John William Pilbean Goffage
MBE Mbe may refer to:
* Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo
* Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria
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Molal ...
(26 March 190927 May 1971), known professionally as Chips Rafferty, was an Australian actor. Called "the living symbol of the typical Australian",
[ Rafferty's career stretched from the late 1930s until his death in 1971, and during this time he performed regularly in major Australian feature films as well as appearing in British and American productions, including '' The Overlanders'' and '' The Sundowners''. He appeared in commercials in Britain during the late 1950s, encouraging British emigration to Australia.
]
Early days
He was born John William Pilbean Goffage in Broken Hill
Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. It is ...
, New South Wales to John Goffage, an English-born stock agent, and Australian-born Violet Maude Joyce.[Pike, A. (1996) "Goffage, John William Pilbean hips Rafferty(1909–1971)", ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Volume 14, Melbourne University Press.] Gaining the nickname "Chips" as a school boy,[ Rafferty studied at ]Parramatta
Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...
Commercial School before working in a variety of jobs, including opal miner, sheep shearer, drover, RAAF
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
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, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
Officer[ and pearl diver.]
Film career
He made his film debut in the comedy ''Ants in His Pants
''Come Up Smiling'' (also known as ''Ants in His Pants'') is a 1939 Australian comedy film starring popular American stage comedian Will Mahoney and his wife Evie Hayes. It was the only feature from Cinesound Productions not directed by Ken G. H ...
'' in 1938, as an extra, produced by Ken G. Hall
Kenneth George Hall, AO, OBE (22 February 1901 – 8 February 1994), better known as Ken G. Hall, was an Australian film producer and director, considered one of the most important figures in the history of the Australian film industry. ...
. At that time, he was managing a wine cellar in Bond Street, Sydney. Rafferty caught the acting bug and got another unbilled role, as one of several inept firemen in Hall's ''Dad Rudd, M.P.
''Dad Rudd, M.P.'' is a 1940 comedy that was the last of four films made by Ken G. Hall starring Bert Bailey as Dad Rudd. It was the last feature film directed by Hall prior to the war and the last made by Cinesound Productions, Bert Bailey and F ...
'' (1940).
''Forty Thousand Horsemen''
Rafferty leapt to international fame when cast as one of the three leads in ''Forty Thousand Horsemen
''Forty Thousand Horsemen'' (aka ''40,000 Horsemen'') is a 1940 Australian war film directed by Charles Chauvel. The film tells the story of the Australian Light Horse (mounted rifleman as distinct from cavalry) which operated in the desert at t ...
'' (1940), a film directed by Charles Chauvel that focused on the Battle of Beersheba in 1917. Rafferty had been cast after a screen test. Chauvel described him as "a cross between Slim Summerville
Slim Summerville (born George Joseph Somerville; July 10, 1892 – January 5, 1946), was an American film actor and director best known for his work in comedies.
Early life
Summerville was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where his mother d ...
and James Stewart
James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...
, and has a variety of droll yet natural humour." He played a laconic tall bushman. ''Forty Thousand Horsemen'' was enormously popular and was screened throughout the world, becoming one of the most-seen Australian films made to that point. Although the film's romantic leads were Grant Taylor (actor)
Ronald Grant Taylor (6 December 1917 – 1971) was an English-Australian actor best known as the abrasive General Henderson in the Gerry Anderson science fiction series '' UFO'' and for his lead role in '' Forty Thousand Horsemen'' (1940).
Earl ...
and Betty Bryant
Elizabeth Bryant Silverstein (; 27 June 19203 October 2005), better known as Betty Bryant, was a British-born Australian actress known for playing the lead character in ''Forty Thousand Horsemen''.
Early life
Bryant was born on 27 June 1920 in ...
, Rafferty's performance received much acclaim.
War service
Rafferty married Ellen Kathleen "Quentin" Jameson on 28 May 1941.[Legge, J. (1968) ''Who's Who in Australia'', XIX Edition, Herald and Weekly Times Limited, Melbourne.] He enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
the next day and entertained troops.
During the war, Rafferty was allowed to make films on leave. He appeared in a short featurette, ''South West Pacific
Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million as of ...
'' (1943), directed by Hall. He was reunited with Chauvel and Grant Taylor in ''The Rats of Tobruk
The Rats of Tobruk were soldiers of the Australian-led Allied garrison that held the Libyan port of Tobruk against the Afrika Corps, during the Siege of Tobruk in World War II. The siege started on 11 April 1941 and was relieved on 10 December. ...
