The Overlanders **** (1946, Chips Rafferty, John Nugent Hayward, Daphne Campbell) – Classic Movie Review 4671

Chips Rafferty stars as Dan McAlpine, a cattle boss who leads a group of Northern Australian cattlemen and their herds away from the threat of Japan’s hostile forces by conducting a herd of 1,000 cattle on a 1,600-mile trek over hard terrain during World War Two.

Rather than kill their cattle, they have to set off from the north coast of Australia across the Outback to Queensland.

Based on a fascinating true incident and outstanding to look at, writer-director Harry Watt’s once famed, now faded but still impressive epic adventure film was made by Ealing studios Down Under just after World War Two in 1946.

It is best when it sticks to the real story, but it is at its weakest in creating interesting, rounded fictional characters, apart from Rafferty’s cattle boss, which is the showy, quirky star turn.

Also in the cast are John Nugent Hayward, Daphne Campbell, John Fernside, Jean Blue, Peter Pagan, Helen Grieve, Frank Ransome and Clyde Combo.

It is shot by Osmond Borradaile, produced by Michael Balcon and Ralph Smart and scored by John Ireland.

Its success led to a number of other similar Ealing movies in Australia, especially Eureka Stockade, also made by Watt and starring Rafferty.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4671

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com