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ABIGAIL: “I WAS NAKED” |
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- Some heated 1970s press and publicity for the soap opera sex symbol - |
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It was late December 1971 and a prim and pert young blonde
named Abigail was in a long queue at the “I was pretty nervous - which is unlike me - when I
walked into Bill Harmon’s office but he was such a dear man. He put me
straight at ease. I read the part of Bev for him and he told me to report to
the TEN studios at Number
96
An
overjoyed Abigail and her live-in boyfriend Mark Hashfield
celebrated with a bottle of Bodega. After the series - Number 96 - hit the screens Abigail quickly
emerged as Mark Hashfield himself would soon be cast in Number 96 as well, playing Alan Cotterell, boyfriend
of Bev’s flatmate Janie. A comparatively
nondescript character in the show, Alan had a triumphant departure when it
was finally discovered that he was in fact the dreaded knicker
snipper. The knicker snipper was a serial panty snatcher in the serial. He had
raided Bev’s underwear drawer, and then hid under Georgina Carter’s bed in
order to reach out and snatch the freshly discarded panties the undressing
hippie had just wriggled out of. Mark
and Abigail
Mark and
Abigail first met when they appeared opposite one another in the play There’s A Girl in my Soup in On their
meeting their initial reactions were of mutual dislike. While Hashfield thought Abigail was just a dumb blonde
Abigail’s view of him was even less complimentary. “I
thought him rude and I used to go home and complain. He might be a good
actor, I thought, but he is such a horrible person.” [3] Hashfield
explained that soon after this is their views changed drastically. “I was
so amazed when I saw that she could act, and after we started working
together we clicked. We had an immediate rapport. From the start there was
this tremendous understanding, which is so rare in this business. Abbie has a wonderful flair for comedy and we could
change lines and the other one would know instantly what was going on. It was
extraordinary and very strange and wonderful.” [4] As the
play toured In March
1973 TV Week magazine reported that Hashfield
had recently become Abigail’s business manager. Of her instant stardom
through her Number 96 role Hashfield
claimed that he takes it “all in his stride. I knew she always had the
capabilities and that it was just a matter of time before they came out.” [6] At the
time Hashfield expressed the opinion that Abigail’s
Number 96 character Bev was “rather flat and dull” and
that the role did not give her the full scope to display her acting
capabilities. The TV Week article reported that Abigail
agreed with this evaluation, but that she was quick to admit she was
tremendously grateful for the recognition the show brought her. The report
also revealed Hashfield’s opinion that another
thing he and Abigail have in common is a powerful temper, though according to
Abigail “his is 10 times worse than mine.” [7] Abigail
Leaves 96, Twice
Later in
March 1973 TV Week reported that Abigail had been formally
terminated by the makers of the show and would finish work on the serial on
20 April 1973. Due to the stockpile of pre-taped episodes her final
appearance would go to air three weeks after that. [8] To cover
the absence Bev was written out of the storyline by travelling abroad. Then, in episodes
screened in On 4 June
1973 Channel Ten and the program’s producers Cash Harmon issued a joint
statement that Abigail had been fired: “The contractual arrangements between
Abigail and Cash Harmon Television Pty. Ltd. concerning her appearances as
Bev Houghton in Number 96 are terminated as of
today.” [9] Mark Hashfield told The Age
newspaper that he had received no written confirmation of the termination.
“All I got was a phone call at five o’clock this afternoon from Bill Harmon,
who told me that Abigail’s services were no longer required.” Hashfield at the time had no idea of the reasons for the
firing and said he planned to place the matter in the hands of his
solicitors. [10] Abigail
had the night before appeared on the rival Channel Nine program The Don Lane Show, but Hashfield
said there was nothing in her contract forbidding appearances on other shows
or other networks. The Age reported that Channel
Ten would not say if Abigail’s firing was related to the recent book she had
written about her work on the series. Abigail herself would not comment on
her sudden firing. [11] The
following day The Age reported Abigail’s side of
the story. This report stated she had told producer Bill Harmon of her intention
to resign on Monday, 4 June 1973, but then learned three hours later she had
been fired. Abigail said her decision to leave was based on incidents on the
set and “abuse by the management. The atmosphere around the studio has been
very tense ever since I wrote my book,” she explained. “…the story lines have
been so dreary I was glad to get out. In the last week I was only in five
scenes. The strange thing about the producers of Number 96
is that they do not understand the star system in entertainment,
and out of this arose a lot of jealousy.” [12] Harmon
told the paper that Abigail’s termination was due to breach of contract, not
her Monday evening appearance on The Don Lane Show.
