His Royal Highness | |
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Directed by | F. W. Thring |
Written by |
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Based on | stage musical by George Wallace |
Produced by | F. W. Thring |
Starring | George Wallace |
Cinematography | Arthur Higgins |
Music by |
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Production company | |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 84 minutes (Australia) |
Country | Australia |
Language | English |
Budget | £19,000 [1] or £11,000 [2] |
Box office | £20,000 [2] |
His Royal Highness is a 1932 Australian musical film directed by F. W. Thring, also known as His Loyal Highness (Australia alternative title and title in the United Kingdom), starring George Wallace in his feature film debut. It was the first Australian film musical. [3]
Tommy Dodds (George Wallace) is a stage hand who has a crush on Molly. He is knocked unconscious and dreams he is the King of Betonia. He scandalises the court by gambling with footmen and teaching his Prime Minister to roller skate, and uncovers a conspiracy by Torano and Yoiben.
The rightful heir to the throne is discovered and Tommy is no longer king. He wakes up from his dream and sees that Molly is interested in someone else.
His Royal Highness | |
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Written by | George Wallace |
Date premiered | 1926 |
Original language | English |
Genre | comedy revue |
The film was based on a stage show of two acts and seven scenes which Wallace had written and appeared in the 1920s. It was one of a series of "revusicals" written by Wallace during this period. [5]
Tommy Dodd is discovered working at a New York pie stall by Alfam and Torano from the European kingdom of Betonia. They are looking for the missing heir to the throne and decide Tommy is it. They ship him off to Betonia, which is located on the Adriatic, where he is acclaimed heir. He is placed under the control of Yioben, an elderly female charged with training him in the royal ways. Tommy eventually discovers that he is not the true heir and another member of court is. He leaves Betonia, but with enough money to buy his own pie stall. [6]
Wallace collaborated on the script with C. J. Dennis. [7] Filming began in February 1932. It was shot at Efftee's studio at His Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne. The set of the royal palace in Betonia cost £7,000. [1]
Donalda Warne was an emerging stage star, who soon afterwards went to Britain to seek fame. [8] Composer Alaric Howitt was from Melbourne but had recently spent two years working in America. [9]
Raymond Longford later claimed he worked on the movie. [10]
Despite some unenthusiastic reviews [11] the film was a popular success at the box office, launching George Wallace as a film star. [12]
Thring sold the film to Britain along with Diggers (1931) and The Sentimental Bloke (1932) and some shorts for £100,000. [13] Of these, His Royal Highness proved the most popular in Britain, where it was widely screened, in reportedly over 1000 cinemas. [14] [15] It also received good reviews from the English trade papers, which had previously been critical of On Our Selection . [16] It also enjoyed more popularity at the box office. [17]
After World War II Pat Hanna bought the rights to distribute this and some other Efftee films and enjoyed some success. [18]
Filmink magazine later said "it's a movie of its time and the musical numbers are fairly ropey but Wallace's tremendous talent remains evident." [19]
Magic 1278 is a commercial radio station in Melbourne, Australia owned by Nine Entertainment, and run under a lease agreement by Ace Radio.
Francis William Thring IV was an Australian character actor in radio, stage, television and film; as well as a theatre director. His early career started in London in theatre productions, before he starred in Hollywood film, where he became best known for roles in Ben-Hur in 1959 and King of Kings in 1961. He was known for always wearing black and styling his home in black decor.
Efftee Studios was an early Australian film and theatre production studio, established by F.W. Thring in 1930. It existed until Thring's death in 1935. Initially Efftee Films was based in Melbourne and used optical sound equipment imported from the US.
George Stephenson "Onkus" Wallace, was an Australian comedian, actor, vaudevillian and radio personality. During the early to mid-20th century, he was one of the most famous and successful Australian comedians on both stage and screen, with screen, song and revue sketch writing amongst his repertoire. Wallace was a small tubby man with goggle eyes, a mobile face and croaky voice who appeared in trademark baggy trousers, checkered shirt and felt hat. His career as one of Australia's most popular comedians spanned four decades from the 1920s to 1960 and encompassed stage, radio and film entertainment. Ken G. Hall, who directed him in two films, wrote in his autobiography that George Wallace was the finest Australian comedian he had known.
