Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), Wednesday 2 April 1975, page 10
ABC PLANS A VIVID COLOR: ALVIN PURPLE!
FOR MONTHS now, Alvin Purple, in cardboard, larger than life-size, has been on the facade of Sydney's Mayfair theatre, titillating and luring passers-by in Castlereagh Street.
Soon all Australia can see
Alvin on ABC-TV doing what he's best at ? making love to every lovely ladv who comes his way.
Alvin is played by
Graham Blundell. a
mild-looking young man. As Alvin Purple. he has. built-in. a bewitching
mixture of innocence and
magnetism that makes him
irresistible to females.
Alvin has had tremendous success in the movie theatres
of Australia, and now, according to Maurice Murphy, intrepid head of what the ABC primly calls "Light Entertainment.'"
Alvin is about to seduce ABC viewers.
"Alvin will get them in a
state ? he will become
compulsive viewing." Murphy says.
Alvin's rumbustious sex
MAURICE MURPHY
life will not be toned down for the ABC. He will drop his cloak, shed his pants, romp across the TV screen.
His ladies will be
presented nude, but they will be presented with style, with
taste.
"Making 'Alvin Purple' without frontal nudity is as
ludicrous as it would have been to ask Edward G.
Robinson to play Shirley Temple," Murphy said.
Murphy, who is just 33. with a controlled mop ot naturalis curl) blond hair, shares an appealing air of innocence with Alvin Purple. He is up-ending Light Ent, as it is familiarly known within
the ABC.
Light Ent covers all kinds of funnv things, from "Aunty
Jack." "flash Nick.'"
"Wollongong the Brave." a big, glossy "Tonight" show soon to be premiered, and
"The Inventors."
Some of these Murphy Happenings shook Light Ent, but they've seen nothing yet. Alvin Purple is on his wa\ with some style.
The style and panache of the planned ABC production was what finally made
Blundell. who'd sworn not to make a TV series of Alvin.
sign on the dotted line.
Simple romp
Blundell thinks the series
will be good; so does Murphy. Seven of the 13 half-hours are already
written.
Murphy sees TV's "Alvin Purple" as a pure sex romp, uncomplicated by plots like the look-alike gangster one in Us movie sequel. "Alvin Purple Rides Again."
"I see it as a straight comedy series. 1 think the conception of the Alvin Purple character is a fantastically good, strong original idea.
"It is a reversal of roles.
Throughout literature it has been great ladies who have been endowed with this tremendous sex magnetism for men; it is the ladies who have alwavs been so
generous with then favors.
"But Alvin switches the
situation. I don't agree with people who describe him as a super stud, a performing
animal.
"Ladies love him for his
innocence and appeal. They really like him. They do more they love him. he is a
lovable character.
"The Alvin idea is a man
everybody loves. What he is can come out of everyone's own sexual fantasy ? he can be a parent substitute or a
child substitute. There is a lot of identification with Alvin.
"He is a very moral character - really like a figure from last century's
literature.
"Alvin will be getting in and out of bed all over the screen with his ladies.
"If there are people who think that sex is wrong -Alvin does wrong.
"In the first few seconds of the TV series a full frontal
naked lady will fill the TV
screen.
"I can already hear the
screams that will go up over that. I am certain questions
will be asked in Parliament
- they are inevitable when you do something like 'Alvin Purple' on ABC-TV.
"1 know some people will
be offended, but I will
precede the series with an
announcement that scenes in
it may offend people ? and not to watch if that's the way
they feel.
"Switch off"
"People do carry on about what is on TV. I don't go along with it. They don't have to watch, and, if the\ see something offensive to them, they can switch it off.
"But I do go along with susceptible feelings and so
I'll use an announcement."
It sounds to me that it
might come out something like the famous smoking warning: "Joking authorities warn that Alvin Purple is a Viewing Hazard."
Every trade has its jargon. Comedy men like Murphv don't talk about "comedy," they talk about "jokes."
"I am never satisfied with
my jokes." Murphy said. "The moment you arc satisfied you lose touch with your audience. I am not interested in formula humor
that is the sort that pours out of America in comedv series."
Murphy has had a lot ol experience of jokes. Hi made the first series o "Doctor in the House" fo London Weekend TV. du the "Two Ronnies" show and "Hark at Barker." wei
back to London for three months in 1973 and mad( "Doctor at Large."