''Smiley Gets a Gun'' is a 1958 Australian

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

film in

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic format, anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its cr ...

directed by

Anthony Kimmins Anthony Martin Kimmins, Order of the British Empire, OBE (10 November 1901 – 19 May 1964) was an English Film director, director, playwright, screenwriter, Film producer, producer, and actor. Biography Kimmins was born in Harrow, London, on 10 ...

and starring

Sybil Thorndike Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike, Lady Casson (24 October 18829 June 1976) was an English actress whose stage career lasted from 1904 to 1969. Trained in her youth as a concert pianist, Thorndike turned to the stage when a medical problem with her h ...

and

Chips Rafferty John William Pilbean Goffage MBE (26 March 190927 May 1971), known professionally as Chips Rafferty, was an Australian actor. Called "the living symbol of the typical Australian", Rafferty's career stretched from the late 1930s until he died i ...

. It is the sequel to the 1956 film ''Smiley''.

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 *

as Granny McKinley *

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 Bruce Edward Beeby (21 October 1921 – 20 October 2013) was an Australian actor who worked primarily in British films and television. He was probably best known for portraying Stephen "Mitch" Mitchell in the 1950s BBC radio serials '' Journ ...

as Dr Gasper *

Ruth Cracknell Ruth Winifred Cracknell AM (6 July 1925 – 13 May 2002) was an Australian character and comic actress, comedian and author. Her career encompassed all genres, including radio, theatre, television, and film. She appeared in many dramatic as wel ...

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 Gordon Maitland Chater AM (6 April 1922 – 12 December 1999) was an English Australian comedian and actor, and recipient of the Gold Logie, he appeared in revue, theatre, radio, television and film, with a career spanning almost 50 years. B ...

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. The father of the actor who first played ''Smiley'',

Colin Petersen Frederick Colin Petersen (24 March 1946 – 18 November 2024) was an Australian musician and actor. He played as a member of the bands Steve and the Board, the Bee Gees and Humpy Bong. In August 1969, he left the Bee Gees and he was replaced ...

, wanted more money to return. This mean a replacement had to be found. Anthony Kimmins looked at over 4,000 other applicants before finding Keith Calvert. Moore Raymond also had returned to England, writing Smiley comics for ''

Swift Swift or SWIFT most commonly refers to: * SWIFT, an international organization facilitating transactions between banks ** SWIFT code * Swift (programming language) * Swift (bird), a family of birds It may also refer to: Organizations * SWIF ...

'' Comics. Kimmins' daughter Verena who helped the young actors in the first ''Smiley'' movie had a featured role in the film. Filming took eight weeks towards the end of 1957. Shooting took place at Camden and Pagewood Studios. It was part of a "mini boom" of foreign productions in Australia in the late 1950s.

Release

The film was less successful than its predecessor and a proposed third film, ''Smiley Wins the Ashes'', was never made.Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, ''Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production'', Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998 p226

References

External links

*
''Smiley Gets a Gun''
at Oz Movies Australian comedy films Australian sequel films British comedy films British sequel films 1958 films Works by Rex Rienits 1958 comedy films CinemaScope films Films based on Australian novels London Films films Films directed by Anthony Kimmins 1950s English-language films 1950s British films {{1950s-comedy-film-stub