The Dock Brief (1960 film)

The Dock Brief is a 1960 Australian TV play directed by Ray Menmuir and starring Reg Lye and Moray Powell. It was based on the play by John Mortimer.^[4]

The Dock Brief
Ad from 'The Age' 17 Feb 1960
Based on	play The Dock Brief by John Mortimer
Written by	George F. Kerr
Directed by	Raymond Menmuir
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
Production
Running time	60 minutes[1] or 50 minutes.[2]
Production company	ABC
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	27 January 1960 (1960-01-27) (Sydney)
Release	17 February 1960 (1960-02-17) (Melbourne)[3]

Premise

The barrister Morgenall is given a brief to defend a bird seed seller, Fowle, accused of murdering his wife.

Cast

• Reg Lye as Fowle
• Moray Powell as Morgenhall

Production

The play was made in Sydney under the direction of Ray Menmuir. A radio version of the play had been performed in Australia the previous year.^[5]

Menmuir said "as first seen the characters are quite comical but as the play progresses we begin to laugh with them rather than at them."^[6]

Douglas Smith designed the set which consisted of two areas: the prison cell and the imaginary courtroom. Special effects were used to create a "courtroom of the imagination" for a later scene.^[7]

Reception

The Sydney Morning Herald called it "beautifully acted" praising Menmuir's "admirably deft and very imaginative production."^[8]