Misplaced Pages

Once a Jolly Swagman

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
1949 British film by Jack Lee

Once a Jolly Swagman
Directed byJack Lee
Written byWilliam Rose
Jack Lee
Cliff Gordon (additional dialogue)
Based onOnce a Jolly Swagman
by Montagu Slater
Produced byIan Dalrymple
StarringDirk Bogarde
Bonar Colleano
Bill Owen
CinematographyH.E. Fowle
Edited byJack Harris
John Ferris
Music byBernard Stevens
Production
company		Wessex Film Productions
Distributed byGeneral Film Distributors (UK)
Release date
  • 2 January 1949 (1949-01-02) (London)
Running time100 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Once a Jolly Swagman (U.S. title: Maniacs on Wheels) is a 1949 British film starring Dirk Bogarde, Bonar Colleano, Bill Owen, Thora Hird and Sid James. It was written by William Rose and Jack Lee, based on the 1944 novel of the same title by Montagu Slater.

It is centred on the sport of motorcycle speedway racing, which was at its peak of popularity at the time.

The title of the film refers to the first line of the Australian song "Waltzing Matilda".

Cast

Production

Director Jack Lee later said he enjoyed making the film "because it was physical, there was action and I had good actors."

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "An authentic story of the dangers of a career based on skill and chance is vividly portrayed in this realistic film of speedway life. All the thrills and spills of speedway racing are conveyed in the excellent track photography. Dirk Bogarde as Bill gives depth to the character by some splendid acting. Bonar Colleano as Tommy provides comedy relief in his inimitable American way, and Bill Owen and Renee Asherson as Lag and Pat head a competent supporting cast. Many scenes are superfluous, and part of the plot irrelevant, but the film is original and entertaining, presenting the "back stage" side of track life with realism and sincerity."

References

  1. "Once a Jolly Swagman". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  2. "Once a Jolly Swagman (1949)". Archived from the original on 19 February 2017.
  3. Robert Phillip (25 March 2002). "Speedway: Crump keen to savour the sweet smell of success". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  4. Brian MacFarlane, An Autobiography of British Cinema, Methueun 1997 p 357
  5. "Once a Jolly Swagman". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 16 (181): 3. 1 January 1949. ProQuest 1305808296 – via ProQuest.

External links

Films directed by Jack Lee


Stub icon

This article related to a British film of the 1940s is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: