The Moment of Truth

Summary

1955 BBC production of the comedy-satire The Moment of Truth by Peter Ustinov.

Theatre play

The Moment of Truth by Peter Ustinov (1921-2004) [more information]

Play synopsis

The satire-comedy tells the story of a republic which is about to fall, while facing the threat of invading army with crippling government structure. Ustinov wrote the play inspired by French hero Marshal Petain and his political collusion with the Nazi’s and the events resulting in creation of Vichy France. (Adatped from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moment_of_Truth_%28play%29.)

Production history

Premiered at the Adelphi Theatre in 1951.

Date of transmission

Sunday 6 March 1955

Time

8.30-10.00pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Rudolph Cartier

Playwright

Peter Ustinov (1921-2004)

Designer

Michael Yates

Cast

Ian Colin	The General
Peter Cushing	The Prime Minister
Hugh Griffith	The Photographer
Noël Hood	The Nurse
Donald Pleasance	The Foreign Minister
Walter Rilla	The Victor
Stephen Scott	The Stranger
Jeannette Sterke	The Marshal’s Daughter
Peter Ustinov (1921-2004)	The Marshal

Additional details

Later transmissions

Repeated on Thursday 10 March 1955 at 9.20pm.

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

comedy; France, as theme or setting; wartime, as theme or setting

Print sources

Title

'Beaux Moments’ (Magazine review)

Author/creator

Philip Hope-Wallace (Author)

Reference

The Listener, 10 March 1955, p. 449

Notes

''The play still disappoints, but did better on television than in the theatre, perhaps because one "takes" a television play as one takes a book, privately.' Includes a production photograph.

Title

Radio Times, 4 March 1955 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, photograph and article on p. 14