One of the advantages of the internet age is research is becoming easier - there's a full script of Dad and Dave Come to Town, my favourite early Aussie movie at the National Archives. It's a copy registered with the copyright office, from the days before such things were automatically given. Sole credit is given to Frank Harvey for writing it even though Ken G Hall says he extensively used a team of gag writers as well around this time.
The look of the script is a little different to what we're used to today - it's two columns, the one on the left being visuals the one on the right being dialogue. But after a while you get used to reading it.
The thing that first struck me most is how many subplots this film. A few pages in and we hear about Joe Rudd's sore tooth, neighbour Bill Ryan wanting to marry daughter Sally, Bill's dad Ryan and Dad arguing, a fox is loose, daughter Jill runs a successful store in town, Dad borrowed 300 pounds from an uncle... it's all set up.
The script is broken down into sequences, normally of a comic variety - Joe getting his tooth removed, Bill asking Dad if he can marry Sally and Dad thinking he wants to buy a dog (this is first rate comic writing), an old man telling Dad he wants to get married, Dave shows off his new invention, Dad and Ryan argue about a paddock one wants to buy, they hear about the death of "Uncle Alf" and Dad and Dave argue about Dave going along.
In the city Dad finds he's inherited a house and fashion store; Dad is inclined to sell but Jill wants to make a go of it; there is comedy with the new housekeeper Miss Quince; then on their first morning in the city Dad and Dave get up comically early to feed the chooks; Dad and Dave have comic adventures trying to run a bath.
At Cecile's we meet Rawlins and Sonya who seem to be baddies - Rawlins makes a joke about Entwistle not being interested in women. Then we meet the baddie Pierre described in the script big print as "presumably a Frenchman, but in forgetful moments dropping into Jewish idiom" who tells Rawlins he wants the Rudds to run the shop but only make small profits - he wants to buy it eventually and doesn't want them to sell to a higher bidder who might make it successful; his ace in the hole is a one thousand pound promissory note between him and the late Alf Rudd. We also meet Pierre's cocky but honest press agent, Jim Bradley, who is ignorant of his boss's schemes.
Dad and Dave arrive at Cecille's and there are shenanigans with mannequins. They meet Entwistle and there are some comic misunderstandings; Entwistle is described in the script big print as "effeminate without being revolting". Dave meets a model called Myrtle. Jill tells Rawlins she's not impressed with how out of date the store is and it's clear Entwistle has ideas so she tells him to implement them; Dad puts Jill in charge of the store. Dave is flirting heavily with Myrtle.
Warned by Rawlins about Jill Rudd's acumen, Pierre sends Jim Bradley over to make friends with the Rudds. There is a comic set piece involving Dad and some twin elevator operators, then him trying to drink out of a water fountain and being mistaken for Santa. Jim meets Jill and after being confused about her being the boss, the two banter and clearly like each other.
Three days later Jill's plans have revived the business but some of the dresses she was going to sell are in Pierre's widow. Dad - who has arrived in top hat and tails as per an Entwistle make over - thinks "there's a nigger in the woodpile somewhere". Dad sabotages the sale (not very convincingly) with the help of Myrtle.
Entwistle dobs on Sonia for trying to sell Cecille's stock on the sly. Sonia admits it and Jill fires her; Sonia gives an unexpectedly moving little speech about how hard it is to be an in store model, all the dehumanising work involved and Jill pities her and changes her mind; Sonia thanks her by telling Jill about Rawlins' treachery. Jim pops in and arranges a date with Jill.
There's some comic misunderstanding between Dad and a customer wanting treatment for her foundations. Jill forces Rawlins to resign (so he'll have less trouble finding another job) and appoints Entwistle in his place. Jim and Jill go out on a date, talking about a movie they've just seen (some "meta" dialogue about whether she thought the hero of the film was too fresh) and Rawlins heckles them; Jim knocks out Rawlins. Jim quits Pierre and goes to work for Jill.
Dad decides to hold a fashion show to promote the business which he decides to turn into a manufacturing concern - Jill to design dresses for mass appeal and the firm to manufacture them. Dad gives a speech about the importance of investing in what you believe in and we launch into a montage of Jim Bradley promotion for the store.
Ryan arrives in the city and heckles Dad - there is a comic scene where they are lifted up on a crane and carried through the city while arguing. Jim talks Dad into appearing in a radio broadcast (Ken Hall often used this joke and based it on Bert Bailey and Cecil Kellaway's real life habit of going "I will not do it" and then doing it.)
There's a not particularly funny extended sequence where Dad and Dave stuff up a radio broadcast - but according to Jim Bradley its a big success.
The Rudds are about to launch their fashion line with a show when Pierre calls in his one thousand dollar payment. Feeling low, Dad cooks up a billy in the kitchen and is seen by Mum. Dad admits he borrowed a lot of money from the bank to pay for the fashion shop. Mum gives him this speech where she tells him to pull his finger out and fight - but also says the money is his to do with as he likes and she fires Mrs Quince because she can look after her man. It's not much of a subplot for her but it is integral to the film.
The fashion show goes ahead with Dad and Dave keeping guard to ward off Pierre's goons.The fashion show was surely influenced by the Astaire-Rogers film Roberta. Pierre sends in the bailiffs and Dave and Entwistle try to fight them off with the help of Myrtle.
They succeed and the show is a massive success but Pierre demands payment right now. Ryan comes to the rescue, bailing out Dad - "where I come from a man stands by his mates". And all is well.
The film finishes with a sequence at Ruddville - Dave is with Myrtle, Jim with Jill, Billy with Sarah. The script doesn't have the final last line of the movie about populating or perishing.
Overall it's a very strong script, with an effective central situation and solid humour. Some of the comic set pieces I don't feel worked such as Dad sabotaging Pierre's show, and the radio show - and the script has an indication of anti Semitism that I didn't pick up from the film. There is a great deal of warmth in all the family and friends of the Rudds, a touching bit involving Sonya, and first rate rom com banter between Jill and Jim. It remains one of our best comic scripts, even if purely on a craft level.
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