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Dad and Dave Come to Town

From Alfawiki
Dad and Dave Come to Town
Company typeFilm
IndustryFilm industry
Founded1938
FounderKen G. Hall (director)
Headquarters
Australia
ProductsComedy film

Dad and Dave Come to Town is a 1938 Australian comedy film helmed by director Ken G. Hall. It represents the third installment in the 'Dad and Dave' series featuring Bert Bailey. This film also marks the debut of Peter Finch in feature cinema and remains among the most recognized Australian movies of the 1930s.

Synopsis

The Rudd family farm is bustling with activity: Dave is busy inventing new devices, Joe suffers from a toothache, and Billy Ryan seeks to wed Sarah Rudd, despite ongoing tensions between Dad and Billy's father, Old Man Ryan, who wishes to acquire Dad’s lower paddock.

Dad receives news of his estranged brother Alfred’s death, who has bequeathed him a city residence called Bellavista along with a women's fashion boutique named Cecille's. Dad relocates there accompanied by Dave, Mum, and daughter Jill, only to find the shop struggling financially. Unaware that manager Rawlins is secretly collaborating with rival Pierre to seize control of Cecille's, Dad entrusts Jill with its management.

Under Jill’s leadership, the store experiences a revival, catching the attention of floorwalker Entwistle. She uncovers Rawlins’ treachery and replaces him with Entwistle as the new manager. Jill recruits press agent Jim Bradley—formerly associated with Pierre—to boost Cecille's publicity; a romantic relationship develops between Jill and Jim. Meanwhile, Dave becomes enamored with model Myrtle, and Mum finds herself displaced in Bellavista’s kitchen by housekeeper Miss Quince.

Jill and Jim organize an ambitious fashion show intended to rejuvenate Cecille's reputation. Dad finances this event by leveraging his farm as collateral. On the night before the show, Pierre demands repayment of a £1,000 loan made to Alfred. Despite this obstacle and bailiffs arriving during the event, Dave, Myrtle, and Entwistle thwart the repossession efforts. When Pierre returns accompanied by police officers, Old Man Ryan intervenes by settling the debt on Dad’s behalf.

The triumphant fashion show secures Cecille's future prosperity. Subsequently, Dad returns to rural life, leaving Jill in charge of the store with a new appreciation for urban living.

Cast

Scripting

Ken G. Hall produced this film aiming to deliver a commercial hit for Cinesound Productions, particularly after Australian films lost their British quota eligibility which negatively affected international distribution. He sought strong domestic resonance, noting that On Our Selection continued to draw audiences in Sydney. Although Hall had a preference for dramatic storytelling, he acknowledged that a Dad and Dave film guaranteed box office success.

In May 1938, Hall announced plans for a new Rudd story centered on Dad and Dave inheriting an urban retail outlet. He recognized challenges such as Bert Bailey’s reluctance to wear certain costume colors but stressed that the primary focus was on Australian viewers due to limitations in British markets.

Hall anticipated critiques regarding the ongoing comedic depiction of rural Australian characters but defended it as entertainment proven financially effective—highlighting On Our Selection’s status as Australia’s highest-grossing film at that time.

Unlike previous Dad and Dave adaptations based on Bailey’s stage plays, this script was an original narrative crafted by Hall himself. Although his regular writer Frank Harvey initially found comedy difficult and nearly resigned, he retained credit for the screenplay. Additional uncredited input came from Hall’s "comedy team," including Jim Bancks, Hal Carleton, and Bill Maloney. Hall described their collaborative approach of weaving humorous scenes into a straightforward storyline.

The comedic tone of this film was notably more daring than typical productions from Cinesound.

Bailey remarked that while radio connected rural inhabitants with city culture, many country Australians still identified with the small farmer archetype embodied by Dad, maintaining that the characters’ humor remained pertinent despite societal changes.

The antagonist Pierre was portrayed using a blend of French and Jewish linguistic traits, whereas Entwistle was depicted as a cultured and somewhat effeminate young man.

This production is regarded as one of Hall’s most personally significant projects, reflecting his background in publicity work and drawing parallels between organizing a fashion event and filmmaking itself.

Casting

With Bert Bailey retired from the role of Grandad Rudd and Fred MacDonald engaged in Melbourne radio work, both Bailey and MacDonald reprised their iconic characters as Dad and Dave. The remainder of the ensemble consisted of fresh talent, including Shirley Ann Richards, a Cinesound contract actress, who portrayed Jill. Additionally, American performers Billy Rayes and Leila Steppe, touring with the Tivoli vaudeville circuit, joined the production.

Peter Finch made his cinematic debut playing a young suitor to Dad Rudd's daughter Sarah, portrayed by Valerie Scanlan. Finch was introduced to director Ken G. Hall through Cinesound’s casting director George Cross. Hall was impressed by Finch’s performance and subsequently cast him in a more significant role in Mr. Chedworth Steps Out (1939). Hall later reflected that Finch’s slender build at the time belied his eventual rise to international stardom.

Valerie Scanlan, an 18-year-old Sydney-based actress discovered by George Cross during an amateur theatre production, appeared on screen for the first time. Muriel Flood, who had transitioned from vaudeville to become a prominent radio personality on 2GB, also featured in the cast.

Shooting

Production commenced in June 1938 at Cinesound’s Bondi studio alongside location shoots in Camden. Unlike its predecessor On Our Selection, which predominantly utilized outdoor locations, this film was shot largely within studio confines, with only about 20% filmed on location. Norman Rydge emphasized that restrictions imposed by the British Film Quota Act had accelerated Australian film production by promoting works with distinct local appeal.

A notable segment included a fashion show showcasing 45 dresses designed by Mavis Ripper, valued at £2,000 and modeled by 18 individuals. The film’s refined visual aesthetic was enhanced by Eric Thompson’s intricate set designs.

Critical

The movie received enthusiastic reviews from critics. The Bulletin praised it as "a rollicking mix of silliness, slapstick comedy, occasional burlesque, and genuine entertainment." Commercially, it performed exceptionally well; Ken G. Hall described it as a "significant success" that equaled the Australian box office returns of On Our Selection and exceeded them in New Zealand. According to Variety, the film "shattered records across all markets."

Its popularity paved the way for a fourth and concluding installment in the series, Dad Rudd, MP (1940), which saw many original cast members returning.

Overseas release

In the United Kingdom, the film was released under the title The Rudd Family Goes to Town, marking it as the first Australian feature to be shown in a West End cinema. Hall reported that the film grossed over £35,000 in Britain. For American audiences, it was renamed The Farmer Goes to Town.

Hall commented in 1939 that although the Dad and Dave characters were sometimes criticized as caricatures of Australians, they possessed broad international appeal and represented a novel form of contemporary entertainment.

Legacy

A memorable line delivered by Jill (played by Shirley Ann Richards)—"Don't call me girlie"—served as inspiration for the title of a 1985 documentary focusing on women working within the Australian film industry.

The character Entwistle (portrayed by Alec Kellaway), depicted as an effeminate floorwalker at a fashion store, is notable for being one of Australian cinema’s early positive representations of a gay character. While embodying certain stereotypes, Entwistle was characterized as a devoted friend to the protagonist and garnered enough popularity to reappear in Dad Rudd, MP (1940).

Notes

  • Hall, Ken G. Directed by Ken G. Hall, Lansdowne Press, 1977

External links

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