“Her breach of contract was another matter which I cannot discuss,” Harmon
said. [13] So
Abigail departed again and the role of Bev was abruptly recast, with Victoria
Raymond coming in as the new Bev. TV Week later summed-up Abigail’s
departure, reporting that she resigned and was sacked, in that order, after
the latest disagreement with the show’s producer Bill Harmon. [14] Abigail
expressed the opinion that the recasting of Bev was doomed to failure. “They
should have got rid of her altogether and replaced her with a different
character. You can’t just change actresses overnight and get away with it.
Vicki doesn’t sound like me and she doesn’t look like me. Viewers are going
to be confused when one night they see me as Bev and the next night Vicki
appears as the same character. Besides that the viewers know the colour of my flesh but they don’t know the colour of Vicki’s.” [15] Abigail
also explained that she felt Bev’s days might be numbered because, in the
story, she returns from her six-week break with an American husband. “Bill
Harmon told me when Number 96 started that the day Bev got
married was the day she would have to be written out of the show. When he
rehired me after my recent sojourn I asked him if Bev’s marriage meant that
I’d soon be leaving again. He said ‘No, you’re no longer just a sex symbol
you’re an actress and you’ll be able to carry the part.’ That struck me as
funny. I’d been trying to convince him of that ever since I’d started with
the show.” [16] At the
time Abigail expressed a desire to shake off the Bev Houghton image. “Don’t
get me wrong, I’m not ashamed of what I’ve done but it’s so easy to show off
your body without showing your talent. From now on I’m going to go out and
show off my talent. I’m going to convince everyone that I can act and that
I’m not just a body.” [17] Meanwhile
Abigail’s replacement Victoria Raymond happily told TV Week. “I’ve
never had to worry about my bust line, so I don’t mind competing with Abigail
in that department. But as far as my portrayal of Bev Houghton is concerned,
I hope viewers accept the change in actresses without making other comparisons.
I don’t want to feel like a ghost walking in Abigail’s shoes because I’m
certainly not trying to be like Abigail.” [18] Call
Me Abigail
After leaving
the serial Abigail explained the trajectory of her character. “Incredible
as it may seem, Bev Houghton never had a ... sorry, took a lover ... in 96. She
got into some incredible scrapes, but when she left the series she was virgo intacta. I received heaps of letters condemning me for being a wicked woman,
yet I displayed nothing more than a brief glimpse of my boobs or a flash of
my naked backside in the two-and-a-half [sic] years I was with the show.” [19] Abigail’s
1973 autobiography continued this playful, sexy, tone in describing Abigail’s
activities. Titled Call Me Abigail the
book had already been published at the time of Abigail’s firing from the
show, and it sold 15,000 copies in two weeks. Setting the tone for the
literary triumph was the text’s opening line: “I was naked.” As well
as detailing the intimate aspects of her personal life, the book also
featured authentic poetry by Abigail, along with a pictorial centre-spread of
snap-shots variously captioned “stripping for Number 96”, “stripped for Number 96”, “who left the door open?”, and the squeaky clean “rub-a-dub-dub”. [20] Soon
after the book’s release Abigail explained her literary ambitions for TV Week. “Call Me Abigail is already a best seller and I
hope to start on my second book soon. I’m going to take more time with the
next one, which will be a critical look at the TV and entertainment industry
in Poetry By AbigailWhen I was a child I used to see Poem reproduced in [22]. Call Me CandyBefore Call Me Abigail even appeared there had been intense speculation that Abigail would be highly critical of Number 96 and her former co-stars in the series. Actor Candy Raymond, who had been added to the series as the new sex symbol during Abigail’s final weeks on the show and had performed many nude scenes for the series, quickly produced her own spoof, entitled Call Me Candy. [23] Intended as perhaps a single piece for newspaper publication, Raymond explained that her article was a fun way to “put the picture straight.” Raymond said it was not written through bitchiness, although she felt that Abigail was doing a disservice to show business by writing the book. [24] The style of Raymond’s piece satirised the through-the-keyhole approach of Call Me Abigail. According to TV Week the general manager of TEN10 where Number 96 was produced had read Call Me Candy and approved it for publication. Candy Raymond explained her motivation for writing the article was to provide some balance: “I don’t think Abigail’s book should be taken seriously and I have written this spoof to give balance. I don’t think the acting game is a glamorous, sexy world and I have attempted to