Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Tuesday 20 June 1944, page 5


K.Cs AS JURORS IN

NEW PLAY

One of the most illustrious juries

ever assembled in Australia was selected from the audience at the Minerva Theatre last night for the opening performance of "Night of January 16th" all of which was staged in a courtroom with a handsome

woman standing trial for the murder of a financial colossus.

Last night's jury included Judge

Markell, Mr. Dovey, K.C., Mr. Win-

deyer, K.C. Mr. Vernon Treatt, K.C., Mr.Eric Miller, K.C., Mr. Jack Craw- dord, former world tennis champion, Rear-Admiral H. J. Feakes, Mrs. T. H. Kelly, Lieut.-Colonel Mary Agnes Brown (U.S.A.) Mr. J. Bancks, who created Ginger Meggs, Kate Ogilvie, and Jeanie Rankin.

This jury brought in a verdict of "not guilty" for which it was

severelv censured by the Judge (a neat piece of acting by Clifton Penny, himself a member of the Sydney legal

fraternity as well as skilled actor).

Actually, the drama of the courtroom -considered as a plot rather than as

"theatre" - is developed so skilfully that there appears to be a perfectly good circumstantial case for a verdict

of guilty or not guilty.

As a stage story, the play has a number of inherent faults. Chief of these is the terrific volume of talk which has to stand in as substitute

for action.

In a long cast Peter Finch's man- nerish District Attorney, Thelma Grigg's skillfully overacted femme

fatale, and Leonard Bullen's loud- dressed cocksure gangster are out-

standing. The briefer appearances of Hilda Dorrington, Edgar Yardley, and

Marshall Crosby - as witnesses - were

each happily managed.