Silent film adaptation
The 1920 silent film Ginger Mick was a sequel to the highly successful 1919 adaptation of The Sentimental Bloke, continuing the story of one of C J Dennis’s most popular characters. Directed by Raymond Longford, the film again starred Arthur Tauchert, reprising his role as Bill, alongside other returning cast members from the earlier production.
The adventures of Ginger Mick take him from slums and backyards to lock-ups and racecourses. He romances Rose, works as a rabbitoh and enlists to fight in World War I. He writes letters back to his old friend, the Bloke now married to Doreen with a young son, Bill. Mick makes friends with a fellow soldier, Keith, and is eventually killed at Gallipoli on the hills of Sari Bair.
Although less widely seen today than The Sentimental Bloke, the film is regarded as an important part of early Australian cinema. Surviving elements are held in archival collections, and the production remains a significant example of how Dennis’s literary characters were adapted for the screen during the silent film era.