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Number 96 – Episode 35 (1972)

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clip ‘I’m a practising Catholic’

Original classification rating: M. This clip chosen to be PG

Clip description

Sonia (Lynn Rainbow) discovers why she will always be ‘the other woman’ to Gordon (Joe James), a married man; his wife (Shirley Cameron) won’t divorce him because of her Catholicism.

Curator’s notes

by Andrew Mercado

Before being transformed into the much more plot-friendly location of Norma’s Bar, next door to the ground floor delicatessen was a chemist. Sonia pretends to be the sister of married pharmacist Gordon Vansard so that the series could flirt with an (innocent) incest plot. But in actual fact Sonia is his young lover who gets a visit from Gordon’s condescending wife Sylvia. Sonia discovers the real reason why Gordon will not cut ties with his wife: Sylvia is claiming her Catholicism prevents them from divorcing. There is also discussion of Gordon’s chequered past as he has been convicted of performing illegal abortions.

Sonia flirts with (and kisses) African-American Chad Farrell (Ronne Arnold), who encounters racial discrimination before being accepted. This scene, more so than any nudity, was said to have ruined any chance of the show being screened in the US after Time magazine ran a one-page article about its success. Gordon dies in a car crash during the 1972 Christmas cliffhanger and Sonia leaves after a mental breakdown. She does, however, return for more madness in the 1974 movie version.

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

  • You may retrieve materials for information only.
  • You may download materials for your personal use or for non-commercial educational purposes, but you must not publish them elsewhere or redistribute clips in any way.
  • You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

All other rights reserved.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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