Australian
Screen

Teacher’s notes

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This black-and-white clip shows the extended Rudd family welcoming a guest, Mrs White (Dorothy Dunkley), when the unseemly entrance of Dad Rudd (Bert Bailey) in a nightshirt and suffering a toothache becomes the catalyst for a series of chaotic events. Having scared off Mrs White, Dad has his tooth pulled by Mr Maloney (John McGowan), which leads to Dad’s further slapstick suffering: he falls off a stool, sits on a hot iron and has water thrown over him.

Educational value points

• This scene from On Our Selection is an example of the ‘bush comedy’ genre, which comprises a series of comic skits about rural life connected by a melodramatic narrative. The film genre, which is claimed to have originated with Beaumont Smith’s film Our Friends, The Hayseeds (1917), grew out of a popular form of theatre. It features vulgar folk humour, stereotypical characterisations of the rural poor, farcical scenarios and exaggerated performances.

• As Dad Rudd reels around the room, cutaway shots build comic suspense by informing the viewer of the consequences before the action occurs. Cutaway shots are inserted here to warn the viewer of the dangers to Dad without slowing down the main action – the removal of Dad’s tooth. These cutaway shots, such as the one to the hot iron on the bench, build towards a catharsis and add to the comedy based around Dad’s pain and humiliation.

• The comedy here relies on well-established devices including the lampooning of archetypal characters and slapstick (physical comedy, usually integrating props). The undermining of Dad Rudd’s authority by subjecting him to physical injury and the loss of Mrs White’s dignified bearing at the sight of him in a nightshirt are rich sources of comedy. Additionally, slapstick is used when Dad Rudd sits on the hot iron and is doused with water.

• The theatrical staging of the action reflects that the film is an adaptation of a stage play. The scene in the clip is located on a single set, with several dramatic exits and entrances from both sides of the main action. The film was adapted for the screen by Ken Hall (1901–94) in 1932, and a large portion of the dialogue and events was taken directly from the 1912 play by Bert Bailey and Edmund Duggan. Hall enhanced the narrative by adding outdoor action.

• The cinematography in this scene appears limited to today’s viewer, which may be partly attributed to the primitive technology used and, as it was Hall’s first feature film, his confidence about moving the camera. Hall had to record sound on the set and use a bulky and antiquated camera. Shot mostly with locked-off or stationary medium shots, this scene largely relies on editing to provide momentum and pans when characters move across the room.

• On Our Selection launched director Ken Hall’s distinguished career in the Australian film industry. The film was a major box office success and earned ten times its production cost at a time when Australia was emerging from the Great Depression. The success of the film led to Hall establishing himself as a leading producer, director and executive. He revitalised the local film industry and introduced the latest practices from Hollywood.

Members of the Rudd family are sitting inside the house when a young woman opens the door and enters followed by a dressed-up woman.
Young woman This is Dave’s girl’s mother.
Mrs Rudd shakes her hand.
Mrs Rudd You’re welcome, Mrs White. How do you do? Have you met Mr Maloney?
Mrs White No.
Mr Maloney shakes Mrs White’s hand.
Mr Maloney Pleased to meet you.
Mrs White How are you?
Mrs Rudd And Uncle?
A crazy-looking, bent-over aged man comes over to shake Mrs Rudd’s hand.
Uncle How do you do? I’m Dave’s brother. You ain’t had the pleasure of meeting me before but the pleasure is all on my part.
Young woman Oh, will you shut up?
The young woman roughly pulls Uncle away.
Mrs Rudd Sit down.
Mrs White Thank you.
Young woman Mrs White, would you like a cup of tea?
Mrs White That’s what I would like.
Mrs White turns to Mrs Rudd.
Mrs White And I’d like to meet your husband. I’ve heard he’s a fine old gentleman.
Mrs Rudd Thank you.
The young woman talks quietly to Uncle.
Young woman Someone’s been lying to her!
Uncle smiles and nods.
Mrs Rudd Dad’s in bed with a terrible toothache. He fell in the creek.
Dad Rudd calls out from the next room, disputing this version of events.
Dad Rudd Maloney dipped me in. It was his rotten driving.
Mr Maloney I’m a better driver than ever you knew how to be.
Dad You couldn’t drive a starving cow into a paddock of grass.
Mr Maloney Why didn’t you hold onto them pigs?
Dad Hold onto the pigs, I’ll…
Dad comes out from the bedroom in his nightshirt with a bandage wrapped around his jaw. At the sight of him, Mrs White runs screaming out the door.
Dad Why, what’s the matter with him? Hold onto the pigs!
Dad is bundled back into the bedroom by Mrs Rudd and the young woman.
Mr Maloney I declare to Heaven the man has no trousers on.
Dave comes in.
Dave How’s Dad?
Mrs Rudd shakes her head.
Dave How are you, Dad?
Dad answers from the bedroom.
Dad Mind your own business.
Uncle He’s alright, Dave.
Dad comes out. He has removed the bandage around his jaw and is pulling his waistcoat on.
Dad Standing around like a lot of crows waiting for me to die.
He clutches his cheek in pain.
Dad Oh, ooh.
Uncle Whiskey’s the best cure in the world.
Mr Maloney opens Dad’s mouth.
Mr Maloney Let’s have a look at your tooth.
Mr Maloney jumps back.
Mr Maloney What do you want to bite me for?
Dad What do you want to go poking at it for? Don’t go poking at it!
Mr Maloney turns to Dave.
Mr Maloney How can we pull it?
Dave pulls a piece of string from his pocket.
Dave Will this do?
Mr Maloney Oh, that will do fine!
Dad tries to leave the room but Dave pushes him into a chair.
Dave Sit down there.
Uncle Got a touch of toothache meself.
Dad sits on the chair, his tooth attached to the piece of string. Mr Maloney pulls on the string.
Mr Maloney One, two, three!
Dad and his chair fall over.
Dad Ooh, ooh. You broke my jaw.
One of Dad’s young sons picks up the tooth.
Young son D-d-d-dad, can I have the tooth?
Dad No, you can’t have the tooth. I’m going to stuff it full of sugar and watch it ache.
Dad sits down on a hot iron.
Dad Holy Moses!
Mr Maloney By God, he’s on fire! Where’s the water?
Dad dances in pain. Dave spanks his bottom with a frying pan.
Dave It’s alright, Dad. It’s out.
Dad Ooh, thank you, Dave.
Mr Maloney rushes in with a bucket of water and tips it over Dad. Dad is enraged and rushes towards Mr Maloney, who runs out of the room.