by Stephen Vagg
George Wallace’s 1932 feature debut
Director Ken G Hall once called George Wallace the most talented comedian Australia had ever produced, up there with Chaplin. Wallace was certainly talented – something that can be easily gauged today by the relatively large amount of film work he did (most of Wallace’s contemporaries, predecessors and successors – eg Roy Rene – fall more into the “I guess you had to be there” category).
By 1931, Wallace was nationally famous, having put in the hard yards entertaining folk since World War One. Impresario F.W. Thring was moving into film production and thought that there might be money to be made in a vehicle showcasing Wallace’s talents. The theory was sound – as most of Thring’s theories were, it’s just that he didn’t always have the skills to execute them.
Thring played it safe for Wallace’s feature debut, electing to adapt some road-tested material – specifically, the stage musical His Royal Highness, which Wallace wrote and performed in during the 1920s. It told the story of a stagehand, who gets transported to a European kingdom and has adventures. It’s easy to guess where the comedy is going to come from and you’d be right: George clashing against snobs, dealing with protocol and enemies of the state, roller skating and playing cards, interfering in romance. The script was credited to Wallace and CJ Dennis, famed for The Sentimental Bloke (which was being filmed by Thring around the same time).
His Royal Highness is actually a lot of fun. Wallace is in great form and the contrast between the little Aussie battler and stuffy royal environment is very funny because it’s so extreme. There are songs and dances – the movie is an operetta really – and the production values are impressive and the acting solid. Thring’s direction isn’t overly dynamic, but it doesn’t really matter. The device of it all being a dream is a little silly, and the material is more a collection of set-pieces instead of something that builds. And it’s odd that the film ends on such a downer, with Wallace watching as the girl he loves goes off with another guy (Charlie Chaplin’s disease). But it’s a good time. There’s some skilled slapstick and even the warbling works.
Aside from capturing Wallace’s talent, His Royal Highness is a useful reminder of the hunger that Australian audiences had after World War One for silly musicals set in exotic fictitious locations. Pieces like Maid of the Mountains and Chu Chin Chow (written by an Aussie, Oscar Asche) ran for years on stage, Wallace’s other stage musicals included titles like Alpine Antics, Off Honolulu and Lads of the Village. His Royal Highness is a rare example of an Australian movie capturing this.
The movie was a solid hit in Australia and was quite widely seen in the UK under the title His Loyal Highness. It would result in two more Wallace vehicles from Thring starting with Harmony Row.
You can see the film below.
