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At the end of Ray Lawler’s ground breaking 1955 Australian play ,Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, which was a hit in London but bombed out in New York, the two male characters , itinerant cane cutters from Queensland, Roo and Barney, after a row with their two Melbourne “floosies”- barmaids , raise the possibility of going north to the Rum Jungle uranium mine where you can earn big money . For 17 years during the cane lay off season, the two men had spent the period whooping it up with the women in Melbourne, and bought them a kewpie doll each time .
A layabout member of Little Darwin’s staff read the play while recovering from a cardiac operation in Flinders Medical Centre and, suffering an obvious brainstorm, thought it would be great to give The Doll a Territory epilogue .
While in Adelaide he conversed with a theatrical antique dealer and collector , with a talking budgie called Billy , who provided him with an Alice Springs connection to the Summer of the Seventeenth Doll . It is interesting to note that one of the cast that played London, Richard Pratt, became the cardboard king of Australia ,a great patron of the arts and worthy causes, fined millions for alleged price fixing .
Over a latte at Fannie Bay’s Cool Spot , our man discussed the Rum Jungle connection with talented artist/cartoonist , Royle Salt , the man responsible for our brilliant Little Darwin masthead illustration .
In a flash , he sketched an outline , not only capturing the elements of The Doll , but dressing her up in some zany Territory accessories , including UFOs, aliens and canetoads. The drooping UDP FALLS signpost is another inspired addition.
In a flash , he sketched an outline , not only capturing the elements of The Doll , but dressing her up in some zany Territory accessories , including UFOs, aliens and canetoads. The drooping UDP FALLS signpost is another inspired addition.
Big- bellied Roo is only armed with a sickle , not a hefty cane knife, because he understands spear grass is tall at the Rum Jungle mine. Of course, the two rustics each carry a rather bedraggled kewpie doll when they arrive , perhaps hoping to impress local floosies . NEXT DOLL EDITION : The Alice connection and items from our theatrical files.
