| Smiley | |
| Director: | Anthony Kimmins |
| Based On: | novel by Moore Raymond |
| Starring: | Sybil Thorndike Chips Rafferty |
| Producer: | Anthony Kimmins |
| Music: | Wilbur Sampson |
| Cinematography: | Edward Scaife |
| Editing: | G. Turney-Smith |
| Color Process: | Color by DeLuxe |
| Studio: | Canberra Films |
| Distributor: | Twentieth Century Fox |
| Runtime: | 90 minutes |
| Country: | Australia |
| Language: | English |
Smiley Gets a Gun is a 1958 Australian comedy-drama film in CinemaScope directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring Sybil Thorndike and Chips Rafferty. It is the sequel to the 1956 film Smiley.
A young boy named Smiley desperately wants a gun. A deal is made between him and Sergeant Flaxman that if he gets 8 nicks (marks on a certain tree) for his good deeds he will get a .22 caliber £2 rifle. He has several adventures and is accused of stealing some gold. Smiley runs away but the real thief is caught and Smiley is rewarded with a gun.
The novel Smiley had been so popular that author Moore Raymond followed it up with Smiley Gets a Gun in 1947.[1]
The father of the actor who first played Smiley, Colin Petersen, wanted more money to return. [2] This mean a replacement had to be found. Anthony Kimmins looked at over 4,000 other applicants before finding Keith Calvert.[3] Moore Raymond also had returned to England, writing Smiley comics for Swift Comics. Kimmins' daughter Verena who helped the young actors in the first Smiley movie had a featured role in the film.
Filming took eight weeks towards the end of 1957. Shooting took place at Camden and Pagewood Studios.[4]
The film was less successful than its predecessor and a proposed third film, Smiley Wins the Ashes, was never made.[5] [2]