The Quiet Stranger

6/7/2014

I thought I would kick off the new blog with the first inquiry we received on the new website within a couple of days of it being finished last week.

"Hello. I would love to know if anyone could help me. I have been trying to find out if there is any way to get the radio serial The Quiet Stranger. It started off with someone whistling Lily Marlene. I do hope you can help, or put me in touch with someone who can. Rhonda "

Well Rhonda, you did come to the right place. A quick look at our database told me that the series was an AWA Production and it it was first broadcast in 1963 and was a quarter hour serial of 208 episodes. Initial check of the NFSA online database was unsuccessful as their search was down (I heard later they had a power outage).

I explained to Rhonda that it is rare for a 208 episode series to survive intact but that I would look into it further for her. I sent an email request for surviving episodes to the Australian OTR Group and Jamie Kelly replied that he would send me an episode that I could make available for Rhonda to hear.

NFSA search started working again late this week and I was able to access a list of their holdings. They hold episodes 1 - 174.

This is the additional information from NFSA, most of which I had already supplied to Rhonda from our database:

"Summary: Radio drama serial. Who is the `Quiet Stranger'? What strange mission brings an ex-officer of Rommel's Afrika Korps to Australia? There's drama, mystery and romance, salted with laughter and tears, in this unusual story of post-war Australia. Contributors: Allan Trevor (SCR, PDR), Brian Wright (NRT). Cast: Alastair Duncan (Karl Ellman), John Faassen (Von Richter), Nigel Lovell (Red Williams) Gordon Glenwright (Old John), Neva Carr Glyn (Flo Gilchrist), Ngaire Thompson (Kathy). Label: AWA Episode duration: 15 mins Episodes produced: 208 References: AWA Programme Service Catalogue 1963; Publicity material."

Here is where I run into trouble. Its the worst part of researching these shows. I can't read "Who is the `Quiet Stranger'? What strange mission brings an ex-officer of Rommel's Afrika Korps to Australia?" without being drawn into wanting to hear the full story. I have been given an imagination and it only takes a sentence like that to pique my interest. Sometimes when serials are based on books or movies I can track them down and read or watch to get it out of my system, but initial google searches do not indicate that this storyline is based on a book or movie by this name. Perhaps somebody reading this can come up with a clue of the source for the story.

In the meantime Rhonda, thanks to Jamie Kelly, here is an example of The Quiet Stranger and thank you for bringing this serial to my attention. Lily Marlene is at the end.

This series is a difficult one to supply pictures or articles for, as the newspaper archives stop in the 1950's. Most of my radio magazine and newspapers stop at 1960 as well. I will have to go through my storage bins and see if I can find references to The Quiet Stranger in later issues.

In the meantime, thank you again to Jamie Kelly for the episode, thanks also to Moris Sztajer who had documented this serial in our database and extra thanks to NFSA for the added information I have included here from their website.

To set the mood while writing this, I played Marlene Dietrich singing Lily Marlene and enjoyed it.

Saturday 16th April, 2016

I know I am slack with my blog posts and I will try to post more often. Certainly this series out of all the articles and comments on my site, has had the most comments. Here is ep01, ep02, and ep04 to add to the existing ep03. As yet I haven't heard of more episodes being available.

29 Comments

Rhonda Kuchler link

6/6/2014 04:38:17 pm

I would like to thank firstly Ian Grieve and Jamie Kelly for their efforts in finding one of the episodes of The Quiet Stranger.
It bought back a lot of wonderful memories, and I could see myself sitting glued to the radio every night waiting to see how the story unfolded.
Once again thank you so much. If you can find any more please let me know.

Rhonda

Judy Sullivan

7/5/2014 10:35:36 am

I live in Melbourne and have in the past five years become reasonably proficient at writing and directing radio plays...short ones...for community radio. Is there an organisation that would be interested in some of these plays..now amounting to 20? Also as a child I remember being scared listening to Grey Face or maybe it was Grey Shadow. Where can one hear portions to see if it is just as scary now?

Ian Grieve link

7/5/2014 01:18:20 pm

Jody, with regard to radio scripts, my suggestion would be local theatre groups. I attend radio plays wherever I can and there aren't enough groups producing them. Its a niche that seems to be largely untapped.

Grey Face was 1940 on ABC. It was a Blackburn series of 12 x 30 minute episodes Starring Neva Carr Glynn as Elizabeth Blackburn and Peter Finch as Jeffrey Blackburn. Cast also included Max Afford (who probably wrote the script), Vivian Edwards, and Roy Rene (Mo).

Grey Shadow was 1945 and an episode was released by Warren Fahey on his 2CD 'Australian Radio Serials' collection. Last I heard he wasn't duplicating the CDs any more but was making that collection available on iTunes. So check it out there.

