Smiley *** (1956, Colin Petersen, Ralph Richardson, John McCallum, Chips Rafferty) – Classic Movie Review 9,659

Smiley face: Colin Petersen.

Colin Petersen, aged nine, stars as cheeky Smiley Greevins in the entertaining 1956 comedy drama film Smiley. He later became a drummer and an equal partner in the Bee Gees.

Director Anthony Kimmins’s 1956 comedy drama film Smiley is based on the 1945 novel by Moore Raymond, and narrates the sweet Australian Huckleberry Finn antipodean adventures of a naughty youngster who lives in the small country town of Murrumbilla (based on Augathella). He is determined to buy a bicycle for four pounds and unsuspectingly becomes part of a drugs racket when he helps the local publican to sell opium to aborigines living in a camp near their town.

The weight of this comic story rests on the slight but surprisingly capable shoulders of talented juvenile Colin Petersen, aged nine during filming, as cheeky Smiley Greevins, with a delightful star supporting cast that includes Ralph Richardson playing a good-natured vicar, the Reverend Lambeth, and Chips Rafferty as the police sergeant, Sergeant Flaxman, and John McCallum as the local publican Jim Rankin, which helps to add a quirky patina of glamour to the proceedings.

Bruce Archer is good as Smiley’s best friend Joey, with Margaret Christensen and Reg Lye useful as Ma and Pa Greevins. Making full use of the natural splendour of the Australian outback in the impressive Technicolor, CinemaScope location photography by Edward Scaife, director Kimmins weaves a small but entertaining tale of childhood ambition.

Smiley is filmed on location in New South Wales, Australia, but also in the studio for post-production work at Pagewood Studios, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and at Shepperton Studios, Surrey, England.

Moore Raymond co-wrote the BAFTA nominated screenplay with Anthony Kimmins.

The entire cast is Australian, apart from Ralph Richardson. Also in the cast are Margaret Christensen, Guy Doleman, Jocelyn Hernfield, Marion Johns, William Rees, Bob Sunin, Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell, Reggie Weigand, and Chow Sing.

The film was a hit and Bruce Archer returns as Joey for the sequel: Smiley Gets a Gun (1958), also directed by Kimmins. Colin Petersen had moved to England and was replaced by Keith Calvert. Petersen had a successful career as a child actor, drummer and record producer.

Film rights to the 1945 novel by Moore Raymond were bought immediately in 1945 by Alexander Korda, who then shelved the project, but years later finally gave the direction to English director Kimmins, who had served in Australia in World War Two. Kimmins arrived in Australia September 1955 to begin pre-production. After interviewing more than 2,000 boys, he cast Colin Petersen as Smiley and Bruce Archer as Joey.

The town of Murrumbilla was built on an estate at Camden Park and Gundy, in New South Wales, Australia, and filming finished after eight weeks.

Part of the budget comes from 20th Century Fox, which had money frozen in Australia because of currency restrictions.

The film spawned a hit single, ‘A Little Boy Called Smiley’, composed by Clyde Collins after the film was made.

The novel inspired Smiley The Musical with music by Clyde Collins, David Cocker, Mark Jones and Lance Strauss.

The cast are Colin Petersen as Smiley Greevins, Ralph Richardson as Reverend Labeth, John McCallum as Jim Rankin, Chips Rafferty as Sergeant Flaxman, Alexander (Bruce) Thomas as Smiley on horse, Bruce Archer as Joey, Jocelyn Hernfield as Miss Workman, Reg Lye as Pa Greevins, Margaret Christensen as Ma Greevins, Charles Tingwell as Mr Stevens, Marion Johns as Mrs Stevens, Gavin Davies as Fred Stevens, Toni Hansen as Jean Holt, William Rees as Mr Johnson, John Fegan as Nobby, Guy Doleman as Bill McVitty, Leonard Teale as doctor, and Letty Craydon as lady at christening.

Smiley us directed by Anthony Kimmins, runs 97 minutes, is made by London Films, is distributed by 20th Century Fox, is written by Anthony Kimmins and Moore Raymond, based on the novel by Moore Raymond, is shot by Edward Scaife, is produced by Anthony Kimmins, and is scored by William Alwyn.

Release dates: 28 June 1956 (London) 12 June 1957 (US).

The Bee Gees in 1967 with Colin Petersen on the right.

Colin Petersen (24 March 1946 – 18 November 2024)

Colin Petersen died on 18 November 2024, aged 78.

Australian drummer, record producer and child actor Colin Petersen (24 March 1946 – 18 November 2024) played as a member of the bands Steve and the Board, the Bee Gees and Humpy Bong. His mother stopped him acting aged 12 as she thought it was interfering with his education. Other film credits included The Scamp (1957) and A Cry from the Streets (1958).

At school he started out on piano but switched to drums, though he had already shown himself a talented drummer in The Scamp.