Rex Rienits: Difference between revisions

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In the mid-1940s he prepared a document on the [[Eureka Rebellion]] which formed the basis of the 1948 film ''Eureka Stockade''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22397285 |title=EUREKA STOCKADE FOR FILM. |newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]] |location=Melbourne |date=6 November 1946 |accessdate=6 June 2015 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> He was hired by [[Harry Watt (director)|Henry Watt]] of [[Ealing Studios]] to prepare a research document which was used on the film. He worked for 18 months in Sydney working for Ealing and Sydney radio. He later said "I realised that four or firve years of this would kill any talent I hat."<ref>Clark p 8</ref>
In the mid-1940s he prepared a document on the [[Eureka Rebellion]] which formed the basis of the 1948 film ''Eureka Stockade''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22397285 |title=EUREKA STOCKADE FOR FILM. |newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]] |location=Melbourne |date=6 November 1946 |accessdate=6 June 2015 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> He was hired by [[Harry Watt (director)|Henry Watt]] of [[Ealing Studios]] to prepare a research document which was used on the film. He worked for 18 months in Sydney working for Ealing and Sydney radio. He later said "I realised that four or firve years of this would kill any talent I hat."<ref>Clark p 8</ref>
===England===
===England===
He moved to England in 1948, hoping to work for Ealing, but he only ever did one project for them, the film ''Out of the Clouds''. His big breakthrough was a popular radio adaptation of ''[[Robbery Under Arms]]'' and the thrilled ''Assassin for Hire'', both of which he sold to the BBC.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18476819 |title=Australian's Television Play To Be Filmed. |newspaper=[[The Sunday Herald (Sydney)|The Sunday Herald]] |location=Sydney |date=5 November 1950 |accessdate=6 June 2015 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
He moved to England in early 1949, hoping to work for Ealing, but he only ever did one project for them, the film ''Out of the Clouds''. His big breakthrough was a popular radio adaptation of ''[[Robbery Under Arms]]'' which he sold to the BBC in late 1949. Shortly afterwards he sold the thriller ''Assassin for Hire'', to the BBC. This launched his career in England.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18476819 |title=Australian's Television Play To Be Filmed. |newspaper=[[The Sunday Herald (Sydney)|The Sunday Herald]] |location=Sydney |date=5 November 1950 |accessdate=6 June 2015 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> He followed it with another TV play, ''The Million Pound Note''.

⚫
''[[Assassin for Hire]]'' was sold to the movies and the success of this led to offers to do three more scripts starting with ''[[Wide Boy]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205660895 |title=Australian Writer Succeeds in London |newspaper=[[The Age]] |issue=30,161 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=29 December 1951 |accessdate=5 July 2020 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> In December 1951 he was reportedly one of the highest paid freelancers in Britain.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article159013673 |title=Hat-Trick By Film Script Man |newspaper=[[The Newcastle Sun]] |issue=10,590 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=20 December 1951 |accessdate=5 July 2020 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> His radio version of ''Wide Boy'' proved controversial when the BBC cancelled it at the last minute.


⚫
The success of a script ''[[Assassin for Hire]]'' led to offers to do three more scripts starting with ''[[Wide Boy]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205660895 |title=Australian Writer Succeeds in London |newspaper=[[The Age]] |issue=30,161 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=29 December 1951 |accessdate=5 July 2020 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> In December 1951 he was reportedly one of the highest paid freelancers in Britain.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article159013673 |title=Hat-Trick By Film Script Man |newspaper=[[The Newcastle Sun]] |issue=10,590 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=20 December 1951 |accessdate=5 July 2020 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
===Australia===
===Australia===
Rienits returned to Australia in late 1954.<ref>{{Cite magazine|magazine=ABC Weekly|title= Home Again|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1698361052|page=3|date=22 January 1955}}</ref> "No one wanted to know me," he said later. He restored his fortunes writing the novel ''Jazz Boat'' which he sold to the movies.<ref>Clark p 8</ref>
Rienits returned to Australia in late 1954.<ref>{{Cite magazine|magazine=ABC Weekly|title= Home Again|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1698361052|page=3|date=22 January 1955}}</ref> "No one wanted to know me," he said later. He restored his fortunes writing the novel ''Jazz Boat'' which he sold to the movies.<ref>Clark p 8</ref>

Revision as of 13:57, 25 September 2020

Rex Rienits (17 April 1909 – 1971) was an Australian writer of radio, films, plays and TV. He was a journalist before becoming one of the leading radio writers in Australia. He moved to England in 1949[1] and worked for a number of years there.[2] He later returned to Australia and worked on early local TV drama.

