CELEBRATING 70 YEARS! : THE HUMAN JUNGLE .. ABC WEEKEND TELEVISION .. UK .. 1964 ..

 ABC WEEKEND TELEVISION

Presents

Starring

Herbert Lom as Dr Roger Corder    Derek Godfrey as Dr Tate    Michael Johnson as Dr Davis..

Sally Smith as Jennifer Corder      Mary Yeomans as Nancy Hamilton   Mary Steele as Jane Harris

"STRUGGLE FOR A MIND"
Directed by Sidney Hayers

Joan Collins as Liz Cross

Kay Walsh as Mrs Cross

Clifford Evans as Mr Cross

Margaret Whiting as Angie

Liz Cross is a very troubled girl, troubles which culminate in her removing all her clothes in an underground station and she goes into shock and cant speak. She is taken to St Damian's Hospital and is placed in the care of Dr Roger Corder, Consultant psychiatrist, based in Harley Street. After some therapy and with no progress in  regaining her speech, Corder visits her home and discovers that her family are reluctant to speak about her. Her mother and sister finally agree to visit her at the hospital and it is revealed that Liz resorted to stripping in a club to earn the money to send her father away for an operation he so badly needed. But when she presents him with the cheque, he tears it up and sends her away. It appears her mother had an affair and Liz was the product of that relationship, thus the rejection by the man she knows as her father.

Joan with Kay Walsh

Joan is excellent in this episode and the supporting cast are as reliable as ever. This series ran from 1963 to 1965 and was so popular that the TV studio received hundreds of letters every week asking for advice from Dr Corder! Herbert Lom who was used to appearing on the big screen was only too happy to accept the role in this, his first TV role.  Herbert recalled...

" When I played my first psychiatrist in "The Seventh Veil", I was deeply interested in the subject because I had a friend who had recently undertaken such treatment. But then I have always had a latent feeling for the mysteries of the subconscious. I even got a doctor friend to teach me how to hypnotise myself! I felt this would help me learn my part much faster!''

This was Joan's first dramatic TV role for British television, the first of many memorable guest roles on some of the most popular series of all time...

THE STAGE JANUARY 1965

Joan relaxes between takes...

The full series of  26 episodes was released by Network in 2012 in a box set over 7 discs.. You can still order the set featuring Joan's episode 'Struggle For A Mind' at the following link!

BUY THE HUMAN JUNGLE BOX SET HERE!

Joan checks her look off set

Joan with Herbert Lom