Geordie

One can only agree with most of the reviewers who found this film so utterly delightful. Which, of course, it is. I note that some sort of DVD release of the film is scheduled for September, 2008 but I am apprehensive that the quality of this release might not be that great. I hope I am wrong, of course.

Contrary to the opinion of one writer this film was beautifully photographed in the original, wonderful Technicolor process, not in black and white, as was erroneously stated. Those lucky enough to see an original Technicolor print are lucky indeed for the colour cinematography was one of the best things about that movie. Nowadays that the old Technicolor "imbibition" process is no longer used (it ceased in 1977) we are mostly left with pale, washed-out poor colour prints of this great movie. That is why I fear this upcoming DVD release may be a sad disappointment.

It is a pity that the original studio (British Lion/Columbia/Sony) doesn't spend a few dollars by going back to the film negative and giving us a nice restored version, as is done with so many other older films. Look what Warner Brothers recently did restoring the old 1937 Technicolor "Robin Hood" for DVD: it looks like the film was shot yesterday. And the same thing could be done to nearly every old Technicolor film, if the studios would make the effort.

"Wee Geordie" is a terrific film, so let's hope it one day gets a new lease on life with a proper transfer to DVD.

This movie is truly a classic... It is a classic story of a small boy who is tired of being small and rather than having sand kicked in his face, sends off for a "HE-MAN" mail order course... He then trains and dedicates himself to strength training and eventually grows to become an Olympic champion in the Hammer Throw, one of the Olympic strong man events... This movie is great and reminds us of days when Olympic champions were built from desire and hard work rather than todays steroids and other controversial techniques... A must see...

Wee Geordie is an undersized lad who spends his savings on a physical culture course to increase his height and improve his strength. So successful is he that he is chosen in later years to represent Britain in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games and as a consequence wins gold in the hammer throw.

Such a simple tale with a message to youngsters that a goal can be achieved through sheer perseverance. Bill Travers plays the lead role as Geordie with a dour expression which breaks into a winning smile when things go right for him. Jean (Nora Gorsen) his companion since childhood urges him to accept the Olympic challenge and provides the romantic interest. Alistair Sim as the laird does well in a comic character role (as always). Francis de Wolff as Samson who prepares the correspondence courses for Geordie is a loud and aggressive character who takes all the credit for Geordie's success. There is a genuinely funny scene at the railway station when he farewells Geordie on his trip to Australia.

The dialogue is very simple and unsophisticated. It is spoken slowly and clearly and fortunately the Scottish accent can be understood. The colour photography has a washed out look and shows how much the technology has advanced in the last 40 years or so.

A nice little family film that will gladden the heart of any wee laddie or lassie.

Farm boy Rulon Gardner's fabulous win at the Sydney Olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling is almost a real-life incarnation of the hero of "Wee Geordie." Goerdie, the hero of this wonderful low-key comedy, starts out as an undersized little boy in rural Scotland, who grows up to be very big indeed. He takes up hammer-throwing after completing a physical-culture courst that converts him from 99 lb. weakling to "Charles Atlas." And, of course, he ends up in the 1956 Olympics, wearing his kilt and throwing for the gold.

I saw this film as a kid when it first came out, and was lucky enough to see it on television about a decade ago--and it had lost none of its charm. What with Rulon and Sydney, it's time to bring out this wonderful comedy on Video/DVD. Alistair Sim is a wonderful laird and Bill Travers plays the ultra-grown-up Geordie. It's really funny in the way of Brit comedies of the era.

It is time that this movie was released on DVD. It has been at least ten years since I last saw it on PBS. The values extolled in this film are never ending, and perhaps even timely in this period of heightened violence in the world. Geordie has been a favourite for many years and, notwithstanding my like for all of the classic and modern hard-hitting western, war and other action films, the scene where Geordie tosses the hammer for a Gold Medal while he envisions his sweetheart coming over a hill through the heather is only one that remains stuck in my mind, even to this day.