Arrow to the Heart
Encyclopedia
Arrow to the Heart is a British television
drama, originally broadcast by BBC Television
in 1952 and remade in 1956. It was adapted from the German
novel Unruhige Nacht by Albrecht Goes
, published in 1950. It is an important landmark in British television drama as it was the first collaboration between director Rudolph Cartier
and scriptwriter Nigel Kneale
who were, according to television historian Lez Cooke, "responsible for introducing a completely new dimension to television drama in the early to mid-1950s."
, the action of the story takes place over one night on the Eastern Front
in Russia
in 1943. A German Army
pastor
has been flown in to oversee the military execution of a convicted deserter
. The pastor finds himself sharing a room with an officer who is due to be sent to fight with the German Sixth Army in the Battle of Stalingrad
, virtually a death sentence itself. Through studying documentation surrounding the case, the pastor comes to realise that the deserter is in fact innocent, but his execution goes ahead as scheduled in the morning. The officer, however, earns a temporary reprieve as news comes through that the Sixth Army has fallen and the battle for Stalingrad has ended in defeat.
n, Cartier adapted Goes's novel into script form himself, as well as directing the production. The BBC's Head of Drama, Michael Barry, felt that Cartier's English dialogue was not quite right, and assigned Nigel Kneale
— a staff writer who had been working at the BBC since the previous year — to improve it, with Cartier's approval. Officially credited for "additional dialogue", this was Kneale's first major television drama credit.
The drama starred Robert Harris, Howard Lang
, Esmond Knight
, Leonard White and Donald Pleasence
, and was transmitted live
from 9–10.40pm on the evening of Sunday 20 July 1952. It was performed live for a second time four days later, from 7.25–9.15pm on Thursday 24 July 1952. Neither of these live transmissions were recorded.
Cartier remade the production, working from the original script, four years later. Transmitted on Sunday 22 April 1956, this version was also live and again no recording was made. Robert Harris reprised his starring role, with Cyril Shaps
also appearing. The Times
newspaper reviewed the production the day after its broadcast, and gave it a favourable assessment. "Mr. Rudolph Cartier's production, though soliciting the emotions blatantly with Wagner
, caught numerous atmospheres by dramatic cutting and economic precision of detail (a terrified filing clerk in the background upsetting a loaded shelf)."
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
drama, originally broadcast by BBC Television
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
in 1952 and remade in 1956. It was adapted from the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
novel Unruhige Nacht by Albrecht Goes
Albrecht Goes
Albrecht Goes was a German writer and Protestant theologian.-Life:Albrecht Goes was born in 1908 in the Protestant rectory in Langenbeutingen. He spent his childhood there, but his mother died in 1911 and in 1915 he went to live with his grandmother in Berlin-Steglitz. He went to school there...
, published in 1950. It is an important landmark in British television drama as it was the first collaboration between director Rudolph Cartier
Rudolph Cartier
Rudolph Cartier was an Austrian television director, filmmaker, screenwriter and producer who worked predominantly in British television, exclusively for the BBC...
and scriptwriter Nigel Kneale
Nigel Kneale
Nigel Kneale was a British screenwriter from the Isle of Man. Active in television, film, radio drama and prose fiction, he wrote professionally for over fifty years, was a winner of the Somerset Maugham Award and was twice nominated for the British Film Award for Best Screenplay...
who were, according to television historian Lez Cooke, "responsible for introducing a completely new dimension to television drama in the early to mid-1950s."
Plot
Based on an incident from Goes's own experiences during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the action of the story takes place over one night on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in 1943. A German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
has been flown in to oversee the military execution of a convicted deserter
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
. The pastor finds himself sharing a room with an officer who is due to be sent to fight with the German Sixth Army in the Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
, virtually a death sentence itself. Through studying documentation surrounding the case, the pastor comes to realise that the deserter is in fact innocent, but his execution goes ahead as scheduled in the morning. The officer, however, earns a temporary reprieve as news comes through that the Sixth Army has fallen and the battle for Stalingrad has ended in defeat.
Production
Rudolph Cartier had joined the staff of the BBC drama department earlier in 1952, after previously having worked in the film industry. Arrow to the Heart was his first television production for the BBC. An AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n, Cartier adapted Goes's novel into script form himself, as well as directing the production. The BBC's Head of Drama, Michael Barry, felt that Cartier's English dialogue was not quite right, and assigned Nigel Kneale
Nigel Kneale
Nigel Kneale was a British screenwriter from the Isle of Man. Active in television, film, radio drama and prose fiction, he wrote professionally for over fifty years, was a winner of the Somerset Maugham Award and was twice nominated for the British Film Award for Best Screenplay...
— a staff writer who had been working at the BBC since the previous year — to improve it, with Cartier's approval. Officially credited for "additional dialogue", this was Kneale's first major television drama credit.
The drama starred Robert Harris, Howard Lang
Howard Lang
Howard Lang was a British actor best known for playing Captain William Baines in the BBC nautical drama The Onedin Line. He served for seven years in the Royal Navy during World War II....
, Esmond Knight
Esmond Knight
Esmond Penington Knight was an English actor.He was an accomplished actor with a career spanning over half a century. For much of his career Esmond Knight was virtually blind...
, Leonard White and Donald Pleasence
Donald Pleasence
Sir Donald Henry Pleasence, OBE, was a British actor who gained more than 200 screen credits during a career which spanned over four decades...
, and was transmitted live
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
from 9–10.40pm on the evening of Sunday 20 July 1952. It was performed live for a second time four days later, from 7.25–9.15pm on Thursday 24 July 1952. Neither of these live transmissions were recorded.
Cartier remade the production, working from the original script, four years later. Transmitted on Sunday 22 April 1956, this version was also live and again no recording was made. Robert Harris reprised his starring role, with Cyril Shaps
Cyril Shaps
-Biography:Shaps was born in Highbury, London; he was of Polish ancestry and his father was a tailor.He was a child broadcaster, providing voices for radio commercials at the age of 12. After grammar school and Army service he trained at RADA and then worked for two years as an announcer, producer...
also appearing. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper reviewed the production the day after its broadcast, and gave it a favourable assessment. "Mr. Rudolph Cartier's production, though soliciting the emotions blatantly with Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
, caught numerous atmospheres by dramatic cutting and economic precision of detail (a terrified filing clerk in the background upsetting a loaded shelf)."