WENDY CRAIG CBE". waringmckenna.com.
- ^ "The Sunday Post: Wendy Craig". bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Candida". BBC Genome Project. 29 December 1961. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- ^ "BBC Television: 29 December 1961 at 19:25".
- ^ "Toledo Blade". books.google.com.
- ^ "Library & Cultural Services". library.essex.ac.uk.
- ^ "Candida". collections-search.bfi.org.uk.
- ^ "Candida (1961)". tvbrain.info.
- ^ "On DVD: ten plays from George Bernard Shaw". screenplaystv.wordpress.com. 24 June 2011.
- ^ "Candida (1961)". tvbrain.info.
- ^ "Androcles and the Lion (BBC, 1938, 1946, 1951)". screenplaystv.wordpress.com. 24 August 2012.