Uneasy Paradise is a 1963 Australian television film directed by William Sterling. It is a 60-minute drama set in Melbourne about a gambler married to Sally. He loses much money at a club run by Paolo.
Australian drama was relatively rare at the time.[3]
Premise
Neville is a gambler married to Sally. He loses much money at a club run by Paolo.
The show was written by Melbourne writer Laurence Collinson. It was based on a true story and was written as part of a challenge by Sterling at a UNESCO conference in Adelaide.[5] William Sterling decided to treat the subject matter "neo-realistically".[6]
Reception
The Sydney Morning Herald wrote that the plot "carried a spell of authenticity which was broken only by a contrived and comfortable ending" in which Sterling's production "exploited camera angles and action scenes vividly enough to make the-television medium, seem eminently suitable for an effective if somewhat sordid play that took all the tricks except the final, one of a satisfactory, ending."[7]
The Age criticised the writing saying, "every development could be telegraphed."[8]