'' (1944), an attempt to repeat the success of ''Forty Thousand Horsemen''.
Rafferty was discharged on 13 February 1945, having reached the rank of Flying Officer.
International fame
Ealing Studios
Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on the site ever s ...
were interested in making a feature film in Australia after the war, and assigned Harry Watt
Harry Watt (18 October 19062 April 1987) was a Scottish documentary and feature film director, who began his career working for John Grierson and Robert Flaherty.
His 1959 film ''The Siege of Pinchgut'' was entered into the 9th Berlin Inter ...
to find a subject. He came up with '' The Overlanders'' (1946), a story of a cattle drive during war time (based on a true story) and gave the lead role to Rafferty who Watt called an "Australian Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...
."
Rafferty's fee was £25 a week. Ealing Studios were so pleased they signed Rafferty to a long-term contract even before the film was released. The film was a critical and commercial success and Rafferty was established as a film star.
Ealing Studios were associated with Rank Films, who cast Rafferty in the lead of ''Bush Christmas
''Bush Christmas'' (also known as ''Prince and the Great Race'') is a 1983 Australian Christmas drama film and a remake of a 1947 film of the same name, which was based on a novel by Ralph Smart and Mary Cathcart Borer. The film marked actress ...
'' (1947), a children's movie where Rafferty played the villain. It was very popular.
Ealing Studios
Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on the site ever s ...
signed Rafferty to a long-term contract. He went to England to promote ''The Overlanders'' and Ealing put him in ''The Loves of Joanna Godden
''The Loves of Joanna Godden'' is a 1947 British historical drama film directed by Charles Frend and produced by Michael Balcon. The screenplay was written by H. E. Bates and Angus MacPhail from the novel '' Joanna Godden'' (1921) by Sheila Ka ...
''. While promoting the film in Hollywood he met Hedda Hopper
Hedda Hopper (born Elda Furry; May 2, 1885February 1, 1966) was an American gossip columnist and actress. At the height of her influence in the 1940s, her readership was 35 million. A strong supporter of the House Un-American Activities Committ ...
who said Rafferty "created quite a stir. They call him the Australian Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...
, but if he were cut down a bit he would be more like the late Will Rogers. I don't know how they'll get him on the screen unless they do it horizontally... He is as natural as an old shoe."
Ealing and Watt wanted to make another film in Australia and decided on a spectacle, ''Eureka Stockade
The Eureka Rebellion was a series of events involving gold miners who revolted against the British administration of the colony of Victoria, Australia during the Victorian gold rush. It culminated in the Battle of the Eureka Stockade, which ...
''. Rafferty was cast in the lead as Peter Lalor
Peter Fintan Lalor (; 5 February 1827 – 9 February 1889) was an Irish-Australian rebel and, later, politician who rose to fame for his leading role in the Eureka Rebellion, an event identified with the "birth of democracy" in Australia. ...
, the head of the rebellion, despite pressures in some quarters to cast Peter Finch. The result was a box office disappointment and Rafferty's performance was much criticised.[Philip Kemp, 'On the Slide: Harry Watt and Ealing's Australian Adventure', Second Take: Australian Filmmakers Talk, Ed Geoff Burton and Raffaele Caputo, Allen & Unwin 1999 p 145-164]
Rafferty was meant to follow this with a comedy for Ealing co-starring Tommy Trinder. Instead, Ealing put the two actors in a drama about aboriginal land rights '' Bitter Springs'' (1950). The film was not widely popular and Ealing wound up their filmmaking operation in Australia.
Rafferty kept busy as an actor, appearing on radio in a show ''Chips: Story of an Outback''. He was cast by 20th Century Fox in a melodrama they shot in Australia, ''Kangaroo
Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern ...
'' (1952). The studio liked his performance enough that they flew him (and Charles Tingwell
Charles William Tingwell AM (3 January 1923 – 15 May 2009), known professionally as Bud Tingwell or Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, was an Australian film, television, theatre and radio actor. One of the veterans of Australian film, he acted in his ...
) over to Los Angeles to play Australian soldiers in ''The Desert Rats
The 7th Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army that saw distinguished active service during the Second World War, where its exploits in the Western Desert Campaign gained it the ''Desert Rats'' nickname.
After the Muni ...
'' (1953), a war movie.
Producer
Film production in Australia had slowed to a trickle and Rafferty decided to move into movie production. He wanted to make ''The Green Opal'', a story about immigration but could not get finance. However he then teamed up with a producer-director Lee Robinson and they decided to make movies together.
