"The Scent of Fear" is television play written by Ted Willis. It was originally written for British anthology series Armchair Theatre, adapted from the story "Stowaway" by Mary Higgins Clark which was reportedly based on a real story that happened in 1949. It was filmed for Australian TV in 1960.[1]
A youth in an Iron Curtain country, to escape from police, hides in a plane that is to fly to the UK. An air hostess finds him and he begs her not to turn him in. She has to hide him from various policemen.
| "The Scent of Fear" | |
|---|---|
| Armchair Theatre episode | |
| Directed by | John Llewellyn Moxey |
| Teleplay by | Ted Willis |
| Original air date | 1959 |
The play was first produced by ABC Weekend TV for the British ITV network in 1959.
| The Scent of Fear | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Ted Willis |
| Directed by | James Upshaw |
| Original release | |
| Release | 7 September – 3 November 1960 |
The Australian version was directed by James Upshaw.[2][3] Broadcast live on ABC's Sydney station, it was kinescoped ("telerecorded") for showing on other ABC stations.[4][5]
The show was filmed at ABC's Sydney studios with exteriors shot at Sydney's Kingsford Smith airport.[6] Diana Perryman, who played an airhorstee, had been done.[7]
The Sydney Morning Herald gave it a mixed review, but noted that "Max Meldrum made a superbly terrified fugitive" and "Owen Weingott was excellent as Sten, the disguised communist head of secret police".[8]
The play was bought for screening in the US by CBS in 1961 along with another Australian play, Outpost.[6]