Smiley (1956 Film)

''Smiley'' is a 1956 British-American comedy film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring Colin Petersen. It was based on the 1945 novel of the same name by Moore Raymond who co-wrote the film with Kimmins. It tells the story of a young Australian boy who is determined to buy a bicycle for four pounds, and along the way he gets into many misadventures.

It was the last film made under the supervision of Alex Korda, who died in January 1956.

Plot

Smiley Greevins is a mischievous boy who lives in the small country town of Murrumbilla (based on Augathella). His father is an alcoholic drover who is a poor provider for the family, and his mother works as a laundress. Smiley is always getting into trouble with his best friend Joey. He decides to try to save up enough money to buy a coveted bicycle.

Smiley takes on various odd jobs, showing enterprise, hard work, and persistence in slowly accumulating the considerable sum ( £5) needed, despite getting involved in a number of pranks, including getting into trouble with the local law enforcement in the figure of Sergeant Flaxman. Smiley unwittingly helps the local publican, Jim Rankin, sell opium to aborigines who live in a camp near the town.

Smiley's father steals his savings and loses it playing two-up. Smiley accidentally knocks him out and runs away to the bush, where he is bitten by a snake. His life is saved by boundary rider Bill McVitty. Rankin is arrested and the townspeople chip in to buy Smiley a bike.

A romantic subplot involves Rankin and Sergeant Flaxman vying for the affections of Miss Workman the new local schoolmistress.

Cast

Production

Development

The film is based on the 1945 novel ''Smiley'' by Moore Raymond, who was born in Queensland but worked as a journalist in Britain. The book was hailed as an Australian Huckleberry Finn and film rights were bought immediately by Sir Alexander Korda. Korda sent Raymond to Australia in 1946 to find possible child actors and locations. However Korda said he could not find an appropriate director and shelved the project.

Korda eventually assigned the project to Anthony Kimmins, who had served in Australia in World War II. Kimmins arrived in Australia in March 1950 to begin preproduction and announced he would make the film near Augathella for £100,000. However, after actually inspecting the site he doubted it would be useful and he was unable to find a lead actor he was happy with. Plans to make the movie were delayed again.

Kimmins returned to Australia September 1955 to begin preproduction. After interviewing over 2,000 boys, he cast Colin Peterson as Smiley and Bruce Archer as Joey.

Part of the budget was provided by 20th Century Fox, who had money frozen in Australia due to currency restrictions. Apart from Ralph Richardson, the entire cast was Australian. Korda reportedly took risky measures to finance the film, proceeding without a completion guarantee.

Shooting

Filming started in late October, with the township of Murrumbilla being created on an estate at Camden Park, Gundy NSW and finished eight weeks later. Post production work was done at Pagewood Studios in Sydney. It was filmed in CinemaScope.

Filming took 41 days.

Release

''The Age'' called it "the most amiable, unassuming and pleasing little film to be shot in Australia since ''Bush Christmas''."

In July 1957 Kimmins announced the film had earned more than £150,000 at the British box office.

The film was followed by a sequel, ''Smiley Gets a Gun'' (1958), based on Raymond's second Smiley novel (he would write one more). It also spawned a hit single composed by Clyde Collins, "A Little Boy Called Smiley". There was a proposed third Smiley film but it was never made.

Musical

The novel inspired ''Smiley The Musical'' with music by Clyde Collins, David Cocker, Mark Jones and Lance Strauss.

Accolades

The screenplay received a Best British Screenplay nomination at the 1957 BAFTA awards.

References

External links

''Smiley'' at the National Film and Sound Archive
*

''Smiley''
at Oz Movies

''Smiley''
at TCMDB

Review of film
at Variety
* An abridged version of the novel was published in ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' in 1947
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{{Alexander Korda

American comedy films
British comedy films
1956 films
Films based on Australian novels
London Films films
Films directed by Anthony Kimmins
Films set in Australia
Films scored by William Alwyn
20th Century Fox films
CinemaScope films
1950s English-language films
1950s American films
1950s British films