Once a Jolly Swagman

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

Once a Jolly Swagman is a 1949 British film starring Dirk Bogarde, Bonar Colleano, Bill Owen, Thora Hird and Sid James. [1] It is centred on the sport of motorcycle speedway racing, which was at its peak of popularity at the time. It was released in the U.S. as Maniacs on Wheels. [2] The film is based on the 1946 novel by Montagu Slater. [3]

Contents

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

Director Jack Lee later said he enjoyed making the film "because it was physical, there was action and I had good actors." [4]

Cast

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References

  1. "Once a Jolly Swagman (1949)". Archived from the original on 19 February 2017.
  2. "Maniacs on Wheels".
  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