Biography

Early Life

Rienits was born in Dubbo. His father was a draughtsman for the Lands Department and moved from town to town early in Rienits' life. His first job was as a copy boy on the Sydney Daily Guardian. He worked as a journalist and boxing promoter in Wagga Wagga.[3] He moved to Sydney, where he continued to work as a journalist but also wrote for radio.

In 1939 he helped form the Playwright's Advisory Board.[4] He served for three years in the Australian army.[5]

In the mid-1940s he prepared a document on the Eureka Rebellion which formed the basis of the 1948 film Eureka Stockade.[6] He was hired by Henry Watt of Ealing Studios to prepare a research document which was used on the film. He worked for 18 months in Sydney working for Ealing and Sydney radio. He later said "I realised that four or firve years of this would kill any talent I hat."[7]

England

He moved to England in early 1949, hoping to work for Ealing, but he only ever did one project for them, the film Out of the Clouds. His big breakthrough was a popular radio adaptation of Robbery Under Arms which he sold to the BBC in late 1949. Shortly afterwards he sold the thriller Assassin for Hire, to the BBC. This launched his career in England.[8] He followed it with another TV play, The Million Pound Note.

Assassin for Hire was sold to the movies and the success of this led to offers to do three more scripts starting with Wide Boy.[9] In December 1951 he was reportedly one of the highest paid freelancers in Britain.[10] His radio version of Wide Boy proved controversial when the BBC cancelled it at the last minute.

Australia

Rienits returned to Australia in late 1954.[11] "No one wanted to know me," he said later. He restored his fortunes writing the novel Jazz Boat which he sold to the movies.[12]

He went back to London where he worked writing The Flying Doctors for radio.

Rienits returned to Australia in 1959 to be script editor for the ABC.[13] He wrote the first Australian historical TV series, Stormy Petrel, based on a radio serial of Rienits. This was so successful Rienits wrote a number of follow up series.

Later Life

He returned to London, where he wrote the book The Voyages of Captain Cook, The Voyages of Columbus and A Pictorial History of Australia. Sales of these three books exceeded 250,000. He died of a heart attack in 1971.[14]

Personal life

His first marriage ended in divorce in 1932.[15] His second wife Josephine died in 1954.[16] In 1955 he married a third time, to a former occupational therapist, Thea, who regularly collaborated on his projects as a researcher and co author. He was survived by a son.

Selected writings

Radio

  • Anti-Climax (1931) – a one-act play[17]
  • For Auction (1931) – a one-act play[18]
  • Art, for Art's Sake (1931) – a one-act play[19]
  • Midnight Interlufe (1931) – a one-act play[20]
  • Reunion (1938)[21]
  • Margaret Catchpole (1945)
  • He Found What He Wanted (1947)[22]
  • Stormy Petrel (1948) – serial[23] – rebroadcast in 1953
  • Robbery Under Arms (1949) – BBC radio adaptation of novel[24]
  • Fulfilment (1951)[25]
  • Wide Boy (1952)[26]
  • A Shilling for Candles (1953) adaptation of novel by Josephine Tey for BBC radio[27]
  • The Woman on the Beach (1953)[28]
  • Front Page Lead (1954)[29]
  • The Journey of Simon McEever (1954)[30]
  • Joseph Proctor's Money (1954) adapted from story by W. H. Lane Crawford[31]
  • Bligh Has a Daughter (1954)
  • Close to the Roof (1960)
  • John Lancaster (1961)
  • Flying Doctor (1958–63) – serial[32]
  • Holiday Task (1961)

Films

TV Plays

TV Series

  • The Passing Show (1951) (TV series) – writer of various episodes
  • BBC Sunday Night Theatre – episode "No Smoking!" (1952)
  • Patrol Car (1954) (TV series) – episode "Bombs in Piccadilly"
  • The Vise (1955) (TV series) – "Count of Twelve"
  • The Third Man (1959) – episode "Death in Small Installments"
  • Jazz Boat (1960) – screenplay (original story)
  • Jezebel (1963) – original story for episodes
  • Riptide (Australian TV series)Riptide (1969) – story for episode "One Way to Nowhere"

Mini-Series

Books

  • Eureka Stockade (1949) – non fiction
  • Wide Boy (1952) – fiction
  • Assassin for Hire (1952) – fiction
  • The Voyages of James Cook (1969) – non fiction

Plays

  • Slaves to Tradition (1931)[38]
  • Hide Out (1937) – co written with S Howard, produced at the Independent Theatre[39]
  • Lightning Strikes Twice (1944)[40]

(He also directed various plays including productions of Golden Boy[41])