Their first movie was ''The Phantom Stockman
''The Phantom Stockman'' is a 1953 Australian western film written and directed by Lee Robinson and starring Chips Rafferty, Victoria Shaw, Max Osbiston and Guy Doleman.
It was the first of several movies produced by Lee Robinson in associatio ...
'' (1953), directed by Robinson and starring Rafferty, and produced by them both. The film was profitable. It was followed by ''King of the Coral Sea
''King of the Coral Sea'' is a 1954 film starring Chips Rafferty and Charles Tingwell, directed by Lee Robinson and shot on location in Thursday Island. It was one of the most commercially successful Australian films of the 1950s and was Rod Ta ...
'', which was even more popular, and introduce Rod Taylor
Rodney Sturt Taylor (11 January 1930 – 7 January 2015) was an Australian actor. He appeared in more than 50 feature films, including ''The Time Machine'' (1960), ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (1961), '' The Birds'' (1963), and ''In ...
to cinema audiences. Rafferty and Robinson attracted the interest of the French, collaborated with them on the New Guinea adventure tale, ''Walk Into Paradise
''Walk Into Paradise'' (also known as ''Walk Into Hell'') is a 1956 French-Australian international co-production adventure film directed by Lee Robinson and Marcello Pagliero and starring Chips Rafferty and Françoise Christophe. It was sho ...
'' (1956). This was their most popular movie to date.
Rafferty also appeared as an actor only in a British-financed comedy set in Australia, ''Smiley
A smiley, sometimes referred to as a smiley face, is a basic ideogram that represents a smiling face. Since the 1950s it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram, or as a form of communication, such a ...
'' (1956). It was successful and led to a sequel, ''Smiley Gets a Gun
''Smiley Gets a Gun'' is a 1958 Australian comedy-drama film in CinemaScope directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring Sybil Thorndike and Chips Rafferty. It is the sequel to the 1956 film Smiley (1956 film), ''Smiley''.
Synopsis
A young boy named ...
'' (1958),in which Rafferty reprised his role. In England he appeared in '' The Flaming Sword'' (1958).
He also participated in cinema advertisements that were part of an Australian Government campaign in 1957 called " Bring out a Briton". The campaign was launched in a bid to increase the number of British migrants settling in Australia.
Rafferty and Robinson raised money for three more movies with Robinson. He elected not to appear in the fourth film he produced with Robinson, ''Dust in the Sun
''Dust in the Sun'' is a 1958 Australian mystery film adapted from the 1955 novel '' Justin Bayard'' by Jon Cleary and produced by the team of Lee Robinson and Chips Rafferty. The film stars British actress
Jill Adams and an indigenous-Australian ...
'' (1958), their first flop together. Nor was he in '' The Stowaway'' (1959) and ''The Restless and the Damned
''The Restless and the Damned'' (also known as ''L'Ambitieuse'') is a 1959 French-Australian film co produced by Lee Robinson. It was shot on location in Tahiti and the Tuamotu Islands. There are French and English-language versions.
Synopsis
I ...
'' (1960). All three films lost money and Rafferty found himself in financial difficulty.
Later career
Rafferty returned to being an actor only. He had a small role in '' The Sundowners'' (1960), with Robert Mitchum
Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He rose to prominence with an Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actor for ''The Story of G.I. Joe'' (1945), followed by his starring in ...
and Deborah Kerr and played a coastwatcher in '' The Wackiest Ship in the Army'' (1960) with Jack Lemmon
John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadin ...
and Ricky Nelson
Eric Hilliard Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter and actor. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he bega ...
. He guest starred in several episodes of the Australian-shot TV series ''Whiplash
Whiplash may refer to:
* The long flexible part of a whip
* Whiplash (medicine), a neck injury
** Whiplash Injury Protection System (WHIPS), in automobiles
Film and television
* ''Whiplash'' (1948 film), a US film noir about a boxer
* ''Whiplas ...
'' (1961).
Rafferty was cast as one of the mutineers in the 1962 remake of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
's ''Mutiny on the Bounty
The mutiny on the Royal Navy vessel occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship from their captain, Lieutenant William Bligh, and set h ...
'', starring Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
. The filming of ''Bounty'' in Tahiti dragged longer than six months but it restored him to financial health after the failure of his production company; it enabled him to buy a block of flats which supported him for the rest of his life. Rafferty dubbed the film ''The Bounteous Mutiny''.
