Richard Lane (writer)
Encyclopedia
Richard Lane was an Australia
n writer known particularly for his skillful adaptation of plays and films for radio. He is often called the father of Australian radio drama. His career spanned over 60 years, and he is recognised not only for his writing achievements but for his contribution to the Australian Writers' Guild
. He also wrote for television, and was described after his death as "luminary of the Australian radio and television industries".
and went to school in Sydney's northern suburbs at Knox Grammar School
in Wahroonga
, where "he excelled as an athlete and edited the school magazine".
Lane married a few times, with his last wife being the Australian actor, Lynne Murphy.
By the age of 21 Lane had had a number of plays produced by the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC)
and he was being recognised as "an exciting new talent".
He became senior playwright at Sydney's radio station 2GB
, Australia's largest producer of radio drama. He adapted plays into one-hour dramas, and novels into serial form. He wrote and produced the long-running radio serial Dr Paul.
Actors such as Peter Finch
appeared in his early plays.
By 1949, he was recognised as Australia's "foremost radio playwright". He decided at this time to go freelance, and directed as well as wrote radio drama. With the arrival of television in Australian in 1956, he began writing for that medium too. He wrote for the first Australian produced drama series, Autumn Affair. He adapted classic works, such as Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, into television plays, and Jon Cleary
's You can't see 'round corners into a serial.
Lane moved to Melbourne and continued to write for television - for such programs as Bellbird
, Homicide, The Sullivans
and Carson's Law
- while also writing for radio. He won four Australian Writers Guild (AWGIE) Awards for his work.
In his later career he wrote two books on the history of radio drama in Australia, The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama. These books have been described as "history through biography" and provide a comprehensive record of the actors, writers, producers and directors involved in radio drama at "the time when Australia produced more radio drama than any country in the world".
Besides his writing, Lane is known for the work he did in forming the Australian Writers Guild. He was part of the group which formed it in 1962, and was its Vice-President from 1962-64 and then its third President from 1964-68. He was involved in "setting up state branches for the guild, lobbying for an Australian quota, introducing the AWGIE Awards
for writers, and helping establish the Australian Film and Television School
". Lane was also committed to developing a standard industry-wide contract for use between writers and the production companies or networks, using British agreements as a model. While there was initial support within the industry, problems occurred over the issue of residuals, particularly with the ABC. The ABC finally signed the Guild's standard contract in the early 1970s.
In 1988, the Guild awarded him a special award for outstanding contribution to the guild. This special award, named Richard Lane Award, has become an annual award that is presented to an AWG member "in recognition of their outstanding service to the Guild"..
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n writer known particularly for his skillful adaptation of plays and films for radio. He is often called the father of Australian radio drama. His career spanned over 60 years, and he is recognised not only for his writing achievements but for his contribution to the Australian Writers' Guild
Australian Writers' Guild
The Australian Writers' Guild is the professional association for all performance writers, that is, writers for film, television, radio, theatre, video and new media. The AWG was established in 1962 and is recognised throughout the industry in Australia as being the voice of performance writers...
. He also wrote for television, and was described after his death as "luminary of the Australian radio and television industries".
Life
Richard Lane was born in the Sydney beach suburb of CoogeeCoogee, New South Wales
Coogee is a beachside suburb of local government area City of Randwick. It is located 8 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is also a part of the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney....
and went to school in Sydney's northern suburbs at Knox Grammar School
Knox Grammar School
Knox Grammar School is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Wahroonga, an upper North Shore suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
in Wahroonga
Wahroonga, New South Wales
Wahroonga is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wahroonga is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council and Hornsby Shire....
, where "he excelled as an athlete and edited the school magazine".
Lane married a few times, with his last wife being the Australian actor, Lynne Murphy.
Writing career
Lane's first short story was published while he was still at school, and more of his stories were published in magazines in the following year. However, it was in radio drama, still in its infancy when he started, that he found his vocation. His first radio play was No Escape.By the age of 21 Lane had had a number of plays produced by the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC)
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
and he was being recognised as "an exciting new talent".
