For all of those that were lucky enough to meet Bud, please feel free to share your memories of that time when you got to him.  We are sure there will be many great stories out there that people would like to share with everyone.

P.S All previous Blog post will return soon, they were taken down temporarily in order to reduce the load on the web server on Friday.  We had over 15,500 people visit the site in order to leave their condolences for Bud.

Donations can be made to The Royal Flying Doctors Service of Australia. Link www.flyingdoctor.net

It is with much regret that we announce the death of Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell who died this morning, May 15 2009 at 8.15 a.m. in Melbourne.

He was 86.

His daughter Virginia and son Christopher were at his hospital bedside when he died.

Tributes have begun flooding in from film and television industry giants from around the world eulogising his illustrious career, his humility, his gentle and caring manner and his enormous talent.

Right up to his death he had been in good health and still working.

He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and took ill two weeks ago.

We salute a true gentleman who will be sadly missed by the Australian entertainment industry and his countless number of fans.

Please feel free to leave a message of condolence below.

Donations can be made to The Royal Flying Doctors Service of Australia. Link www.flyingdoctor.net

TV began in Australia in 1956 but our Australian sights had been set on television for some time before the launch of regular transmissions. I had the lead role in the first TV film made in Australia in 1952, four years before the Australian TV service officially began.  Produced by Grace Gibson, one of Sydney’s most successful radio drama executives, it concerned the adventures of an American ex-serviceman who had stayed in Australia after World War 2.  After much screen testing with many Sydney actors, including some Americans who were working in Sydney radio, I was offered the lead.

The director was an American, Francis D. Lyon, an Academy Award film editor and a very good director.  The film was shown on US TV and also as a supporting film in Australian cinemas.  It showed we knew how to make TV shows—and it also gave me an invited trip to USA for a 20th Century Fox film, ‘The Desert Rats’, later that same year, 1952.

In Australia pioneering producers like Crawford Productions gradually consolidated and built an Australian TV production industry. This helped to back up much good work in TV drama by the ABC.  The work was often excellent by world standards but when I returned to Australia after some years overseas I was concerned that Australians themselves did not always seem to acknowledge how high our production standards had become.

I directed Crawfords’ first theatre production, ‘Doctor In The House’ in 1974, in between episodes of ‘Homicide’.  We had a great local cast augmented by two of the actors from the UK TV series.  We filled the Princess Theatre in Melbourne after which the play very successfully toured Australia.  When Homicide ended at the end of 1975 I directed many of Crawfords’ shows including ‘The Sullivans’. I also produced ‘The Flying Doctors’ mini-series. I had great writers, a fine cast and the following year it became a very successful on-going weekly series.  Crawfords was a remarkable production house.  To me it was like a scaled down version of the great major studios in the old days of Hollywood with producers, directors, writers, composers, and technical crews of international standard. Something sadly lacking today!

Looking at programmes concerning 50 Years of Television such as the big one on Channel Seven and the others on Channel Nine reveal the great history and quality of Australian Television.  My daughter commented whilst watching with my two granddaughters, eight and twelve; “There was a vast amount of history for the young ones to consider, tip of the iceberg stuff, but their interest was stirred… apart from the history stuff like Cyclone Tracey and politics it really revealed the inherent humour that has been at the forefront of Australian Television.”

What are some of your best memories of early Australian made Television in particular local made drama, feel free to share your thoughts?

It has been relatively easy over the years to learn from great directors. Seldom have I been made to feel foolish. Some of the best direction I have ever received has been extremely brief but totally illuminating.

The three top directions I have received are as follows;
(And not always from the Director, I might add!)

1. “Play it like you love her”
Director in a Sydney radio drama

2. “Play it like your whole world has just collapsed”
The prop man backstage at the Comedy Theatre Melbourne

3. “I could see you doing it”
TV drama Director in UK

No.1 was said by one of the greatest directors I have ever worked with, John Saul. An accomplished actor he became a director in Sydney radio just after WW 2. He passed my Lux Radio Theatre audition and I was soon cast as Pip in a radio version of ‘Great Expectations’, adapted from the UK film script. Years later I was starring in a half-hour radio play based on the script of a powerful New York TV production. We used to rehearse and record the first quarter hour then rehearse and record the second quarter hour. I gave my first quarter hour reading as if I hated my mother. John’s instruction “Play it like you love her” was brilliant. I said all the harsh things to her but really loved her deeply, an exciting difference.

No.2 was said by Norm the prop man backstage at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne during the run of ‘Simon and Laura’ starring Googie Withers and John Macallum. I had a wonderful role, that of the TV director in the story. The play received rave reviews and we were booked out for the season. Everything worked well for me except my first scene in Act 3. Sometimes I used to have a quiet chat to Norm behind the set waiting for my cue to enter while he was organizing his props for a coming scene. I quietly confessed I was worried about my first scene in Act 3.

That’s when Norm suggested the “whole world collapsing” thought. I had almost no time to consider this except for about four paces to the door through which I had to enter. The effect was magical. My problems with the scene had gone. I discovered that Norm was a regular at the great Hayes Gordon’s between shows discussion groups and a real student of the theatre.

No.3 came from Christopher Morahan one of England’s top award winning directors. But he was a floor manager with us on the early episodes of “Emergency Ward 10” in which I played one of the leads and which soon became UK’s top show. The success of the show meant Christopher was promoted to the job of directing. I used to quote John Saul to him all the time particularly about John’s passion for truth in performance. In one episode my character became very involved in a sad situation involving another doctor. It was quietly but beautifully written and very moving to read let alone play. We did what we called “the dress run” before going to air live at 7.30pm. I felt really on top of the scene. But Christopher came out of the control room and said, shaking his head slightly, “I could see you doing it”. I suddenly clicked into gear and from then on I only thought about what my character was thinking and inwardly playing the actual thoughts. The difference was huge, with phone calls from all over the country and a great reaction from the crew when the last of the credits rolled up and we were off the air. And it was confirmation for me of the wisdom I had been exposed to in Sydney by the great John Saul.

I would love to hear who you consider to be some of the best Directors or Actors that best interpret the mood required by the script?

Welcome one and all.

Well, my Blog is finally live, a bit of a delay, however I have been very busy touring all over the top of Australia, with my show “An Audience with … Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell”. I visited a staggering 15 venues across Australia in 3 short weeks.

I am absolutely amazed at how many people have registered for my website. At last count, over 450 in total, some as far away as the UK, Netherlands, Canada and Germany. I would never have thought so many people would have been interested! It just goes to show …

My aim for my website and Blog has always been to provide the public, media and long-serving supporters with a central site about my career, childhood memories, Air Force service, current touring schedules, images and much more.

With my Blog I also hope to share my thoughts and views on a number of topics, which are near and dear to me, including some of the following:

- Directing TV, Film & Theatre
- 50 Years of Television
- Reality TV vs Drama
- Older Actors and challenging roles
- Acting Craft

Whilst my foray into websites and blogging is still relatively new, I’m really looking forward to reading your thoughts and comments about subjects which both you and I are passionate about. So please feel free to share your thoughts or ask questions.

Let the Blogging commence.