Run from the Morning

1 9 7 8 (Australia)
6 x 30 minute episodes

This superior effort from the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) was reminiscent of high-quality British television dramas but dealt with a fairly unusual topic – an attempted takeover by a crime syndicate of a large business called Austral Consolidated.

Run From The Morning starred Michael Aitkens as Harry Blake, a mild-mannered auditor for a large firm of accountants who gets involved in investigating shady share dealings, a hit and run car accident, and his secretary, Hilary (Barbara Stephens).

Aitkens looks far better here than he did on his last series for the ABC, The Truckies. Unfortunately, his character is cast with the same sort of pudding for a wife. In The Truckies it was Colleen Hewett, in this, it is Carol Burns.

Harry lives in Killara (Sydney) with his wife Sylvia, two healthy children and an equally healthy mortgage. He leads an ordinary accountant’s sort of life – until he goes to audit the books of a large firm and discovers all is not quite right.

David Spencer (Rod Mullinar) is an oily assistant to the boss who hangs out in a bar with a carefully-spoken thug and a striptease dancer. Charles Tingwell plays Vic Hennessy, the ruthless head of an organised crime ring who is masterminding the takeover of the large firm (and who lives in a house that even Reg Grundy would envy).

But the firm’s accountant, Wilson, has twigged and is being retired before he can confirm his suspicions. He tells Blake, who demands a list of the firm’s shareholders from the oily one.

The accountant is killed in Circular Quay while crossing the road. The criminals – being a tricky as well as a shady outfit – have stolen Blake’s car from Killara station, driven to Circular Quay, run over the accountant and taken the car home again before anyone is any the wiser.

A dent on the front of the car, some blood and a phone call to the police from the crooks put Harry Blake on the run. But with only $30 in his wallet, he’s not going to get very far.

He ends up in a sleazy Kings Cross hotel, not able to call his wife. instead, he calls his secretary to tell her he is all right. But Detective Sergeant Grogan (Ray Barrett) of Phillip Street is on his trail and alerts the hotel that Blake is on the run for murder.

The hotel proprietor is part of Hennessy’s network and tells his friends that he has their man.

The series starred some of Australia’s finest actors including Bill Kerr as Morrie Nelson and Ray Meagher as a police constable.

Harry Blake
Michael Aitkens
Sylvia Blake
Carol Burns
Mrs Hennessy
Margo Lee
Detective Sergeant Grogan
Ray Barrett
David Spencer
Rod Mullinar
Vic Hennessy
Charles Tingwell
Hilary Pilowski
Barbara Stephens
Morrie Nelson
Bill Kerr
Stackwell
Vincent Gil
Police Constable
Ray Meagher

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