Ian

tom tom

12/18/2014 12:14:10 pm

When I first heard this serial as a child, I didn't 'discover' it until two weeks into the story. I was very disappointed never to hear the 'war-ie' bits where TQS met the dying Australian soldier in North Africa. Having now heard episode 3, I see TQS was in postwar Australia 30 minutes into the story(!)

Is there any chance we could be given a link to episodes 1 and 2?

Ian Grieve link

12/23/2014 05:12:54 am

G'Day tom tom, only if I can find the episodes. If I do, I will put them up. I want to hear more of the story myself.

Rhonda link

4/1/2015 02:23:28 pm

Hello Ian, when you first answered my blog you said Jamie Kelly may have or know of how to get more.
NFSA hold episodes 1--174 and is it possible to purchase them. Please let me know the outcome when you have time.
Rhonda

Ian Grieve link

4/1/2015 05:51:30 pm

Rhonda, I know you want to listen to the episodes, but it isn't that easy. The shows are copyright and the copyright holder has not released them commercially. NFSA will not sell the series to you, they may if they get the copyright holders permission, but the cost will be extremely high. As both will want to make money. I have an authority at NFSA from the copyright holder for research purposes, but NFSA would charge me an arm and a leg for a copy of that many episodes, plus I would still not be allowed to make a copy available to you. The best hope is to find collectors who will trade copies for something I have that they want. But I would still not be allowed to put them up on the website for public consumption. Jamie and I have done a deal which includes ep01 and ep02 from another source.

tom tom

12/23/2014 07:17:19 pm

Many thanks Ian. It was a very good programme and had me transfixed to the radio. I thought, before replaying episode 3, that it might not have 'travelled well' after all these years, but it did.

Robert Spark

3/19/2015 09:25:52 pm

Hi.
Michael Schultz played this whole series (I think) in the early nineties on ABC 720 Radio Evenings in Perth. Was part of our evenings growing up.

Martin

3/30/2015 09:04:54 am

This serial was a must listen and highlight of the evening before the days of Television in New Zealand circa 1962. I think it was on Tuesday evening......Life with Dexter was another I remeber.
BUT " The Quiet Stranger " was captivating.
I would be interested if copies of the serial were available.

tomtom

3/30/2015 12:21:11 pm

Me too. Can't think of a better thing to play in my car on a long journey.

Ian Grieve link

3/31/2015 02:30:15 pm

I appreciate all the comments on this serial. I had never experienced it before and I too want to hear more. I am on the trail of episodes 1&2 and will put them up here when I have them. If anyone knows where I can find more, just let me know.

tomtom

3/31/2015 07:19:08 pm

Looking forward to that, Ian.

Denise

4/15/2016 01:44:13 am

I listened to this in 1960. I think My mother was pregnant and we desperately wanted her to call the baby Karl if it were a boy. However, as she went on to have another child in 1962, it could have been then. I loved it and stayed glued to the wireless.

Martin link

4/15/2016 02:42:15 am

Hi Denise , I think its more likely to be 1962 than 60 for what its worth.

tom.tom

4/15/2016 04:11:06 pm

It was 1962 I think. I missed the first five episodes(!) because of an evening commitment that week, so I did not hear the North African bits that established the story of Karl and the dying/dead Ausralian soldier. I'd love to get the whole series - it would be excellent to have in the car on a long journey.

Ian Grieve link

4/15/2016 07:38:53 pm

You have been very patient folks. I have added episodes 01,02,04 to the original post. That's all for now. Again, I played Marlene Dietrich singing Lily Marlene as I uploaded the files. I think it is rather amazing that in the trenches of WWII, both sides had adopted the song and so it is very appropriate to use in this serial. I too wish I could hear all of it. Not many newspapers available online for this period, however 2CA Canberra was broadcasting the serial in 1964. My magazine and radio newspaper collection is mainly prior to 1960 so I cannot confirm when it was playing in other states.

Geoff Abbott

1/13/2017 10:48:56 pm

Hi Ian, I remembered hearing the words 'the quiet stranger' being listened to by my mum and dad when I was a boy of 8 ish years old. I was recalling this memory over dinner recently to my older siblings who had no recollection of it. I promptly googled it and was excited to see my memory had not failed me. The first 4 episodes are amazing..... have you had any luck finding more. Regards. Geoff

Ian Grieve link

1/14/2017 02:39:52 am

Geoff, no other series has brought this amount of comment. Most people email me directly, not through the site, but still, this series has really touched the memories of a lot of people.

I haven't found any other episodes, I continue to look. A collector somewhere has to have it and want to trade other shows for a copy I hope.

Tom Tom

1/14/2017 12:13:47 pm

Ian, last night I posted a request on a website whe most posters are oldies. This is the first reply offering some information. Hopefully there will be more. I don't know if RPH are still around, but if they are, they may still have copies of the missing episodes.

