I’m watching the 1959 version of “on the Beach” with Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner right now on TCM (Turner Classic Movie) channel and there was just a scene of Ava G’s character walking along the pier to board the submarine.
One of the Aussie sailors lining the rails of their dockside ships declares, “Get a load of Charlie Wheeler!”
To what does the term refer?
Aside: Do you receive TCM channel there?
Rhyming slang , I’d say, for sheila, which is an Australianism for a woman. I’d consider it dated nowadays, but it would have been appropriate for the 1950s.
I’m an Aussie of over 50 years standing and I’ve never heard of it before, but a quick Google confirms Cunctator’s guess: rhyming slang for sheila, meaning any woman - I’d guess the line was more like “get a load of that Charlie Wheeler!”. It was probably obsolete when the movie was made.
Assuming TCM is some cable channel, almost certainly. But cable is not that big over here.