The Green Helmet
| The Green Helmet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Michael Forlong |
| Written by | Jon Cleary |
| Produced by | Charles F. Vetter |
| Starring | Bill Travers Ed Begley Sid James |
| Cinematography | Geoffrey Faithfull |
| Edited by | Frank Clarke |
| Music by | Ken Jones |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
| Language | English |
| Budget | $378,000[1] |
| Box office | $950,000[1] |
The Green Helmet is a 1961 British film starring Bill Travers, Ed Begley and Sid James. The film is centred on a British motor racing team. It is based on a novel by Australian author Jon Cleary.
Original novel
Cleary wrote the original novel in the 1950s. He had written a book about Australian politics, The Mayor's Nest, but his English publisher was worried it would not appeal to an international audience, and suggested a book on motor racing. Cleary and his wife had lived in Italy for a year and became familiar with the motor races there. He wrote it in Spain in twenty days at a chapter a day, and it became a best seller on its publication in 1957.[2]
Production
Film rights were bought by MGM who hired Cleary to adapt his own novel. Although most of the movie was set in Italy, it was shot in Wales.[2] Sid James was cast as an Australian.
Cast
- Bill Travers as Rafferty
- Ed Begley as Bartell
- Sid James as Richie Launder
- Nancy Walters as Diane
- Ursula Jeans as Mrs. Rafferty
- Megs Jenkins as Kitty Launder
- Jack Brabham as Himself
- Sean Kelly as Taz Rafferty
- Tutte Lemkow as Carlo Zaraga
- Gordon Tanner as Hastrow
- Ferdy Mayne as Rossano
- Peter Collingwood as Charlie
- Roland Curram as George
- Diane Clare as Pamela
- Harold Kasket as Lupi
Reception
Box office
According to MGM records the film earned $375,000 in the US and $575,000 internationally, making a profit of $124,000.[1]
References
- ^ a b c The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
- ^ a b Jon Cleary Interviewed by Stephen Vagg: Oral History at National Film and Sound Archive
External links
- The Green Helmet at IMDb
- The Green Helmet (novel) at AustLit (subscription required)
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