Let George Do It (1938 film)
| Let George Do It | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by | Ken G. Hall |
| Produced by | Ken G. Hall |
| Written by |
George Wallace Frank Harvey |
| Based on | story by Hal Carleton |
| Starring |
George Wallace Joe Valli |
| Music by | Hamilton Webber Maurie Gilman |
| Cinematography | George Heath |
| Edited by | William Shepherd |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by |
British Empire Films (Aust) ABFD (UK) |
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Release date
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17 June 1938 (Australia) 1940 (UK) |
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Running time
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79 mins (Australia) |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ₤21,000 |
Let George Do It is a 1938 comedy starring popular stage comedian George Wallace. It was the first of two films Wallace made for Ken G. Hall at Cinesound Productions, the other one being Gone to the Dogs (1939). Hall later called Wallace "in my opinion, easily the best comedian that this country has produced."
The plot concerns a man, Joe Blake, who works as a stage hand in a vaudeville theatre headlined by Mysto the magician. When he finds out that the girl he is in love with, Molly, is getting married, he gets drunk with his friend Happy Morgan and decides to commit suicide. Joe offers to leave all his possessions to a gangster, Zilch, if Zilch will arrange a painless death for Joe.
The next day Joe finds out he has received an inheritance and wants to live, but Zilch and his men, including Unk, abduct Joe and demand half his money. Joe escapes with the help of Clara, a woman who has a crush on him, resulting in a wild speedboat chase across Sydney harbour.
Stuart F. Doyle signed George Wallace to a contract with Cinesound in February 1937. It was originally announced that he would be making Gone to the Dogs, set against a background of greyhound racing. That turned out to be Wallace's second Cinesound movie; this was the first.
As with most Cinesound comedies of the late 1930s, Hall employed a team of comedy writers to help with the script along with credited screenwriters Wallace and Frank Harvey. This consisted of Hall, cartoonist Jimmy Bancks, Bill Maloney and Hal Carleton.
The male romantic lead was played by Neil Carlton, a Melbourne-born actor who had appeared in films in England. "I've been searching for a juvenile of Carlton's type ever since I have been directing", said Hall during production. "He's handsome, a good actor, and possesses a fine singing voice; stands 6 ft 1 in. in his socks, weighs 14 St., and is a splendid all-round athlete."
Filming commenced on 30 January 1938 and finished on 22 March. During the shooting of a speedboat chase scene on Sydney Harbour, the boat crashed into a racing eight near Double Bay, cutting it in half and injuring three rowers.
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