Geordie [Wee Geordie] **** (1955, Bill Travers, Alastair Sim) – Classic Movie Review 1,450

Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat’s 1955 British film Geordie [Wee Geordie] stars Bill Travers as a Scotsman who becomes an athlete and competes at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.

Co-writer/co-producer/director Frank Launder’s 1955 charmer of a film Geordie stars Sunderland-born Bill Travers weedy Scots weakling Geordie MacTaggart, who, with the help of porridge and a mail-order muscle-building course, gains both height and strength, and hurls the hammer in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne.

Reluctant to leave Scotland, where he is gamekeeper for the local laird (Alastair Sim), and his girlfriend (Norah Gorsen), he finally sails Down Under, where he dallies with Danish shot-putter Helga (Doris Goddard). Representing Britain in hammer-throwing at the age of 21 in the Melbourne Olympics, he insists on wearing his kilt.

Beautifully filmed in Technicolor, Launder and co-writer/ co-producer Sidney Gilliat’s humorous yarn has charisma aplenty as well as a well-aimed, strong, old-fashioned moral message. Modern kids might perhaps like a bit more cynicism though, but this is a sweet, kindly old-fashioned film with a warm heart and a generous spirit.

The performances of the young Travers and the old Sim as the laird are lovely. Future TV comedy star Stanley Baxter plays the local postman. Paul Young plays the weedy wee young version of Geordie. Raymond Huntley and Brian Reece (as Olympic Selectors), Miles Malleson (as Lord Paunceton), Jameson Clark and Molly Urquhart (as Geordie’s Father and Mother) and Duncan Macrae (as the Schoolmaster) are also among the precious cast.

Geordie is Stanley Baxter’s first film appearance.

Co-producers Launder and Gilliat’s screenplay adapts David Walker’s novel.

The film is set in ‘the past, the present and a wee bit in the future.’ As you can see, it was made and released in 1955, the year before the Melbourne Olympics.

It premiered at the Plaza cinema in London on 2 September 1955, and was later released in the US on 7 October 1956. It was released in the US as Wee Geordie.

Running time: 100 minutes.

Sidney Gilliat was going to direct but he was involved with post production on The Constant Husband so Launder took over.

Geordie’s mail order mentor and physical culture instructor, Henry Samson (Francis DeWolff) is obviously a spoof of real-life mail order muscle building entrepreneur, Charles Atlas.

The hammer throw at the Melbourne Olympics was actually won by American Hal Connolly.

Stanley Baxter

Scottish actor Stanley Baxter was born on 24 May 1926. He is celebrated for his British TV comedy shows The Stanley Baxter Show, The Stanley Baxter Picture Show, The Stanley Baxter Series and Mr Majeika. But his filmography is thin: Geordie (1955), Very Important Person (1961), The Fast Lady (1962), Crooks Anonymous (1962), Father Came Too! (1964), and Joey Boy (1965).

He came out as gay in August 2020 after the release of his authorised biography. Unfortunately, he said: ‘Anybody would be insane to choose to live such a very difficult life. There are many gay people these days who are fairly comfortable with their sexuality, fairly happy with who they are. I’m not. I never wanted to be gay. I still don’t.’

Stanley Baxter died on 11 December 2025, aged 99, at the actors’ retirement home Denville Hall in Northwood, Hillingdon, England, where he was a resident from 2023.

The cast

The cast are Alastair Sim as The Laird, Bill Travers as Geordie MacTaggart, Paul Young as Young Geordie, Norah Gorsen as Jean Donaldson, Anna Ferguson as Young Jean, Molly Urquhart as Geordie’s mother, Francis de Wolff as Henry Samson, Jack Radcliffe as The Minister, Brian Reece as Olympic Selector, Raymond Huntley as Olympic Selector. Miles Malleson as Lord Paunceton, Jameson Clark as Geordie’s father, Doris Goddard as Helga, Stanley Baxter as Postman, Duncan Macrae as Schoolmaster, Michael Ripper as Australian journalist.

Bill Travers (3 January 1922 – 29 March 1994) was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England.

Alastair Sim (9 October 1900 – 19 August 1976) was born in Edinburgh.

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