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Racing Luck is a 1941 Australian comedy film directed by Rupert Kathner and starring Joe Valli, George Lloyd and Marshall Crosby. The jockey Darby Munro, who had a cameo as himself, described it as the best Australian film he had ever seen.

Plot

Two World War I veterans, Blue and Darkie, save an old race horse from being put down. Bluey restores it to healthy using potions used on camels during the war. The horse starts to win races but Darkie gets too excited, suffers a stroke and dies.

Cast

• Joe Valli – Darkie
• George Lloyd as Bluey
• Marshall Crosby – Sir Reginald Franklin
• Olga Moore – Sylvia Perry
• Keith Wood – Robert Franklin
• Connie Martyn – Mrs Perry
• Darby Munro – Himself
• Raymond Longford

Production

Rupert Kathner and his partner Alma Brooks set up a new company to make the movie, Fanfare Films. The film was shot in mid-1941 at a small studio in North Sydney. There were only a few location scenes, such as the flashback to a battle.

It was known during filming as For Services Rendered.

Music was compiled from popular classics.

Release

The film had a minor release. The critic from The Australian Women's Weekly called it "one of the more amateurish local efforts" with "little entertainment value. Plot is trivial and jerkily developed, while the acting is at times painfully lame." The Sydney Morning Herald said that the film:

Shows that decent support pictures could be produced here for very little money, compared with previous more expensive ones. They must, however, have better production and direction and a better story than Racing Luck.

Kathner and his partner Alma Brooks were later charged with conspiracy to defraud by investors in Fanfare Films, but were acquitted. They had earlier been accused taking money from someone who was not mentally competent.

References

1. "Advertising". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 20 November 1941. p. 2. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
2. ^ Reade p.125
3. "ACTRESS RETURNS". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 1 August 1941. p. 7. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
4. Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, p195
5. "PRIVATE VIEWS". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 29 November 1941. p. 16 Section: MOVIE WORLD. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
6. "FILM REVIEWS". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 24 November 1941. p. 4. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
7. "FRAUD FILM CHARGE FAILS". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 19 April 1945. p. 5. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
8. "CLAIM FOR £150". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 10 October 1942. p. 12. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
9. "Discharge From Mental Home Ordered". The Advocate. Burnie, Tas.: National Library of Australia. 14 October 1942. p. 2. Retrieved 19 August 2012.

Bibliography

• Reade, Eric. History and heartburn: the saga of Australian film, 1896-1978. Associated University Presses, 1981.

External links

• Racing Luck at IMDb
• Racing Luck at Oz Movies

• 1941 films
• 1941 comedy films
• Films directed by Rupert Kathner
• Australian comedy films
• Australian horse racing films
• Australian black-and-white films
• 1940s English-language films
• 1940s Australian films