Reach for the Sky (radio serial)
1954 Australian radio serial
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Reach for the Sky is a 1954 Australian radio serial based on the book of the same name by Australian author Paul Brickhill which was a biography of Douglas Bader. It was one of the most acclaimed Australian radio dramas of the 1950s, and a notable success for Rod Taylor who played Bader.[3][4]
 ABC Weekly 2 Oct 1954 | |
| Genre | drama serial |
|---|---|
| Running time | 30 mins[1] (9:00 pm – 9:30 pm) |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Starring | Rod Taylor |
| Created by | book Reach for the Sky by Paul Brickhill |
| Written by | Morris West |
| Directed by | Gordon Grimsdale |
| Original release | August 1954 – 1955 |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 52[2] |
The novel had been a huge best seller, selling almost 100,000 copies in Australia alone.[5][6]
The script was written by Morris West who had adapted other Brickhill books for radio such as The Dambusters and The Great Escape, both of which also starred Taylor.[7][8][9]
Reception
According to Gordon Grimsdale who directed in the scene where Bader "is informed of the loss of both his legs, a halt in production had to be called to allow several members of the cast to recover from the emotional stress of the scene."[10]
The Advocate wrote "Mr. West has excelled himself in this adaptation... would be a pity to miss such a presentation of so moving and gallant a story."[11]
The Adelaide Mail called it "excellent radio".[12]
The Daily Telegraph said Taylor gave "one of the most moving performances I have yet heard from any radio actor, either here or abroad."[13]
Cast
- Rod Taylor and then Bruce Stewart as Douglas Bader
- Neva Carr Glynn
- James Mills
- David Nettheim
- Madge Ryan
- Margo Lee
- Dinah Shearing