1984 interview with Shirley Ann Richards

 Link is here. Another one is https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20080721102440/http://www.nfsa.gov.au/the_collection/collection_spotlights/shirley_ann_richards.html

Among the bits in the interview

- during making Tall Timbers Richards sang a song "tosti's (?) goodbye" on a train (she was studying singing) which apparently was bad luck and horrified the theatrical types in the cast (Richards didn't know at the time) - also Frank Leighton was appearing in The Student Prince with Glady Moncrieff - he was so run down he got boils on his neck which had to be camoflaged - Richards called him a "very precise" actor

- she was very close to Frank Harvey - he would run her lines - when she went away to US he wrote her a letter of advice about professionalism and life in general - she said she would pass on the advice to her sons - she still had the letter - said Frank wrote "I am writing to you as though you are another daughter" (he had a daughter, Helen)

- Ken Hall could be a bit aloof directing but he was busy

- she enjoyed the romanticism of Lovers and Luggers, and dressing as a boy

- adored Harvey Adams who would bring crabs and shrimps for lunch - "most charming"

- Ken G Hall used lots of rehearsal - everyone had excellent raaport, she never worked anywhere else where it was the same crew day in day out

- got along Lloyd Hughes... remembers making Lovers and Luggers nearly asphxiated on a lugger because of smoke

- George Yates v protective of Richards - when she was bullied by an actress Yates sabotaged a door for Richards

- says cast of It Isn't Done were "marvellously kind" to her and helped her enormously

- Campbell Copelin was "very much in love" with Elaine Hamill during the making of the film - they went to England together (a few weeks apart)

- she didn't have a good rapport with Bert Bailey who was a bit distant - this was in contrast to her work with other actors at Cinesound like Cecil Kellaway, they'd discuss the scene - she didn't have any sort of chat about the scene with Bailey, suggests maybe it was because he was shy, or had played the role for so many years, doesn't know if he'd do it with other actors - it was her only experience as an actor where she didn't have any sort of rapport with a co star - didn't get to know him even professionally

- Ken Hall sent a film with Richards when she went to America... this went missing so she had nothing to show when over there - they had to get film on her while over there - she got lucky though with the film The Woman in the House - no one else suitable for MGM, she got the part, that was seen, she was put under contract

- found MGM very big - she was used to same faces and same actors - but got used to it - you could do tests as well - she did one with Philip Dorn

- her husband didn't care for movies as much as the stage - he could do everything for himself on stage... different with film - he gave away showbusiness, he was a scientist

There's a very good look at Richards' life here.