. ▁However ▁eventually ▁Les lie ▁Norman ▁( who ▁had ▁previously ▁produced ▁E ure ka ▁Stock ade ▁and ▁directed ▁The ▁Sh ira lee ▁in ▁Australia ) ▁directed ▁and ▁Ernest ▁Borg n ine ▁played ▁the ▁lead . ▁ ▁The ▁one ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁stage ▁production ▁to ▁repeat ▁her ▁performance ▁for ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁Eth el ▁Gabriel . ▁ ▁Script ▁H HL ▁assigned ▁the ▁adaptation ▁to ▁John ▁D ight on , ▁who ▁had ▁just ▁written ▁The ▁Dev il ' s ▁Dis ci ple ▁for ▁the ▁company . ▁D ight on ▁travel led ▁to ▁Australia ▁to ▁research ▁the ▁script . ▁He ▁told ▁the ▁press ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁that : ▁I ▁intend ▁to ▁stick ▁to ▁the ▁play ▁as ▁closely ▁as ▁possible . ▁The ▁two ▁bar ma ids ▁and ▁the ▁old ▁woman ▁are ▁good ▁characters , ▁but ▁a ▁little ▁more ▁colour ▁is ▁needed ▁in ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁relationship ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁can e - cut ters . ▁In ▁its ▁construction ▁Law ler ' s ▁play ▁runs ▁down hill ▁all ▁the ▁way . ▁This , ▁I ▁feel , ▁was ▁a ▁weak ness . ▁I ▁intend ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁film ▁version ▁what ▁I ▁regard ▁as ▁a ▁necessary ▁build - up ▁to ▁a ▁dram atic ▁peak ▁in ▁the ▁middle . ▁ ▁Les lie ▁Norman ▁later ▁claimed ▁" I ▁want ▁to ▁keep ▁it ▁Australian , ▁but ▁unfortunately ▁the ▁Americans ▁said ▁they ▁couldn ' t ▁understand ▁the ▁Australian ▁acc ent ▁and ▁I ▁had ▁to ▁cut ▁out ▁all ▁the ▁Australian isms . ▁That ▁picture ▁broke ▁my ▁heart ... ▁What