bring things back to earth. A lot of people in Number 96 were concerned about what Abby wrote, but I think it should be laughed at. Among the cast members I am probably the best one to do it. What I have written makes light of her book and the cast has certainly got a giggle out of it. It hasn’t been done maliciously. I really think it is a pity Abby has written this book. In recent years people have begun viewing sex in a new straightforward light and to write about it as she has is, I think, a step backward. It is disservice. Once a person finds fame, as everyone in Number 96 has, I think he or she has a great responsibility. They have got to use it honestly and with integrity.” [25] Raymond explained her spoof followed Abigail’s storyline and sometimes used her highly descriptive adjectives - but with a twist. “When she talks fancifully about her nude scenes and her affairs I have made mine appear mundane.” Raymond also parodied Abigail’s vivid descriptions of performing nude scenes for Number 96: “There’s nothing greatly exciting about doing a nude scene under the stark lights of a television studio and certainly the production people don’t show any reaction to them. Abby talks of ‘eyes gazing lewdly in the dark’ at her when she did nude scenes. The fact is the lighting technicians and sound people in a studio are too busy doing their own jobs to worry about anything like that. They’re blasé about it. Saying something like that is embarrassing to the whole crew. People will think they are some sort of perverted voyeurs when in fact all they are doing is their jobs.” [26] Raymond also revealed her thoughts on Abigail’s motives behind the book: “She is going to make a fortune - and good luck to her. I don’t know if she really believes what she has written. A lot of it is probably theatricality, I don’t know. I do know that if I had my name on something like that I would be highly embarrassed. I just think of all those Abby fans, those impressionable 15-year-old girls, who are reading what she has written. What sort of lives are they going to mould for themselves. Little girls the world over have real lives to live. I would hope they would take pride in living them as real women. And I hate to think of little boys growing up and thinking they have to buy Dom Perignon champagne. I’d like to stress I am not being bitchy in what I have written. It’s an incredibly good business move for Abby to have written this book, but I just think it should be put in perspective.” [27] Number 96 Co-Stars RespondIn the event when Call Me Abigail was published it was found that, despite speculation to the contrary, it contained little criticism of Number 96. However, the day after being dropped from the serial for the final time Abigail spoke out against the show, claiming that the conditions under which actors and technicians worked were appalling, the salaries the actors received abominable. Dressing rooms were “filthy” she claimed, and schedules so tight actors were often pulling on clothes as they rushed to the set to record a scene. She also alleged there were rarely proper closed sets for the taping of nude scenes and that executives treated actors with little respect, stating that “I am glad it is all over.” [28] After the comments appeared the actors had a series of staff meetings about the allegations made by their departed colleague, branding them unfair and grossly exaggerated. They all said they did not want to make any personal criticism of Abigail and refused to answer questions about her. They did, however, refute the criticism she made about working conditions on the show. Cast members Bunney Brooke, Joe Hasham and Jeff Kevin, all spoke of the generally friendly atmosphere on the set. [29] Bunney Brooke said she thought
it was marvellous to work on the production that had no star system. She felt
that, though specifics weren’t widely discussed, cast members seemed happy with
their salaries. “I do know that everybody is happy with what they are
getting,” Brooke said. The criticism of the state of the dressing rooms was
labelled ridiculous, and Brooke explained that the Number 96
dressing rooms were equal to the best in Joe Hasham admitted the criticisms had been hurtful to all who worked on Number 96, and he expressed the opinion that the conditions working on the series were the best provided by any television station in Australia. There were four reading rooms allowing actors to study their scripts. Makeup facilities were adequate with three make-up experts available, and there were three wardrobe mistresses and a hairdresser assigned to the show. Morning tea was brought on to the set, and meal breaks were strictly adhered to. Hasham explained that naturally there was some pressure connected to working on such a busy production. “But if you cannot take that pressure you simply should not be in the business,” he said. [31] Hasham also rejected Abigail’s allegation that sets were