| Strike Me Lucky | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Ken G. Hall |
| Produced by | Ken G. Hall |
| Written by | Vic Roberts George D. Parker |
| Starring | Roy Rene |
| Cinematography | Frank Hurley |
| Studio | Cinesound Productions |
| Release date(s) | June 1934 |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ₤9,000[1][2] |
Strike Me Lucky is a 1934 comedy starring popular stage comic Roy Rene in his first and only film.
Contents |
‘Mo’ McIsaac (Roy Rene) and his sidekick Donald (Alex McKinnon) try to find work to support a young orphan girl he finds dancing for pennies in the street, Miriam ('Baby’ Pamela Bevan), unaware she is really the missing daughter of rich aristocrat, Major Burnett (Dan Agar). Gangster Al Baloney (Eric Masters) and Mae West impersonator Kate (Yvonne Banvard) kidnap the girl and Mo is blamed for her disappearance. He and Donald take off into the bush looking for a gold mine (a storyline inspired by the 1930 expedition to find Lasseter's Reef), where they are attacked by a tribe of cannibals before discovering their names are cleared.
'Baby' Pamela Bevan was only five years old and was advertised as "Australia's Shirley Temple".[3] The female ingenue part was played by 18 year old actor from amateur theatre and an acting family, Lorraine Smith.[4]
Cinesound almost doubled the size of their studio to make the film, and also in anticipation for what they thought would be a boost in production following the introduction of a film quota.[5] Shooting took place in June and July 1934.
Rene was paid ₤70 a week for his performance.
The film was not a success at the box office, despite a strong reception at first, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne.[6] Director Ken G. Hall claims it was the only one of his films not to go straight into profit, blaming the poor script and Roy Rene's awkwardness in front of the camera as opposed to a live audience.[7] He also felt that Rene was too adult in his humor. "He was a very funny man, wonderfully talented," said Hall later. "But he wasn't a 'family' comic. You didn't take the kids."[8]
The film was refused registration under the quality clause of the New South Wales quota act.