He became senior playwright at Sydney's radio station 2GB
2GB
2GB is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia broadcasting on 873 kHz, AM. It is one of Australia's most popular talk-back radio stations, and is the number one station in Sydney.-History:The station commenced broadcasting in August 1926...
, Australia's largest producer of radio drama. He adapted plays into one-hour dramas, and novels into serial form. He wrote and produced the long-running radio serial Dr Paul.
Actors such as Peter Finch
Peter Finch
Peter Finch was a British-born Australian actor. He is best remembered for his role as "crazed" television anchorman Howard Beale in the film Network, which earned him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Actor, his fifth Best Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and a...
appeared in his early plays.
By 1949, he was recognised as Australia's "foremost radio playwright". He decided at this time to go freelance, and directed as well as wrote radio drama. With the arrival of television in Australian in 1956, he began writing for that medium too. He wrote for the first Australian produced drama series, Autumn Affair. He adapted classic works, such as Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, into television plays, and Jon Cleary
Jon Cleary
Jon Stephen Cleary was an Australian author.-Biography:Cleary was born in Erskineville, Sydney. He wrote many books, among them The Sundowners , a portrait of a rural family in the 1920s as they move from one job to the next, and The High Commissioner , the first of a long series of popular...
's You can't see 'round corners into a serial.
Lane moved to Melbourne and continued to write for television - for such programs as Bellbird
Bellbird (TV series)
Bellbird was an Australian soap opera set in a small Victorian rural township. The series was produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation at its Ripponlea TV studios in Elsternwick, Melbourne, Victoria. The series was produced between 28 August 1967 and December 1977...
, Homicide, The Sullivans
The Sullivans
The Sullivans is an Australian drama television series produced by Crawford Productions which ran from 1976 until 1983. The series told the story of an average middle-classMelbourne family and the effect World War II had on their lives...
and Carson's Law
Carson's Law
Carson's Law is an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for the Ten Network between 1983 and 1984. The series was a period piece set in the 1920s and starred Lorraine Bayly as progressive solicitor Jennifer Carson...
- while also writing for radio. He won four Australian Writers Guild (AWGIE) Awards for his work.
In his later career he wrote two books on the history of radio drama in Australia, The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama. These books have been described as "history through biography" and provide a comprehensive record of the actors, writers, producers and directors involved in radio drama at "the time when Australia produced more radio drama than any country in the world".
Besides his writing, Lane is known for the work he did in forming the Australian Writers Guild. He was part of the group which formed it in 1962, and was its Vice-President from 1962-64 and then its third President from 1964-68. He was involved in "setting up state branches for the guild, lobbying for an Australian quota, introducing the AWGIE Awards
AWGIE Awards
The AWGIE Awards is an annual awards ceremony conducted by the Australian Writers' Guild, for excellence in screen, television, stage and radio writing. The awards began in 1967....
for writers, and helping establish the Australian Film and Television School
Australian Film Television and Radio School
The Australian Film, Television and Radio School is the Australian national centre for professional education and advanced training in film, television, radio and digital media. The School is an Australian Commonwealth government statutory authority...
". Lane was also committed to developing a standard industry-wide contract for use between writers and the production companies or networks, using British agreements as a model. While there was initial support within the industry, problems occurred over the issue of residuals, particularly with the ABC. The ABC finally signed the Guild's standard contract in the early 1970s.
In 1988, the Guild awarded him a special award for outstanding contribution to the guild. This special award, named Richard Lane Award, has become an annual award that is presented to an AWG member "in recognition of their outstanding service to the Guild"..
Awards
- 1968: AWGIE (Australian Writers Guild) AwardAWGIE AwardsThe AWGIE Awards is an annual awards ceremony conducted by the Australian Writers' Guild, for excellence in screen, television, stage and radio writing. The awards began in 1967....
: Major Award for the television adaptation of You Can’t See 'Round Corners - 1975: AWGIE Award: for episode of Bellbird
- 1977: AWGIE Award: for episode of Bellbird
- 1985: AWGIE Award: for Best Radio Adaptation for Great Expectations
- 1988: AWGIE Award (later named The Richard Lane Award): for outstanding contribution to the Guild
- 1996: ASRA (Australasian Sound Recording Association) Award: for outstanding contributions to radio drama in Australia.