James Workman (writer)

James Workman (1912 – 28 March 2001) was a Scottish-born actor and writer who mostly worked in Australia.

A 1955 article called him "One of the finest scripters in the game, a writer with a hatred of the obvious, a constant seeker after new ideas."^[1]

Biography

Workman was born in South Africa, and worked as a sailor and a policemen. He lived in South Africa, working for in radio before going to Australia for his wife's health. In Australia he worked as an actor at first, mostly on stage, before becoming a radio writer for Gordon Grimsdale.^[2]^[3]

Workman died on 28 March 2001, at the age of 89.^[4]

Films

Into the Straight (1948) - actor

Television

ITV Television Playhouse - "2000 Minus 60" (1958) - TV play - writer
Press Gang (1959) - TV series
Reflections in Dark Glasses (1960) – TV play - writer^[5]
Armchair Theatre - "Cold Fury" (1960)
In Writing (1961) – actor
Alfred Hitchcock Presents - "Apex" (1962) - writer
Malibu Playhouse - "Finger on the Pulse" (1963) - writer
Contrabandits - ep "Target, Smokehouse"
Motel (1967) – writer
Skippy – writer
The Long Arm (1970) – writer
Behind the Legend (1973) "Melba", "Charles Ulm" - writer
Number 96 - writer
Class of '74 - writer
The Tichborne Affair (1978) – writer

Novels

The Apologetic Tiger (1958)
Lucifer at Ponsfordville (1959)
Face of Fortune (1961)
Impact (1962)
the Mad Surgeon (1962)
Shock Stories (1962)
The Captain from Goondiwindi (1962)
Havoc (1962)
Sweet Taste of Venom (1963)
Cleopatra of Egypt (1963)
the Navy's here (1963)
Sodom and Gomorrah (1963)
The Witch Hunters (1963)
Sin in Hong Kong (1965)
Dragon Ships (1965)
Genghis Khan (1965)
Sin in Hong Kong (1965)
Charge of the Light Brigade (1966)
The Mad Emperor (1966)
Sex and the Soviet Spy (1966)
Attila the Hun (1967)
The Courtesans (1967)
Zenobia, Empress of Lust (1967)
The Beautiful Beast of Buchenwald James Workman (1968)
Shark Bait (1968)

Radio

Thirty Minutes to Go (1951–54) - various episodes
The Last Miracle (1953)
Mirror Mirror on the Wall (1954)^[6]
L'innoue The innocent (1954)^[7]
This is My Play (1954)^[8]
A Moment of Peril (1956)
The Big Squeeze (1956) - series - writer, director
Deadline (1957) - series - writer, director
The Key (1958) - series - writer
Call Box (1959) - writer
Countdown - writer
Timber Ridge - writer
Odette - writer

Documentary

Finding Facts - writer

Stage

various plays as actor for the Globe Player in Sydney in 1949
various productions as actor for John Alden Company in 1951-1952 including Hamlet
Eternal Night (1954) - writer^[9]
The Passion Play actor (1963)^[10]
Cold Cure - writer
The Tichborne inheritance : a play in two acts - writer
Brain drain [manuscript] : a play in one act - writer
Shut-up and Strip [manuscript] : a play in one act - writer
See you at Philippi (1973) - writer
The old poisoner [manuscript] : a play in two acts - writer
Breadfruit for breakfast [manuscript] : a play in two acts - writer
Possession [manuscript] : a play in one act / - writer

References

^ "Tricks of the Game Writing For Radio", The Bulletin, 76 (3918 (16 Mar 1955)), Sydney, N.S.W: John Haynes and J.F. Archibald, nla.obj-688069409, retrieved 18 March 2024 – via Trove
^ James Workman interview at National Film and Sound Archive
^ Lane, Richard (2000). The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama Volume 2. National Film and Sound Archive. pp. 65–68.
^ "Deaths". The Sydney Morning Herald. 30 March 2001. p. 28.
^ Vagg, Stephen (20 March 2021). "Forgotten Australian TV Plays: Reflections in Dark Glasses". Filmink. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
^ "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall". Commercial. The ABC Weekly. Vol. 16, no. 24. 12 June 1954. p. 25. nla.obj-1677801556. Retrieved 1 May 2023 – via Trove.
^ "Worth hearing". The Herald. No. 24,027. Victoria, Australia. 31 May 1954. p. 8. Retrieved 1 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "AROUND THE DIAL". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. XIX, no. 227. New South Wales, Australia. 11 December 1954. p. 12. Retrieved 1 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Stark play at theatre". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. XIX, no. 106. New South Wales, Australia. 23 July 1954. p. 33. Retrieved 1 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Audience Of 7,000 Sees Passion Play". The Canberra Times. Vol. 37, no. 10,481. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 11 March 1963. p. 19. Retrieved 1 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.

External links

James Workman at Austlit
James Workman at IMDb
James Workman at National Film and Sound Archive

This biographical article related to television in Australia is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "Tricks of the Game Writing For Radio", The Bulletin, 76 (3918 (16 Mar 1955)), Sydney, N.S.W: John Haynes and J.F. Archibald, nla.obj-688069409, retrieved 18 March 2024 – via Trove

[2] James Workman interview at National Film and Sound Archive

[3] Lane, Richard (2000). The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama Volume 2. National Film and Sound Archive. pp. 65–68.

[4] "Deaths". The Sydney Morning Herald. 30 March 2001. p. 28.

[5] Vagg, Stephen (20 March 2021). "Forgotten Australian TV Plays: Reflections in Dark Glasses". Filmink. Retrieved 2 August 2024.

[6] "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall". Commercial. The ABC Weekly. Vol. 16, no. 24. 12 June 1954. p. 25. nla.obj-1677801556. Retrieved 1 May 2023 – via Trove.

[7] "Worth hearing". The Herald. No. 24,027. Victoria, Australia. 31 May 1954. p. 8. Retrieved 1 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.

[8] "AROUND THE DIAL". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. XIX, no. 227. New South Wales, Australia. 11 December 1954. p. 12. Retrieved 1 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.

[9] "Stark play at theatre". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. XIX, no. 106. New South Wales, Australia. 23 July 1954. p. 33. Retrieved 1 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.

[10] "Audience Of 7,000 Sees Passion Play". The Canberra Times. Vol. 37, no. 10,481. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 11 March 1963. p. 19. Retrieved 1 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]