In 1962, the 6 foot 5 inch actor was socialising with fellow expatriates in a London club when they were joined by an Australian who acted as doorman, and unbeknownst to Rafferty, was a professional wrestler. Claiming he was being ignored after helping them get in the doorman was so argumentative that Rafferty was provoked into accepting a challenge to 'step outside'. In the severe beating that followed he sustained deep grazing across his face and suffered a myocardial infarction
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may ...
(he had not been aware of having a heart condition until the incident) costing him the chance at roles in two major film productions.
In 1963 he recorded a long play record with Festival Records (FL-31015) entitled ''A man and his horse'', narrating a selection of works from Australian verse composers including Banjo Paterson
Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, (17 February 18645 February 1941) was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author. He wrote many ballads and poems about Australian life, focusing particularly on the rural and outback areas, including the ...
(1864–1941), Adam Lindsay Gordon
Adam Lindsay Gordon (19 October 1833 – 24 June 1870) was a British-Australian poet, horseman, police officer and politician. He was the first Australian poet to gain considerable recognition overseas, and according to his contemporary, write ...
(1833–1870) and Will H. Ogilvie (1869–1963).
He played the Australian Prime Minister in the Australian sci-fi TV series '' The Stranger'' (1964) then travelled to England and appeared in eight episodes of ''Emergency-Ward 10
''Emergency Ward 10'' is a British medical soap opera series shown on ITV between 1957 and 1967. Like ''The Grove Family'', a series shown by the BBC between 1954 and 1957, ''Emergency Ward 10'' is considered to be one of British television's f ...
'' (1964). While in England he was in '' The Winds of Green Monday'' (1965) on British TV.
He travelled to the US and guest starred in episodes of '' The Wackiest Ship in the Army'' (1965) (as a different character to the role that he played in the movie version). This led to further offers to work in Hollywood on television shows; he played a Union soldier in ''The Big Valley
''The Big Valley'' is an American Western drama television series that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on ABC. The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour e ...
'' (1966) with a noticeably Australian accent. He was also in episodes of ''Gunsmoke
''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...
'' (1966) and ''Daktari
''Daktari'' ( Swahili for "doctor") is an American family drama series that aired on CBS between 1966 and 1969. The series is an Ivan Tors Films Production in association with MGM Television starring Marshall Thompson as Dr. Marsh Tracy, a vete ...
'' (1966). "What else can I do but look to America for my future when there is still no assistance or help from the government," said in April 1966.
Back in Australia Rafferty had a good part in the Australian-shot comedy ''They're a Weird Mob
''They're a Weird Mob'' is a popular 1957 Australian comic novel written by John O'Grady under the pseudonym "Nino Culotta", the name of the main character of the book. The book was the first published novel by O'Grady, with an initial print run ...
'' (1966) a big local success. He returned to Hollywood to appear in episodes of '' The Girl from UNCLE'' (1967), ''Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'' (1967) and ''The Monkees
The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conc ...
'', as well as the Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
movie '' Double Trouble'' (1967) and the adventure tale ''Kona Coast
Kona is a ''moku'' or district on the Hawaii (island), Big Island of Hawaii in the State of Hawaii, known for its Kona coffee and the location of the Ironman World Championship Triathlon. In the current system of administration of Hawaii County ...
'' (1968)
Returning to Australia he guest-starred in '' Skippy the Bush Kangaroo'', ''Adventures of the Seaspray
''Adventures of the Seaspray'' is a 1967 Australian TV series about a widower journalist who travels the Pacific with his children in a sailing boat.Albert Moran, ''Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series'', AFTRS 1993 p 41
Cast
*Dan Wells, skippe ...
'' (1967), '' Rita and Wally'' (1968), ''Woobinda, Animal Doctor
''Woobinda (Animal Doctor)'' was an Australian children's television series about a veterinarian in a fictitious town in rural New South Wales.Classic Australian TV/ref>
Cast
Main cast
* Don Pascoe as John Stevens
* Lutz Hochstraate as Peter Fi ...
'' (1970) and ''Dead Men Running
''Dead Men Running'' is a 1971 Australian mini series based on the final novel by D'Arcy Niland about the effect in Australia of the political troubles in Ireland early in the twentieth century.Albert Moran, ''Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series ...
'' (1971). He continued to make films such as '' Skullduggery'' (1970).
Rafferty's final film role was in 1971's ''Wake in Fright
''Wake in Fright'' (initially released as ''Outback'' outside Australia) is a 1971 psychological thriller film directed by Ted Kotcheff, written by Evan Jones, and starring Gary Bond, Donald Pleasence, Chips Rafferty, Sylvia Kay and Jack Thomps ...
