It Isn't Done-Cedar Herald Index

It Isn't Done is a 1937 Australian comedy film about a grazier (Cecil Kellaway) who inherits a barony in England.

Synopsis

Hubert Blaydon, an Australian farmer, inherits a baronial estate and moves to England with his wife and daughter Patricia, a university student, to collect it. He finds it difficult to adapt to upper class customs and faces snobbishness from Lord Denvee and difficulties with his butler Jarms. Patricia falls for a writer, Peter Ashton, who is next in line for the title and the estate.

It Isn't Done

Hubert misses Australia. He eventually contrives evidence that Peter is the legal heir and bonds with Lord Denvee over the fact that both their sons died on the same day in World War I. Hubert and his wife return to Australia with Jarms while Patricia and Peter are married.

It Isn't Done

Cast

Cecil Kellaway as Hubert Blaydon

Shirley Ann Richards as Patricia Blaydon

John Longden as Peter Ashton

Frank Harvey as Lord Denvee

Harvey Adams as Jarms

Nellie Ferguson as Mrs Blaydon

Campbell Copelin as Ronald Dudley

Bobby Hunt as Lady Denvee

Leslie Victor as Potter

Harold Meade as Lady Addersley

Rita Paucefort as Mrs Dudley

Douglas Channell as Harry Blaydon

Sylvia Kellaway as Elsie Blaydon

Hilda Dorrington as Mrs Ashton

Ronald Whelan as Perroni

Production

Development

The film was based on an original story by Cecil Kellaway which he had written in between acts while performing in White Horse Inn on stage. Hall liked the basic idea but said Kellaway was unable to put it down to paper.

It Isn't Done

Hall originally imported American writer Carl Dudley from Los Angeles to adapt it into a feature film script. Dudley intended to stay in Australia for 12 months.

Hall had the script worked on by playwright and actor Frank Harvey, who had recently joined Cinesound as a dialogue director. Harvey went on to write all of Ken G. Hall's films for Cinesound. Hall says he had considerable input to the film as well.

"If anything, the English will get more knocks than the Australians", said Hall at the time. "But there will be hits at both sides-nothing malicious; just a good-humoured conflict of ideas."

Cecil Kellaway later claimed the lead character was based on a real grazier from New South Wales: I've enjoyed portraying this role, because I know him so thoroughly. I've stayed on his property, I've studied his mannerisms. He is the jovial, lovable person who is symbolic of the democratic carefree spirit of a sunny land.... To me, he is typical of so many of our countrymen. In many of his scenes I have endeavoured to give something that hopes for a laugh and faintly suggests a tear. I sincerely hope I have succeeded.

At one stage the film was called Something in Common. The title was changed to It Isn't Done just before filming.

Casting

The film marked the feature debut of Shirley Ann Richards who was a graduate of Cinesound's Talent School, run by Harvey and George Parker. Although she was not very experienced, she proved a natural and was enormously popular. She was signed to a long-term contract with Cinesound and went on to appear in several of their films.