Denzil Howson (1918–2005) was an accomplished actor, writer, director and producer in television, radio, film and theatre in Australia. His professional career spanned over 60 years starting in radio in the late 1930s. In 1956 he joined GTV9 in Melbourne and played a leading role in the pioneering years of Australian television. This website shares some of Denzil’s legacy.
The Happy Show (1957–1964) was the first regular live children’s show on Channel Nine in Melbourne. Created by Denzil Howson and initially hosted by Happy Hammond, it was later re-named the Tarax Show. Perhaps the most famous stars of the show were ventriloquist Ron Blaskett and his doll Gerry Gee. Visit our Tarax Show pages for history, photos, recollections, audio and video.
A collection of photographs from Denzil’s life and career arranged in a series of galleries: youth, family, film, radio, television and theatre.
Denzil had a lifelong interest in sound recording — starting with cutting acetate discs on a home-made recording lathe in the 1930s. In later years, he produced numerous radio documentaries for the ABC and community radio. In this section you’ll find digital copies made from some of his large collection of reel-to-reel tapes dating from 1952.
Denzil was a prolific writer, mainly of scripts for radio, television and film. But he also found time to write an autobiography and articles on various topics which interested him. Here you’ll find a brief selection of his writings.
Curator’s BlogRecent Posts
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2024–07–31Animation Early Days at GTV9 — Interview with Vic AnastasiIn the early 1960s, GTV9 in Melbourne established an in-house animation department, later to become known as Fanfare Films. Vic Anastasi was the animation cameraman, a role he took on after starting at GTV9 as a “stills” photographer. In 1998, Denzil recorded an interview with Vic Anastasi about those early days of the GTV9 Animation Department.
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2021–02–08The Witness — A Short Film by Denzil Howson and Mike Browning circa 1960The Witness is a short film made circa 1960 by Denzil Howson and Mike Browning at GTV9. The story concerns an escaped prisoner who, firmly convinced of his innocence in a murder case, confronts a retired judge whose house overlooks the scene of the murder and who “must have seen the other man”. But did he? An exercise in film technique in which Denzil plays two parts.
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2020–11–16The School of Total Education — A 1982 Radio DocumentaryAt the start of 1977 a new independent school opened its doors in the Melbourne inner city suburb of St Kilda. The School of Total Education was the realisation of a dream by Indian-Australian author, educationalist and Yoga teacher, Vijayadev Yogendra. Denzil Howson chose the school as the subject of this 1982 radio documentary.
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2020–01–14Dr John Grierson, Who Invented the Term “Documentary” FilmDr John Grierson influenced a whole generation of documentary film makers and was in some way responsible for the production of well over 1000 films and television programmes. Denzil Howson interviewed Dr Grierson in 1952.
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2018–09–27Barossa — The Musical That Almost WasDenzil Howson interviews three young Australians with high hopes of making it big in the West End with a stage musical about Australia.
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2015–11–16“Assignment in April” — A 1950s Australian Radio Thriller Hinting At Post-War Nazi IntrigueTwo young Australians travelling in Europe in 1956 meet an attractive German girl and stumble upon some kind of post-war Nazi group.
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2015–08–03The Flight of the UiverDuring the 1934 “Centennary Air Race” from London to Melbourne the Uiver became lost in a heavy storm and was forced to make an emergency night landing on the racecourse at Albury, New South Wales, a story that has become part of aviation folklore. This 1984 documentary by Denzil Howson captures the voices of many participants in that historical event.
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2014–11–17A Brief Visit to the Former GTV9 StudiosPaul Howson visits a place of many childhood memories and learn just how easy it is to erase history.
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2014–09–10Two Brief Transport Documentaries, London, 1952In 1952 the new medium of portable tape recording enabled Denzil Howson to make these two on-location documentaries with a transportation theme — the London Underground and London Airport.
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2014–08–08Interviews with Googie Withers and John McCallum, London, 1952As an established actress in British films, Googie Withers would have been well known to Australian radio audiences when Denzil Howson interviewed her, together with her Australian actor husband, John McCallum.