Smiley Gets a Gun

1958 Australian film

May 1958 (1958-05) (London)
December 1958 (1958-12) (Australia)

April 15, 1959 (1959-04-15) (Fargo)

Running time

90 minutesCountryAustraliaLanguageEnglish

Smiley Gets a Gun is a 1958 Australian comedy-drama film in CinemaScope directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring Sybil Thorndike and Chips Rafferty. 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
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 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.^[3]

Release

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

References

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