References

  1. ^ "This Week In Town". The Sunday Herald. Sydney: National Library of Australia. 30 January 1949. p. 14. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  2. ^ "London Penthouse". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 16 December 1953. p. 57. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  3. ^ "PERSONAL". The Murrumbidgee Irrigator. Leeton, NSW: National Library of Australia. 26 March 1929. p. 3. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  4. ^ "LIFE and LETTERS". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 17 June 1939. p. 8. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  5. ^ Clark p 8
  6. ^ "EUREKA STOCKADE FOR FILM". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 6 November 1946. p. 3. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  7. ^ Clark p 8
  8. ^ "Australian's Television Play To Be Filmed". The Sunday Herald. Sydney: National Library of Australia. 5 November 1950. p. 6. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  9. ^ "Australian Writer Succeeds in London". The Age. No. 30, 161. Victoria, Australia. 29 December 1951. p. 4. Retrieved 5 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "Hat-Trick By Film Script Man". The Newcastle Sun. No. 10, 590. New South Wales, Australia. 20 December 1951. p. 7. Retrieved 5 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "Home Again". ABC Weekly. 22 January 1955. p. 3.
  12. ^ Clark p 8
  13. ^ "Script Writer's Old Art". Sydney Morning Herald. 2 July 19559. p. 25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Rex Rienits dies in London". The Canberra Times. National Library of Australia. 5 May 1971. p. 24. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  15. ^ "IN DIVORCE". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 30 November 1932. p. 7. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  16. ^ "Author's loss". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 26 January 1954. p. 1. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  17. ^ "BROADCASTING". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 23 January 1931. p. 8. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  18. ^ "MONDAY'S PROGRAMMES". The Queensland Times. Ipswich, Queensland: National Library of Australia. 28 February 1931. p. 14 Edition: DAILY. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  19. ^ "2GB SYDNEY". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. National Library of Australia. 15 April 1931. p. 5. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  20. ^ "2GB SYDNEY". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. National Library of Australia. 29 April 1931. p. 4. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  21. ^ "BROADCASTING PUSH BUTTON TUNING". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 16 November 1938. p. 8. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  22. ^ "5KA". The News. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 6 June 1947. p. 7. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  23. ^ "STARS OF THE AIR". Wodonga and Towong Sentinel. Vic.: National Library of Australia. 17 December 1948. p. 1. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  24. ^ "Australian Classic For B.B.C." The Sunday Herald. Sydney: National Library of Australia. 18 December 1949. p. 3. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  25. ^ "To-day's Radia Programmes". The Sunday Herald. Sydney: National Library of Australia. 22 April 1951. p. 9. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  26. ^ "BROADCAST OF PLAY CANCELLED". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 7 February 1952. p. 9. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  27. ^ http://the.hitchcock.zone/wiki/A_Shilling_for_Candles_%28BBC_Radio,_09/Jan/1954%29
  28. ^ "Advertising". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 6 June 1953. p. 39. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  29. ^ "MARGARET'S COLUMN". Illawarra Daily Mercury. Wollongong, NSW: National Library of Australia. 15 April 1954. p. 4. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  30. ^ "TAKES ROLE OF SALESWOMAN". Illawarra Daily Mercury. Wollongong, NSW: National Library of Australia. 20 May 1954. p. 2. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  31. ^ "Women's Interests On The Air Easter In Athens". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 24 June 1954. p. 5 Section: Women's Section. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  32. ^ Gifford, Denis (1985). The Golden Age of Radio. Batsford. p. 85. ISBN 0-7134-4235-2.
  33. ^ "Australian's Television Play To Be Filmed". The Sunday Herald. Sydney: National Library of Australia. 5 November 1950. p. 6. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  34. ^ "Latest Fiction". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 8 November 1952. p. 7. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  35. ^ "Studio Gossip". The Sunday Herald. Sydney: National Library of Australia. 19 August 1951. p. 12. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  36. ^ "Perry Masan in three live shows". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 21 June 1961. p. 19. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  37. ^ ""THE HUNGRY ONES"". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 10 July 1963. p. 17. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  38. ^ "WINNING PLAY". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 15 May 1931. p. 12. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  39. ^ ""HIDEOUT."". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 17 April 1937. p. 10. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  40. ^ "THE AMATEUR THEATRE "HIAWATHA", AN ALL-GIRL SHOW". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 19 October 1944. p. 7. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  41. ^ ""GOLDEN BOY" IS STRONG DRAMATIC FARE". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 13 December 1948. p. 8. Retrieved 6 June 2015.

Notes

  • Clark, Russell (14 September 1961). "The Bush Boy Who Wrote Outcasts". TV Times. p. 8-9.
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