The Kid Stakes (1927)

Director:

Tal Ordell

Writer:

Tal Ordell

Stars:

Robin 'Pop' Ordell, Charles Roberts, Ray Salmon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robin 'Pop' Ordell	...	Fatty Finn
Charles Roberts	...	Tiny King
Ray Salmon	...	Jimmy Kelly
Frank Boyd	...	Bruiser Murphy
Edward Stevens	...	Shooey Shugg
Gwenda Hemus	...	Betty Briggs
Billy Ireland	...	Seasy
Leonard Durell	...	Constable Claffey
Stanley Funnelle	...	Headlights Hogan
Joyce Hazeldine	...	Kitty Kelly
Jimmy Taylor	...	Horatio John Wart
Eileen Alexander	...	Madeline Twirt
Tom Cannam	...	Mr. Twirt
David Lidstone	...	Master Algie Snopps
Evelyn Rawle	...	Molly Kitty

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

based on comic book | comic book | family relationships | billy goat | race | 

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Taglines:

This is not a cartoon film

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Australia

Release Date:

9 June 1927 (Australia)

Filming Locations:

Woolloomooloo, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

£4,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ordell-Coyle Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

69 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

The final Billy goat race was filmed in Rockhampton, Queensland, over 600 miles from Sydney, as New South Wales had banned the practice a year before.

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Connections

Featured in Forgotten Cinema: The Golden Age of Australian Motion Pictures (1967)

User Reviews

My daughter and I both enjoyed it...

I am not an Australian and I have never heard about the Fatty Finn comic strip. So, I had absolutely no idea what to expect when this film began. However, by the time it was over, both my daughter and I agreed that it was a lot of fun.

In many ways, the movie is a lot like Hal Roach's "Li'l Rascals" series. This isn't surprising, as MANY studios in the States made their own knockoff of the series--so why wouldn't the Aussies also make what sure looks like a knockoff. Now this is not really a complaint, as the end result still is quite pleasing.

The film is, at first, almost like a couple shorts combined. It's only a bit later in the film when the race occurs--from which the title derives. This big race is a weird affair--with carts pulled by goats and little kids riding at incredibly brisk speeds. But the race itself is only one of many little vignettes that make up this cute little film. Pretty good child acting and a good fast-paced script make this worth seeing.