The Great Adventure

Summary

1939 BBC studio production of Arnold Bennett’s play The Great Adventure.

Theatre play

The Great Adventure by Arnold Bennett (1867-1931) [more information]

Play synopsis

A world-famous painter assumes the identity of his valet upon his death during their visit to England. He is able to lead an inconspicuous married life with a widow from Putney.

Production history

The play The Great Adventure (1913) is adapted from his novel Buried Alive (1908); it had a long runs and has been revived (source: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/60985/Arnold-Bennett). Quite a bit more about its afterlife at http://earnoldbennett.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/theatrical-adventures.html.

Date of transmission

Wednesday 24 May 1939

Time

9.00-10.30pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Jan Bussell

Playwright

Arnold Bennett (1867-1931)

Cast

D. A. Clarke-Smith	Ilam Carve
Finlay Currie	Texel
Renée de Vaux	Lord Leonard Alcar
Aubrey Dexter	Cyrus Carve
Don Gemmell	Edward Horning / John Shawn
Eugene Leahy	Father Looe
J. Hubert Leslie	Dr Pascoe
Edward Orchard	Page
Leonard Sachs	Peter Horning / James Shawn
Frank Snell	Albert Shawn / Servant
Abraham Sofaer	Mrs Albert Shawn
Marda Vanne	Janet Cannot
Millicent Wolf	Honoria Looe

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Later transmissions

Presented again at 3.00pm on Tuesday 30 May 1939.

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

art world; comedy

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 12 May 1939 (Magazine)

Linking notes

article by ‘The Scanner’, p. 16

Title

Radio Times, 19 May 1939 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, p. 17