The Princess Theatre, originally Princess's Theatre, is a 1452-seat theatre in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1854 and rebuilt in 1886 to a design by noted Melbourne architect William Pitt, it is the oldest surviving entertainment site on mainland Australia. Built in an elaborate Second Empire style, it reflects the opulence of the "Marvellous Melbourne" boom period, and had a number of innovative features, including state of the art electric stage lighting and the world's first sliding ceiling, which was rolled back on warm nights to give the effect of an open-air theatre.
George Patrick "Pat" Hanna was a New Zealand-born film producer, he was a soldier of the First World War who entertained post-war audiences with the stage show Diggers, that was adapted to a film of the same title in 1931.
Harmony Row is a 1933 Australian musical comedy directed by F. W. Thring and Raymond Longford and starring popular stage comedian George Wallace. It marked the film debut of Bill Kerr.
A Ticket in Tatts is a 1934 musical comedy film starring popular stage comedian George Wallace as an accident-prone stablehand. It was the last of three films Wallace made for F. W. Thring.
Francis William Thring III, better known as F. W. Thring, was an Australian film director, producer, and exhibitor. He has been credited with the invention of the clapperboard.
Diggers is a 1931 Australian comedy film produced and directed by F. W. Thring starring popular stage comedian Pat Hanna. It was the first feature film from both men.
Waltzing Matilda is a 1933 Australian film directed by and starring Pat Hanna. It features Coral Browne.
Diggers in Blighty is a 1933 Australian film starring and directed by Pat Hanna. Hanna decided to direct this film himself after being unhappy with how F. W. Thring had handled Diggers (1931).
The Streets of London is a 1934 Australian film directed by F. W. Thring. It was a filmed version of a play by Dion Boucicault which Thring had produced on stage the previous year. It was the last film made by Efftee Film Productions – Thring ceased production afterwards with the aim of resuming it later but died in 1936 before he had the chance.
Clara Gibbings is a 1934 Australian film directed by F.W. Thring about the owner of a London pub who discovers she is the daughter of an earl. It was a vehicle for stage star Dorothy Brunton.
The Sentimental Bloke is a 1932 Australian film directed by F. W. Thring and starring Cecil Scott and Ray Fisher. It is an adaptation of the 1915 novel Songs of a Sentimental Bloke by C. J. Dennis, which had previously been filmed in 1919.
Collits' Inn is an Australian musical play with music by Varney Monk. Its first staging was in December 1932 at the Savoy Theatre in Sydney. The 1933 Melbourne production at the Princess Theatre was the first fully professional production, presented by F. W. Thring and starring Gladys Moncrieff, George Wallace, Claude Flemming and Campbell Copelin. Wallace's role was created especially for him. It is generally considered the first commercially successful Australian musical, and it was praised by the Sydney Morning Herald as "an Australian opera".
Sheepmates was a proposed Australian film from director F. W. Thring based on a 1931 novel by William Hatfield. It commenced filming in 1933 but was abandoned.
John P. McLeod was an Australian writer and broadcaster. For a time he was an in-house screenwriter for F.W. Thring at Efftee Studios.
The Haunted Barn is a short 1931 Australian comedy film produced by F.W. Thring directed by Gregan McMahon. It was one of the first productions by Thring's Efftee Studios. The film was produced to support of the feature Diggers (1931) and shown on the same bill.
A Co-respondent's Course is a short 1931 Australian film. The screenplay was written by Montague Grover (1870–1943), an experienced journalist. The film was the first film made by Efftee Studios, a production company owned by F.W. Thring, the first Australian narrative film to be completed with an optical soundtrack and part of the first all-Australian full-length unit programme to be screened in Australia.