not closed for nude and semi-nude scenes. “The producers are most particular about this. The only people on the set are the actors taking part in that particular scene and the crew.” [32] Jeff Kevin reiterated the general tone of these comments reporting that conditions were “far and away” the best he had worked under. “They are ten times better than those I have seen at any other station.” Kevin admitted that there was occasionally some friction on the set, but that this rarely developed into any “hassle.” [33] All three stars also commended the attitudes of the executives of the TEN10 station where the series was made, and of production company Cash Harmon. Bunney Brooke said that they made time to discuss any problems or concerns of the cast, no matter how trivial. Joe Hasham said the executive staff went to extraordinary lengths to ensure the smooth running of the production and were always prepared to listen to - and usually act upon - the suggestions made by cast members. Hasham described the recent occurrence where he felt a particular word in his script was wrong for the situation. “We sat down and talked about it for 20 minutes. They saw my point of view and we changed it to another word.” Jeff Kevin summed up the co-operative nature of the production. “In this show everyone pulls together - cast, crew, producers, executives - because we want to do the best possible job.” [34] Call Me, PleaseSome months later cast members (and real-life couple [35]) Bunney Brooke and Pat McDonald put a comic spin on the entire episode. They explained to TV Week that they were penning a sizzling exposé about Dorrie and Flo, the characters they play on the serial - but that it was all “just for fun”. Titled Call Me, Please, the planned book was clearly intended as a parody of Abigail’s controversial tome. When asked for her opinion on Abigail’s effort, Pat McDonald was reluctant to answer. “Do I have to answer that? It’s such a lovely afternoon I don’t want to spoil it.” [36] McDonald explained their book was planned as just a “giggle at ourselves really. It’s just a mad, mad spoof. A lot of fun.” McDonald said it would be illustrated by mock-up “sexy” photographs of the two. “The photos are a riot. Sort of wrinkly sex symbols. There is one of us reclining on a bed wearing nothing but bed socks. And another coming out of the shower with toothpaste all over my face. The last thing in the world I want is to take myself seriously. And I hope nobody will take this book seriously either, although you can never tell.” TV Week reported that Channel Ten executives and producer Bill Harmon had given their approval to Brooke and McDonald to write the book - despite all the controversy that Abigail’s effort had generated. [37] Unfortunately both Call Me Candy and Call Me, Please seem to have been lost to history. Call Me Abigail resurfaces on eBay every now and again, generating seriously high prices. [38] After
Number 96
After her
sudden departure from Number 96 in June 1973 Abigail enjoyed fame
and notoriety, and had a top-ten hit song with her sexy recording of Je T’Aime while seeking other acting jobs. In a
television interview Abigail revealed her approach to her dramatic
performances. “I just feel sensual about things. I feel sensitive and
sensual. I think, if you feel that you can
project... sex”. Casting directors clearly felt the same way and Abigail
found herself typecast as a sex kitten in several sex comedy films. The
serious acting jobs the actor sought seemed out of reach. [39] Her
reputation for lateness and on-set tantrums during her run in Number 96 certainly would not have helped, and Hashfield
himself admitted that “one of Abigail’s greatest problems is that she has no
sense of time, I have to be behind her all the time.” However Hashfield insisted that though she had in fact been late
to makeup a couple of times, Abigail always made it to the set by the time
taping was due to begin, “she never held up the floor,” he said. Hashfield admitted she could be temperamental. “She can
be a bit difficult at times. She tends to jump in immediately when her pride
is hurt. But on the stage she is a real professional. She lets nothing
interfere with her work.” [40] Too bad
most of that work seemed to focus on only her sexy image. Abigail played a
sexy pre-credits cameo in 1973 sex comedy hit Alvin Purple, and returned in its 1974 sequel,
Alvin Rides Again. In this second film she played a fag
smoking, northern English tart in charge of the road side diner where Also in
1974 Abigail could be seen unpeeling her costume twice nightly in the
burlesque comedy The Legend of San Peel. The sleazy reputation of the
play’s venue, The Barrel Theatre which was a well-known strip palace in Hashfield
explained some of his management tasks for TV Week. “I’m
the driving force behind Abigail. Laziness is her worst characteristic. She’s
still undisciplined. So I’ve got to be behind her all the time pushing.
