Once a Jolly Swagman (1949)

Directed by

Jack Lee

Genre

drama film

Country

United Kingdom

Runtime

1h 40m

Rated

U

Rating

5.8 of 10 from 15 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A young man rises through the ranks of motorcycle speedway racing in post-war Britain. It follows his triumphs and personal struggles as the sport reaches its peak popularity.

atmosphericearnestgrittycompetitivenostalgictensesports-centeredserious

What happens

Once a Jolly Swagman (U.S. title: Maniacs on Wheels) is a 1949 British film starring Dirk Bogarde, Bonar Colleano, Bill Owen, Thora Hird and Sid James. It was written by William Rose and Jack Lee, based on the 1944 novel of the same title by Montagu Slater. It is centred on the sport of motorcycle speedway racing, which was at its peak of popularity at the time. The title of the film refers to the first line of the Australian song "Waltzing Matilda". (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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