| It Isn't Done | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Ken G. Hall |
| Produced by | Ken G. Hall |
| Written by | Frank Harvey Carl Dudley |
| Based on | Cecil Kellaway (original story) |
| Starring | Cecil Kellaway Shirley Ann Richards |
| Studio | Cinesound Productions |
| Release date(s) | February 1937 (Australia) 1938 (UK) |
| Running time | 90 minutes (Australia) 77 mins (UK) |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
It Isn't Done is a 1937 comedy film about an Australian grazier (Cecil Kellaway) who inherits a baronacy.
Contents |
Hubert Blaydon (Cecil Kellaway), an Australian farmer, inherits a baronial estate and moves to England with his wife (Nellie Ferguson) and daughter Patricia (Shirley Ann Richards) to collect it. He finds it difficult to adapt to upper class customs and faces snobbishness from Lord Denvee (Frank Harvey) and difficulties with his butler Jarms (Harvey Adams), while Patricia falls for a writer, Peter Ashton (John Longden), who is next in line for the estate. Hubert eventually contrives evidence that Peter is the legal heir and bonds with Lord Denvee over the fact that both their sons died on the same day in World War I. Hubert and his wife return to Australia with Jarms while Patricia and Peter are married.
The film was based on an original story by Kellaway which he had written in between acts while performing in White Horse Inn on stage. Hall liked the basic idea but said Kellaway was unable to put it down to paper.[1] He originally hired American writer Carl Dudley to work on it,[2] but had more luck with playwright and actor Frank Harvey. Harvey went on to write all of Ken G. Hall's films for Cinesound.
The film also marked the debut of Shirley Ann Richards, who was signed to a long-term contract by Hall and made several films for the company.[3].
Although mostly set in England, the film was entirely shot in Australia, at Cinesound's Bondi studios and Camden. Shooting took place in October and November 1936.
The film was a big hit at the box office and led to Kellaway receiving a Hollywood contract. He did return to Australia for one more film, Mr. Chedworth Steps Out, but spent the rest of his career in America.[4]