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Don was quite surprised that to date nobody had documented
WaJiace's life- either in print or on film. This was when it
all began to happen. Murphy, Percy and Kewley agreed
that they would work together to try and bring a George
Wallace documentary ro fruition.

ln 1996 the AUSTRALIAN FILM COMMISSION gave
them a development fund to create the first draft script and
to shoot initial interviews with the likes of MAX GILLIES,
CHARLES NORMAN and JACK MURRAY. These inter-
views- and memorable clips from some of George's fea-
ture films were used to create a 'Teaser Tape" of a planned
documentary. The tape caught the eye of ABC-TV Docu-
mentaries executive producer BRIAN McKENZIE.

[n January 1999, ABC-TV commissioned the newly formed
ONKUS PICTURES to produce a 55 minute documentary.
Having received the pre-sale for ABC-TV, the AUSTRAL-
JAN FILM FINANCE CORPORATION agreed to finance
the programme, as pan of the accord Scheme.

More interviews were shot in Victoria, New Sotuh Wales
and Queensland during June and July of J 999. Sadly both
CHARLES NORMAN and JACK MURRAY passed away
before the program was completed, as did BOBBY LIMB,
who was very helpful with his advice and stories of Wallace.

The program was edited at Complete Post in Melbourne,
mixed at Labsonies, with originaJ music composed, ar-
ranged and recorded by ROBYN PAYNE. Apparently the
final cost was in the order of $250,000.

The following is a brief program outline on "FUNNY BY
GEORGE": - George was a larTikjn, comedjan and a one-
off original, whkh was well shown in this documentary.
George found great success on stage. in motion pictures
and on radio. His beginnings were with country travelling
shows and vaudeville, becoming the first genuine box of-
tice comedian of the sound era.

He starred in no fewer than five feature frJms. His ftrst
feanrre film- "His RoyaJ Highness"- was released in Eng-
land (but less offensively titled as '·His Loyal Highness")
and was hailed as one of the greatest comic finds of the
decade. SadJy his "Aussie'· style of humour did not go down
too well when he made his stage ac;sault on England.

George was a complex man whose life was a constant bat-
tle for recognition and acceptance. From his miserable child-
hood in Sydney, he escaped to the outback of Queensland
and worked as a cane-cutter at the age of thirteen. His only
marriage- which produced a son- was a short-lived failure
as it took second place lo the stage and a string of affairs.

In his later years, George was overtaken by ill heald1. Some
described him as jealous, uncouth, and a slob, but most
thought of him as kind, talented, and hysterically funny.

This documentary uses his home movies, feature film foot-
age and contemporary interviews to trace his colowfullife,
and a wonderful film of a very taJented man!

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