Perhaps at times I’m even too tough on her. I push her to the limits. But
then I’ve never seen a true star survive yet, without complete dedication.” [42] The next
few years would see further film appearances for Abigail, but the nature of
her roles would not improve significantly. Abigail made her first full
frontally nude film appearance in sex comedy The True Story of Eskimo Nell (1975). In the big budget 1976 comedy feature Eliza Fraser, Abigail provides another brief cameo, appearing in a bedroom scene
where the sheet is whipped off the bed to reveal the star’s famed breasts.
This, her single scene in the film, features just a handful of lines and is
played as the opening credits are flashed over the top. She then
appeared in the Phil Avalon surfer-flick Summer City (1977), in which she tackled the
challenging role of “Woman in Pub”. In a dramatic departure, Abigail remained
fully clothed throughout her brief scene in this film - albeit in a very
low-cut asset-revealing yellow dress. Her character was intended as a rough
sort who has led a very hard life, so they put her in an unflattering black
wig and did a very hard make-up job on her. [43] Further
forays into a commercial singing career saw the unleashing of new single Biting My Nails - which flopped. Abigail also sent up her
status as soap star by appearing in a recurring sketch in comedy series The Norman Gunston
Show in 1976. Called The
Checkout Chicks, the
ongoing sketch was a parody of melodramatic soap operas and set in a
supermarket, with a regular cast mostly populated by former Number 96
actors - Vivienne Garrett, Candy Raymond, Philippa
Baker, Judy Lynne and Anne Louise Lambert.
[44] The only Checkout Chicks regular
never to have appeared in Number 96 was Sonia Hoffman, who had come close
by being a regular cast member of The Unisexers. Judy Lynne had appeared only briefly in Number 96, and is chiefly remembered for her long running role in The Young Doctors. Abigail went on to make the occasional appearance as a panelist on the popular game
show Blankety Blanks, hosted by Graham Kennedy. Other
Soap Roles
Abigail
seems to have had more success in the genre in which she first found fame -
television soap operas. Though her roles in Class of ‘75 and The Young Doctors were hardly long-running dramatic
triumphs but rather guest roles designed to capitalise on her sexy image, they were at
least meatier than her quick-flash-of-breast movie bit-parts in dismal sex
comedies. In Number 96 her character Bev was a sexy, scantily clad
virgin afraid of sex, and with these subsequent roles there was again a twist
to the character she played. In Class of ‘75 she spent much of her time
disguised as a prim and plain senior mistress. In The Young Doctors she was a smartly dressed super
efficient secretary with a rather brusque demeanour. In her
first The Young Doctors stint her character Hilary
Templeton worked for a celebrity patient of the In 1977
Abigail described to TV Week her return to The Young Doctors for the second short stint, reporting that
“quite apart from the fact that it is giving me and others like me regular
work at a time when so many actors are out of work, it is a well-produced
series and a lot of fun to do, and it is obvious that television audiences
are loving the show judging from the ratings it is getting all round the
country. Both Mark and I are happy to be doing it and are thoroughly enjoying
the work - but it is only for a short time and then I’m going back to the
theatre where an actor really learns the craft. After all, there’s really not
that much television production locally and one has to work in the theatre or
not at all quite often.” [45] TV Week reported that after her second stint with The Young Doctors, Abigail would act on the stage in Wild Oats, and would continue singing on a casual basis with History
shows that these
plans for By that time
Abigail had spent almost a year acting in the stage
farce A Bedfull of Foreigners, and had just
finished the Between
engagements Abigail travelled to her banana plantation in Tully, “When I’m not
working, I keep well away from publicity and I find myself going more and
more to the property at Tully. I have an overseer who handles a few acres of
bananas that grow there, but when I’m there, I’ll often go out into the
fields and work with the rest of the staff.” [50] Into
The 1980s
After several years out of the
television limelight she made yet another big return to Australian TV, and in
the mid-1980s she enjoyed perhaps her greatest role, that of Caroline Morrell
in Sons and Daughters. Though that melodramatic soap saga
was arguably past its peak by the time of Caroline’s arrival in early 1985,
the character remains one of the show’s greatest assets during its final few
years. Abigail stayed with the series until it was cancelled in 1987. Later television appearances include a role in series Elly & Jools and a regular role in short lived serial Family and Friends, playing a character described as “mutton dressed as lamb”. Finally Abigail would again be called upon to spice-up waning soaps with a hint of sex, and in Chances she would appear as a television sex therapist named Bambi Chute. |
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Originally uploaded February 2001 Last updated 7 November 2009 |
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