"GRUESOME" PLAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 58, 6 September 1938, Page 8

"GRUESOME" PLAY

BROADCAST FROM 2YA

MOTORISTS PROTEST

"Disgusting" and "gruesome" were terms applied by Mr. E. Falliser, a member of the executive of the Automobile Association (Wellington), at a meeting last night in describing a play broadcast by Station 2YA on Saturday night.

Mr. Palliser explained that the play was broadcast with the approval of the Transport Department as part of the Koad Safety Campaign. "The play was a disgusting sort of thing to put out," he said. The plot was about a party of bowlers, returning home. The story, continued Mr. Palliser, described how the party stopped on -\he road for a few. "spots" and how pleas to reduce the speed of the car resulted only in an acceleration, with an inevitable collision. "Then," stated Mr. Palliser, "the play described one man minus a leg, another minus >an arm, and another quoting Omar Khayyam in a delirium. It was a gruesome thing, like some American films. lam afraid it would not impress the people it was intended to get at. It was so disgusting that most people would turn it off." Mr. Palliser said that he had learned that the play was one of a number of the type. He considered them most unsuitable. If that was the type of play which was to be put over the air the executive ought to express itself.

Mr. A. J. Toogood said that at any rate Saturday was probably the worst night for propaganda, as so many people were out. The play was so disgusting and was such "piffle" that he had turned off his wireless, said Mr. A. J. Curtis. The executive decided to draw the attention of the Transport Department to the play.