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."