Tom

Re: "The Quiet Stranger" radio serial. The RPH ( Radio for the Print Handicapped) radio network ran it a couple of times many years ago. They got the recordings from the National Archives of Radio programmes. I remember one of their presenters describing visits to Canberra to collect either copies, or make copies, of old radio programmes that would appeal to "older" listeners. Whether they still have their copies, who knows, I know the BBC used to demand that radio stations in the South Pacific destroy the discs of shows sent out. In the Solomons the radio station there someone kept all the Goon Show discs, and had a better collection than the BBC! The BBC wiped thousands of hours of radio and TV programmes trying to save a few pounds. Today would be worth Millions in Audio and DVD sales.

Ian Grieve link

1/14/2017 03:15:21 pm

G'day Tom, I work in with the National Film and Sound Archives (NFSA) in Canberra who do actually control the copyright of AWA recordings. Their database shows they only have 176 of the 208 episodes. This is why we need to find another source. Even though I do supply them with copies of programs, to get programs from them for research I have to sign an agreement that says I cannot share them with anyone. This is even when I have the copyright owners written permission. Better off finding a different source. Sadly the series was never exported, so we have to look within Australia.

Tom Tom

1/14/2017 03:58:50 pm

Hi Ian, thanks for the reply. I wondered if the Radio for the Print Handicapped people (who I had never heard of before yesterday) might have the missing episodes. Even if they had to sign the same 'no sharing' agreement, at least you (we) would know the whole series is still out there. But given that they broadcast the series 'a couple of times' (as the respondent to my query said they had), maybe they will be able to share them with you.

I think I could safely speak for quite a few here in thanking you for your efforts in pursuing this. I was pleasantly surprised to find that those first few episodes were by no means 'dated'. It was damned fine radio they turned out here in Oz back then.

Ian Grieve link

1/14/2017 04:07:06 pm

Thanks Tom, I will make contact with RPH as I would have shows they would be interested in.

A lot of Australian radio drama still plays well today. Check out the Grace Gibson Shop online and listen to their new release of Tension. Best I have heard and I listen to plenty every day.

Jim Davis

2/6/2017 05:17:07 am

Yer, I would like to get the complete series of the quiet stranger,

Joan

1/7/2018 06:38:21 pm

Check out TROVE (online digitised newspapers)
The Canberra Times (ACT 1926-1995)
The Quiet Stranger was broadcast from 2CY and 2CA
Monday 16 March 1964 - 28 July 1964
I heard the program in Indonesia when it was broadcasted from Singapore in the 1980's or late 1970's.

Evan Ward

1/12/2018 11:18:54 am

This brings back memories, sitting in the front of a boat, in Kalimantan Barat (Indonesia) waiting in anticipation for the next episode to start each day, on Radio Singapore.

Colin N Jones

4/4/2020 07:37:17 pm

I wait with bated breath!! As a kid I used to listen to a range of radio programs on 2TM. These included Eric Baume, Mike McCann, Superman and The Quiet Stranger. In 1961 (during the credit squeeze we had to have (probably not)) the family moved to Orange about the time of the introduction of CBN8 but I'm not sure that 2GZ was on the Macquarie network anyway. So TQS was being broadcast, at least by 2TM, before 1962. Any updates on accessing the full series of TQS? Cheers, Col

Ian Grieve link

4/4/2020 09:09:34 pm

Situation hasn't changed. Its a matter of finding the episodes. I also want to hear the serial in full.

Tom Tom

4/4/2020 08:26:31 pm

Ian, were you able to make any headway with the Radio for the Print Handicapped people? With all of us currently (and for how long?) locked in our family bunkers, I can't imagine a better time waster than sitting down to a total 'pig out' of multiple episodes of 'The Quiet Stranger'.

If anyone reading this is in need of a similar diversion, let me highly recommend the BBC 'Witness' podcasts. The World War 2 section contains a series of incredible audio recordings (average length, around 9 minutes) made by BBC correspondents during WW2.

Most Australians 'of a certain age', (which i would assume everyone on this site is) will know of the Japanese PoW mass breakout from Cowra. That particular episode is really worth seeking out, if only to hear about the farmer's wife, who, when confronted by three escaping Japanese PoWs (alone with her children; her husband away working on the farm), invited them in for a cup of tea and a scone.

40 years later, one of the three Japanese soldiers returned to the farm and met the woman's daughter, who'd been there (as a 5 year old) in 1944 with her mother.

Author

Ian Grieve has been Collecting, Researching and Documenting Australian Old Time Radio since about 1998. He enjoys the thrill of finding and identifying shows thought to have been lost and then researching their history as well as the people involved in their production.

The Quiet Stranger

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