Hullo Marmaduke

Hullo Marmaduke
Original poster
Directed by	Beaumont Smith
Produced by	Beaumont Smith
Written by	Beaumont Smith
Starring	Claude Dampier
Production company	Beaumont Smith Productions
Distributed by	Union Theatres Limited
Release date	15 November 1924
Running time	6,000 feet
Country	Australia
Language	Silent

Hullo Marmaduke is a 1924 Australian film comedy drama from director Beaumont Smith about a naive Englishman (Claude Dampier) who comes to Australia as a remittance man.

It is considered a lost film.

Marmaduke (Claude Dampier) is the youngest son of a noble English family who is sent out to Australia on the RMS Osterley with his faithful valet Huggett (Jimmy Taylor). At Fremantle he is swindled by two card sharps out of most of his money. He then goes to Adelaide and makes his way to the gold fields. On the voyage he meets up with barmaid Mrs Mary Morton (Constance Graham) and her young daughter Margie who are looking for Mary's husband Mike (Mayne Lynton). Mrs Morton is killed by some burglars, including her husband, and with her dying breath asks Maramduke to look after her daughter. Marmaduke makes a fortune prospecting, spends the money on Margie and falls in love with her as Margie grows up (Lucille Lisle). Margie is taken prisoner by a lunatic who puts her on board a ship and threatens to blow her up. Marmaduke comes to the rescue, then sees her marry a wealthy suitor.

This was the first film of Claude Dampier, a popular stage and vaudeville comedian. The climax featured the scuttling of the battlecruiser HMAS Australia outside Sydney heads in April 1924. Shooting took place at Australasian Films' studio at Rushcutter's Bay with extra filming on the Osterley.

The film was well promoted and proved popular with the public. Smith and Dampier later made The Adventures of Algy (1925) together.