The rival TCN-9 channel sought an injunction to prevent the play's telecast on the grounds that TCN owned the Australian film rights to this movie, but this was rejected by the courts.
[7] The adaptation was by Richard Lane who had extensive experience writing radio drama and had written Autumn Affair for Channel Seven.
[7] David Cahill praised Brett Porter's role in encouraging using angles and shooting as components of telling a story visually rather than thinking of it as a stage play.
[24] The TV critic for the Sydney Morning Herald though the production showed the "remarkable grip that Australian television artists and technicians are getting upon the problems of telecasting live drama" with "many of the excitements that belong to a live-show as you might see it in a theatre... all the inimitably exciting bets and gambles and desperate prayers that a live show has."
He thought the production did not "sink into sentimentality more than once or twice" but the one hour time limit did prevent them "from establishing some points needed for the integrity of the play as a whole", notably the superficial depiction of the rapist and the village gossip.
"It was splendidly produced and thoroughly good entertainment" in which Gorham "gave a first-class performance" and James Condon "took the acting honors.
The chairman of the Elizabethan Theatre Trust, Dr H. C. Coombs, said the introduction by ATN-7 of locally produced plays was a "fine idea."
He said the encouragement of local talent might help to stem the movement of Australian actors and actresses overseas.
L. D. Clay said the play proved beyond a shadow of doubt that Australian actors were equal if not superior to any in the world and asked the Postmaster-General, C. W. Davidson, to ensure that other stations followed ATN 7's example.
[27] J. F. Cope used the play, along with Big, Blue and Beautiful, Thunder of Silence and Other People's Houses in an argument to Parliament in favour of a quota for Australian productions.