Frankston and Somerville Standard (Vic. : 1921 - 1939), Saturday 17 February 1934, page 7


EFFTEE FILM PRODUCTIONS ——— Australian Comedian who has Played Many Parts ——— George Wallace Playing a Real Life Part in "Collits' Inn" Some of the critics who saw "Col-lits' Inn" on the opening night at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, insisted that George Wallace's check shirt and baggy trousers were right out of the picture. They also insisted that no rouseabout would act like he did. George has the last laugh on the critics, however, as he can demon-strate that in "Collits' Inn" he is merely playing a part which he play-ed in real life many years ago, when, as a lad, he actually worked as a rouseabout in a "pub" not ten miles away from where "Collits' Inn" actu-ally stands. Some of the happenings of that time he has introduced into the Efftee musical comedy. George Wallace happens to write most of his musical plays himself, and Mr. Thring, knowing this, handed him the part of Dandy Dick in "Collits' Inn," and told him to build it up round his own personality. This George pro-ceeded to do, and in doing it bethought him of many of the actual experiences of his early years. As a matter or fact when he first went on the stage, after a period of knocking about in the Australian bush, George Wallace chose the costume which he had worn as a rouseabout as his stage costume, which he has since made famous on stage and screen. In his early days George did most things that a bushman does. He has been a cane cutter in North Queens-land, a fruit farmer at Kurrajong Heights (N.S.W.); he has done fenc-ing, ring-barking, ploughing, harrow-ing, and has carried his swag. He was a tar boy on a sheep station, and learned to throw a fleece with the next one, and has worked in a country store—but not quite as he does in "A Ticket in Tatts," his latest Efftee film. George Wallace has spent fifteen out of his 36 years on the stage. His first engagement was a tour of the Queensland "smalls" with Happy Harry Salmon, for whom he acted as property man, baggage man, stage hand, comic singer and dancer, lead-ing man, comedian and villain, all for £1 per week.That tour gave him in-valuable experience, and he gravitated naturally into vaudeville, with much success on the Fuller circuit. His varied talents made him particularly valuable as a revue star, and a few years ago he formed his own company with which he toured Australia and New Zealand in revues which he wrote and composed himself. For some years now he has been regarded as Australia's most original comedian, and his selection by F. W. Thring as the principal comedian of the first Eff-tee musical film "His Royal High-ness," proved a wise one; and another instance of the Efftee director's flair for picking stage and screen winners. Since then the success of the Efftee films abroad has won for George Wal-lace world-wide recognition, and he has been acclaimed by English critics as a successor to Charlie Chaplin. ==========