Within These Walls: A Sense of Duty (ITV 29 Mar 1974, with Sorcha Cusack)

In A Sense of Duty Elaine Reynolds arrives at Stone Park having been sentenced to two years for the murder of her father who was suffering from a terminal disease and was in a huge amount of pain. Most people consider it a mercy killing but her mother is convinced that her husband did not want to die. Most of the staff of Stone Park are also sympathetic to Elaine, apart from Mrs Armitage who is markedly against giving Elaine any kind of special treatment.

It isn’t until Faye pays a visit to Mrs Armitage’s home that she realises the reasons for her lack of sympathy towards Elaine Reynolds. Mrs Armitage’s husband Ted suffered a serious back injury many years before and is partially paralysed. Mrs Armitage has been caring for him for years.

Series creator David Butler (who also wrote this episode) pops up again as the prison chaplain, he has quite a substantial part this time too. A young Sorcha Cusack gets the lead guest role as Elaine Reynolds; Hilary Mason is the fraudulent chapel assistant Reba Jowett who takes Elaine under her wing and on her release goes to see Elaine’s mother and defrauds her of fifty pounds (which Elaine’s mother thinks is going to her daughter).

production details
UK / ITV – London Weekend Television / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Friday 29 March 1974 at 9.00pm

Writer: David Butler / Production Design: Bryan Bagge / Director: Bill Bain

Series: Within These Walls Season 1 Episode 13

cast
Googie Withers as Faye Boswell
Jerome Willis as Charles Radley
Mona Bruce as Mrs Armitage
Janet Lees Price as Janet Harker
Denys Hawthorne as Dr Mayes
David Butler as Chaplain
Beth Harris as Miss Clarke
Hilary Mason as Reba Jowett
Diana Rayworth as Miss Berryman
Floella Benjamin as Barbara
Audrey Muir as Miss Flaxton
Pat Beckett as Officer Roberts
Sorcha Cusack as Elaine Reynolds
Judith Bruce as June Mercer
Charles Morgan as Ted Armitage
Margaret Ward as Mrs Reynolds