Period drama telling the true life story of the lady of the title, the setting was Longstone Lighthouse, Farne Island in Northumberland in mid 19th century.
Darling was the daughter of a Lighthouse Keeper and on 7 September 1838 was instrumental in saving the lives of nine of the crew of the Forfarshire, a paddle steamer that had run aground and was sinking.
This was one of the types of live dramas that Wendy Hiller, who was making her TV debut, talked about in a TV Times interview tying in with a Love Story episode, Never Too Late, in 1972. There would always be a follow up (also live) re-staging a few days later.
production details
UK / BBC / 1×120 minute episode / Broadcast 9 July 1939 at 9.05pm and again on 14 July 1939.
Writer: Yvette Pienne / Design: Malcolm Baker-Smith / Producer: Fred O’Donovan
cast
Wendy Hiller as Grace Darling
Mark Dignam as William Darling
Marie Ault as Mrs Darling
Norman Claridge as Brooks Darling
Viola Lyel as Thomasin Darling
Jack Lambert as Reporter
William Hutchison as Reporter
Michael Brennan as John Kidd
Anthony Hawtrey as John Wheldon
Laidman Browne as Duke of Northumberland
Mary Hinton as Duchess of Northumberland
Tarver Penna as Mr Smeddle
Walter Fitzgerald as Mr Yates
Hester Paton Brown as Miss Catherine Sinclair
Freda Bamford as Bessie McFadden
Wilfred Fletcher as Thomas Musgrave Joy
Douglas Jefferies as David Dunbar
David Hoffman as Henry Perlee Parker
Peter Scott as Reporter
Doreen Richards as Woman
Jack Lambert as Dan Donovan
Barry Phelps as John Tullock
J. Adrian Byrne as Jonathan Tickett
Christopher Rowan Robinson as John Nicholson
Hendrik Baker as John MacQueen
