Rape of the Belt
| Rape of the Belt | |
|---|---|
| Based on | play by Benn Levy |
| Directed by | Henri Safran |
| Starring | Tony Ward Fernande Glyn Reg Livermore |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Running time | 70 mins[4] |
| Production company | ABC |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | 2 September 1964 (Sydney)[1] 9 September 1964 (Melbourne)[2] 4 November 1964 (Brisbane)[3] |
Rape of the Belt is a 1964 Australian television film based on the play by Benn Levy.[5][6]
Plot[edit]
Heracles and Theseus, two celebrated heroes, arrive at Themiscyra, the Amazons' capital, to accomplish the ninth of the Labours of Heracles, stealing Hippolyte's belt. They are confronted by Antiope and Hippolyte.[7]
Cast[edit]
- Tony Ward as Heracles
- Reg Livermore as Theseus
- Fernande Glyn as Antiope, the Amazonian Queen
- Arlene Dorgan as Hippolyte
- Neva Carr Glyn as Hera
- Chris Christensen as Zeus
- Sheila Kennelly as Hippobomene
- Ethel Lang as Thalestris
- Victoria Anoux as Anthea
- Susanne Haworth as Diasta
Production[edit]
Benn Levy's play had been performed by the Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1960. Star Tony Ward was best known at the time for presenting the show Seven Days.[5] Ward worked out for two months and grew a beard for the role. He injured his leg and used crutches during rehearsals.[8]
Some scenes were shot at Kurnell and Whale Beach.[3]
It was an early TV role for Reg Livermore.[9]
Reception[edit]
The Sydney Morning Herald called it "amusingly lively and buoyant."[10]
Filmink called it "a fun watch".[11]
References[edit]
- ^ "Greek Myth Becomes Comedy". Sydney Morning Herald. 24 August 1964. p. 23.
- ^ "TV Guide". 9 September 1964. p. 14.
- ^ a b "Heracles Would Horrify Homer". TV Times. 4 November 1964. p. 10.
- ^ "TV Guide". 31 August 1964. p. 25.
- ^ a b "Homer brought up to date". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 2 September 1964. p. 23. Retrieved 23 April 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (18 February 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". Filmink.
- ^ "TV Guide". The Age. 3 September 1964. p. 34.
- ^ "Out of Character". The Age. 3 September 1964. p. 26.
- ^ Livermore, Reg; McMicking, Rob (2003). Chapters and Chances. Hardie Grant Books. p. 57.
- ^ "Levy Comedy". Sydney Morning Herald. 3 September 1964. p. 12.
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (24 April 2021). "Forgotten Australian TV Plays: The Rape of the Belt". Filmink.
External links[edit]
 | This article related to an Australian made-for-TV movie is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- Australian television films
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming
- Black-and-white Australian television shows
- Australian English-language television shows
- Films directed by Henri Safran
- 1964 television films
- 1964 films
- Films about Heracles
- Films set in ancient Greece
- Films about Amazons
- Hippolyta
- Australian television film stubs