Smiley Gets a Gun

Smiley Gets a Gun is a 1958 Australian film in CinemaScope and Technicolor directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring Sybil Thorndike and Chips Rafferty. It is the sequel to the 1956 film Smiley.

Smiley
Directed byAnthony Kimmins
Produced byAnthony Kimmins
Written byAnthony Kimmins
Rex Rienits
Based onnovel by Moore Raymond
StarringSybil Thorndike
Chips Rafferty
Music byWilbur Sampson
CinematographyEdward Scaife
Edited byG. Turney-Smith
Production
company
Canberra Films
London Films
Distributed byTwentieth Century Fox
Release date
May 1958 (UK)
December 1958 (Australia)
Running time
90 mins
CountryAustralia
United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Synopsis

A young boy named Smiley desperately wants a gun. A deal is made between him and Sergeant Flaxman that if he gets 8 nicks (marks on a certain tree) for his good deeds he will get a .22 caliber £2 rifle. He has several adventures and is accused of stealing some gold. Smiley runs away but the real thief is caught and Smiley is rewarded with a gun.

Cast
  • Keith Calvert as Smiley Greevins
    • Alexander ( Bruce) Thomas as Smiley Greevins on horse
  • Bruce Archer as Joey
  • Sybil Thorndike as Granny McKinley
  • Chips Rafferty as Sergeant Flaxman
  • Margaret Christensen as Ma Greevins
  • Reg Lye as Pa Greevins
  • Grant Taylor as Stiffy
  • Guy Doleman as Mr Quirk
  • Leonard Thiele as Mr Scrivens
  • Verena Kimmins as Miss MacCowan
  • Bruce Beeby as Dr Gasper
  • Ruth Cracknell as Mrs Gaspen
  • John Fegan as Tom Graham
  • Brian Farley as Fred
  • Janice Dinnen as Jean Holt
  • Barbara Eather as Elsie
  • William Rees as Mr Protheroe
  • Gordon Chater as Reverend Galbraith

Production

The novel Smiley had been so popular that author Moore Raymond followed it up with Smiley Gets a Gun in 1947.[1]

The actor who first played Smiley, Colin Petersen, had moved to England, meaning a replacement had to be found. Anthony Kimmins looked at over 4,000 other applicants before finding Keith Calvert.[2] Moore Raymond also had returned to England, writing Smiley comics for Swift Comics. Kimmins' daughter Verena who helped the young actors in the Smiley had a featured role in the film.

Filming took eight weeks towards the end of 1957. Shooting took place at Camden and Pagewood Studios.[3]

Release

The film was less successful than its predecessor and a proposed third film, Smiley Wins the Ashes, was never made.[4]

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References
  1. "YOUNG AUSTRALIAN". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 14 February 1947. p. 13 Edition: SECOND EDITION. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  2. "Smiley and his gun". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 25 December 1957. p. 10. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  3. "SMILEY GETS A GUN". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 3 September 1958. p. 66. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  4. Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998 p226


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