'', where he played an outback policeman. (The movie was filmed mainly in and around Rafferty's home town of Broken Hill.) In a review of the film, a critic praised Rafferty's performance, writing that he "exudes an unnerving intensity with a deceptively menacing and disturbing performance that ranks among the best of his career".
His final performance was in an episode of the Australian war series ''Spyforce
''Spyforce'' is an Australian television series that aired from 1971 to 1973 on Nine Network. The series was based upon the adventures of Australian Military Intelligence operatives in the South West Pacific during World War II. It was produced ...
'' (1971).
Hours before he died, Rafferty was offered a prominent role in a film ''The Day the Clown Cried
''The Day the Clown Cried'' is an unfinished and unreleased 1972 Swedish-French drama film directed by and starring Jerry Lewis. It is based on an original screenplay by Joan O'Brien and Charles Denton, from a story idea by O'Brien, with additio ...
'' by Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...
which was never completed or released.[Hooper, K. "Chips was denied comeback chance", ''The Age'', 29 May 1971, p. 2.]
Death
On 27 May 1971, Rafferty collapsed and died of a heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
at the age of 62, while walking down a Sydney street shortly after completing his role in ''Wake in Fright
''Wake in Fright'' (initially released as ''Outback'' outside Australia) is a 1971 psychological thriller film directed by Ted Kotcheff, written by Evan Jones, and starring Gary Bond, Donald Pleasence, Chips Rafferty, Sylvia Kay and Jack Thomps ...
''.["Obituary: Chips Rafferty, Australian film actor", ''The Times'', 29 May 1971.] His wife Quentin had predeceased him in 1964 and they had no children.[ His remains were cremated. His ashes were scattered into his favourite fishing hole in Lovett Bay.
]
Honours
In the 1971 New Years' Honours, Rafferty was made a Member of the Order of British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
for his services to the performing arts.
Australia Post
Australia Post, formally the Australian Postal Corporation, is the government business enterprise that provides postal services in Australia. The head office of Australia Post is located in Bourke Street, Melbourne, which also serves as a post o ...
issued a stamp in 1989 that depicted Rafferty in recognition of his work in Australian cinema, and in March 2006, Broken Hill City Council announced that the town's Entertainment Centre would be named in honour of Rafferty.
''The Oxford Companion to Australian Film'' refers to Rafferty as "Australia's most prominent and significant actor of the 1940s–60s".
Australian singer/songwriter Richard Davies wrote a song, "Chips Rafferty" for his album, ''There's Never Been A Crowd Like This''.
Associations
He was also a talented artist, and as "Long John Goffage" was a leading light of the Black and White Artists' Club. He was a Freemason
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
.
Filmography
Unmade projects
Rafferty tried to make the following projects but was unsuccessful:
*''Pepper Trees'' – comedy from Ealing about two immigrants, co-starring Tommy Trinder and Gordon Jackson, written and directed by Ralph Smart
Ralph Foster Smart (27 August 1908 – 12 February 2001) was a film and television producer, director, and writer, born in England to Australian parents.
Biography
Smart found work in Britain with Anthony Asquith and later alongside the film dir ...
*''The Green Opal'' – a £60,000 film about immigration he tried to make in 1951
*''Return of the Boomerang'' (1969) directed by Philip Leacock[Martin, Betty (1 November 1968) "Movie Call Sheet: 'Paradise Island' Rights Bought" '']Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', p. f22
*In 1961 MGM announced they would use Rafferty in '' How the West Was Won'' and ''Chautauqua''.["Entertainment: Miss Funicello Stars With Sands Film Is 'Babes in Toyland'; Presley Sets Four for Metro" Hopper, Hedda. ''Los Angeles Times'', 26 January 1961, p. B10]
References
External links
*
Chips Rafferty
at Australian Screen Online
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national co ...
Chips Rafferty
at ''Australian Dictionary of Biography
The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...
''
Chips Rafferty
at the Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving pe ...
Chips Rafferty Interview
on Radio National
Radio National, known on-air as RN, is an Australia-wide public service broadcasting radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2.
History
1937: Predecessors a ...
Chips Rafferty at the National Film and Sound Archive
It's an Honour
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rafferty, Chips
1909 births
1971 deaths
Australian male film actors
Royal Australian Air Force officers
Male actors from New South Wales
People from Broken Hill, New South Wales
20th-century Australian male actors
Members of the Order of the British Empire