On the eve of her beloved son's society wedding, the highly respected Alicia Christie makes one defiant criminal gesture - a cry for help - when she steals a black chiffon nightdress from a reputable department store.
This play is a psychological study of a woman driven finally to the edge due to the cumulative stresses and strains placed upon her by her demanding and divided family.
The American adaptation was broadcast on 20 April 1954 as part of ABC's The Motorola Television Hour; the stars were Judith Anderson, Leora Dana, and Martyn Green.
The British adaptation was broadcast on 4 July 1959 as part of the BBC's 'Saturday Playhouse' series; the stars were Jane Baxter, Ralph Michael and Geoffrey Keen.
An Australian adaptation aired 25 February 1959 in Melbourne on ABC station ABV-2,[3] a kinescope of the program was shown in Sydney on ABN-2 on 11 March 1959.