The Grey Nurse Said Nothing

The Grey Nurse Said Nothing is a TV play written by Sumner Locke Elliott. It was based on the Shark Arm case.

A shark is captured and throws up an identifiable human arm, with a tattoo. It is presumed the arm belongs to a boatman. A local tycoon is arrested for murder.

Witnesses at the trial include the tycoon's alcoholic wife, who the boatman tried to seduce; a local school teacher in love with the boatman.

The play was screened in the US in 1959 as an episode of Playhouse 90.

The play was performed live on Australian TV in 1960. It was produced and directed by David Cahill.

It was made by Channel Seven who later called "the most ambitious dramatic production ever attempted in Australia... [written by] one of the world's foremost authors of television plays and the cast is Ihe largest ever assembled for an Australian television dramatic production.... the greatest care has been taken to achieve the maximum possible standard in the production of the play which covered a total period of approximately eight weeks."

In February 1960 ATN 7 announced they were making a new show General Motors Hour sponsored by General Motors, in conjunction with GTV 9, Melbourne, QTQ9 Brisbane, and NWS 9 Adelaide, starting in May. It was to be presented by Harry Dearth and consist of two drama specials and one documentary. Their first production was to be a production of The Grey Nurse Said Nothing. ATN purchased the rights to the play in February 1960 - they had the right to broadcast it for 60 days from the premiere.It was the first time a script from Playhouse 90 had been adapted for Australian television and involved the largest cast every assembled for an ATN 7 teledrama, with 20 speaking parts and 40 extras.

Director David Cahill and set designer Geoff Wedlock flew to Cairns to take photographs and sketches of the courthouse where the trial took place in the story. The courthouse was reproduced at ATN 7's studios in Epping. The scenes outside the courtroom were filmed before small mobile sets such as a barroom, a bedroom, a schoolroom and a beach picnic. The lighting in the courtroom was dimmed when these scenes were reached in the play and the small sets were spotlighted. The cast had a month of rehearsals, including three weeks of "dry runs" in a city rehearsal studio, before it was finally recorded on videotape on 23 April, 1960. The dress rehearsal was played back to the cast and crew to give them a chance to correct any possible mistakes.