My Love Must Wait

My Love Must Wait
AuthorErnestine Hill
LanguageEnglish
SubjectMatthew Flinders
Genrehistorical
Publication placeAustralian
Published in English
1941

My Love Must Wait is a 1941 novel by Ernestine Hill.

Premise

Matthew Flinders goes on a voyage to Australia to circumnavigate and chart its coast. He leaves behind his new wife, Ann Chappell. His return is delayed by six years' imprisonment on Ile-de-France.[1]

Reception

The Sydney Morning Herald reviewer, while considering that the "first hundred pages or so of this book are very well written", showing Hill's "flair for vivid and beautiful descriptive writing", felt the later part of the book was overwritten and should "be pruned ruthlessly".[2]

One critic, writing about Catherine Shepherd's radio adaptation, reckoned Hill's book owed much to Professor Sir Ernest Scott's 1914 biography The Life of Captain Matthew Flinders.[3]

Radio adaptation

The novel was turned into a 12-part 1946 radio serial adapted by Catherine Shepherd starring Peter Finch (Flinders),[4] Lesley Pope (Ann) and Alfred Bristowe (William Bligh).[5][6]

The ABC adapted the novel again for radio in 1974, with Joy Hollyer doing the script. Wyn Roberts and Fay Kelton starred.[7]

Proposed film

In 1946 it was announced Charles Chauvel bought the film rights. However no film resulted.[8][9]

References

  1. ^ "Latest Fiction". The Advertiser (Adelaide). Vol. LXXXIV, no. 25951. South Australia. 6 December 1941. p. 10. Retrieved 29 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "New Fiction". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 32, 425. New South Wales, Australia. 29 November 1941. p. 10. Retrieved 29 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "It Strikes Me..." The Herald (Melbourne). No. 21, 478. Victoria, Australia. 21 March 1946. p. 5. Retrieved 6 June 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Peter Finch". Smith's Weekly. Vol. XXVIII, no. 19. New South Wales, Australia. 6 July 1946. p. 17. Retrieved 27 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "My Love must wait: New A.B.C. Serial". ABC Weekly. 8 (11). 1946-03-30. Retrieved 2023-08-29 – via Trove.
  6. ^ "RADIO PLAYS OF THE WEEK", ABC weekly, Sydney: ABC, 8 June 1946, nla.obj-1334112031, retrieved 26 March 2024 – via Trove
  7. ^ "Radio plays". The Age. 14 March 1974. p. 42.
  8. ^ ""MY LOVE MUST WAIT" TO BE FILMED IN AUSTRALIA". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 31, 112. Victoria, Australia. 20 May 1946. p. 1. Retrieved 27 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "Olivier As Flinders?". Sunday Times (Perth). No. 2638. Western Australia. 12 September 1948. p. 7 (The Sunday Times Sporting Section). Retrieved 27 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.