James Workman (writer)

James Workman (1912 – 28 March 2001) was a Scottish-born actor and writer who mostly worked in Australia.

A 1955 article called him "One of the finest scripters in the game, a writer with a hatred of the obvious, a constant seeker after new ideas."

Biography
Workman was born in South Africa, and worked as a sailor and a policemen. He lived in South Africa, working for in radio before going to Australia for his wife's health. In Australia he worked as an actor at first, mostly on stage, before becoming a radio writer for Gordon Grimsdale.

Workman died on 28 March 2001, at the age of 89.

Films

 * Into the Straight (1948) - actor

Television

 * ITV Television Playhouse - "2000 Minus 60" (1958) - TV play - writer
 * Press Gang (1959) - TV series
 * Reflections in Dark Glasses (1960) – TV play - writer
 * Armchair Theatre - "Cold Fury" (1960)
 * In Writing (1961) – actor
 * Alfred Hitchcock Presents - "Apex" (1962) - writer
 * Malibu Playhouse - "Finger on the Pulse" (1963) - writer
 * Contrabandits - ep "Target, Smokehouse"
 * Motel (1967) – writer
 * Skippy – writer
 * The Long Arm (1970) – writer
 * Behind the Legend (1973) "Melba", "Charles Ulm" - writer
 * Number 96 - writer
 * Class of '74 - writer
 * The Tichborne Affair (1978) – writer

Novels

 * The Apologetic Tiger (1958)
 * Lucifer at Ponsfordville (1959)
 * Face of Fortune (1961)
 * Impact (1962)
 * the Mad Surgeon (1962)
 * Shock Stories (1962)
 * The Captain from Goondiwindi (1962)
 * Havoc (1962)
 * Sweet Taste of Venom (1963)
 * Cleopatra of Egypt (1963)
 * the Navy's here (1963)
 * Sodom and Gomorrah (1963)
 * The Witch Hunters (1963)
 * Sin in Hong Kong (1965)
 * Dragon Ships (1965)
 * Genghis Khan (1965)
 * Sin in Hong Kong (1965)
 * Charge of the Light Brigade (1966)
 * The Mad Emperor (1966)
 * Sex and the Soviet Spy (1966)
 * Attila the Hun (1967)
 * The Courtesans (1967)
 * Zenobia, Empress of Lust (1967)
 * The Beautiful Beast of Buchenwald James Workman (1968)
 * Shark Bait (1968)

Radio

 * Thirty Minutes to Go (1951–54) - various episodes
 * The Last Miracle (1953)
 * Mirror Mirror on the Wall (1954)
 * L'innoue The innocent (1954)
 * This is My Play (1954)
 * A Moment of Peril (1956)
 * The Big Squeeze (1956) - series - writer, director
 * Deadline (1957) - series - writer, director
 * The Key (1958) - series - writer
 * Call Box (1959) - writer
 * Countdown - writer
 * Timber Ridge - writer
 * Odette - writer

Documentary

 * Finding Facts - writer

Stage

 * various plays as actor for the Globe Player in Sydney in 1949
 * various productions as actor for John Alden Company in 1951-1952 including Hamlet
 * Eternal Night (1954) - writer
 * The Passion Play actor (1963)
 * Cold Cure - writer
 * The Tichborne inheritance : a play in two acts  - writer
 * Brain drain [manuscript] : a play in one act - writer
 * Shut-up and Strip [manuscript] : a play in one act - writer
 * See you at Philippi (1973) - writer
 * The old poisoner [manuscript] : a play in two acts - writer
 * Breadfruit for breakfast [manuscript] : a play in two acts - writer
 * Possession [manuscript] : a play in one act / - writer
 * Possession [manuscript] : a play in one act / - writer