The Sundowners (1960)

In the Australian Outback, the Carmody family--Paddy, Ida and their teenage son Sean--are sheep drovers, always on the move. Ida and Sean want to settle down and buy a farm. Paddy wants to ... See full summary »

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Isobel Lennart (screenplay), Jon Cleary (novel)

Stars:

Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, Peter Ustinov

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Deborah Kerr	...	Ida Carmody
Robert Mitchum	...	Paddy Carmody
Peter Ustinov	...	Rupert Venneker
Glynis Johns	...	Mrs. Firth
Dina Merrill	...	Jean Halstead
Chips Rafferty	...	Quinlan
Michael Anderson Jr.	...	Sean Carmody
Lola Brooks	...	Liz Brown
Wylie Watson	...	Herb Johnson
John Meillon	...	Bluey Brown
Ronald Fraser	...	Ocker
Gerry Duggan	...	Shearer
Leonard Teale	...	Shearer
Peter Carver	...	Shearer
Dick Bentley	...	Shearer

Storyline

In the Australian Outback, the Carmody family--Paddy, Ida and their teenage son Sean--are sheep drovers, always on the move. Ida and Sean want to settle down and buy a farm. Paddy wants to keep moving. A sheep-shearing contest, the birth of a child, drinking, gambling and a race horse will all have a part in the final decision.

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Plot Keywords:

farm | sheep | horse | birth | love | 

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Taglines:

The Sundowners are here! A roaring chip on their shoulder---A rousing challenge on their lips!

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Genres:

Drama | Adventure

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 August 1961 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Les horizons sans frontières

Filming Locations:

Associated British Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros. Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Second of four movies that paired Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum.

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Quotes

Sean Carmody: [on hearing Venneker had been a ship's captain] Why'd you leave?
Rupert Venneker: My stomach. I was a notoriously bad sailor.
Sean Carmody: Dad says you must have been a better sailor than you are a horseman.
Rupert Venneker: What the devil is he talking about? I was cashiered from the 17th Lancers before he knew one end of a horse from the other! NOT that he does now! Hah!
Sean Carmody: What does cashiered mean?
Rupert Venneker: Uh - kind of promotion from the army into civilian life.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Men in Black/Wild America/Out to Sea (1997)

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Soundtracks

"Botany Bay"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Quoted in the background score and sung by Peter Ustinov, Robert Mitchum, Deborah Kerr' and Glynis Johns

User Reviews

The Sundowner is always on the move, never finding his home.

Set in Australia in the 1920s,this wonderful movie tells the story of sheepdrover Mitchum, wife Kerr and son Anderson, drifting through the Australian wilderness,never settling down.Tired of constantly being on the move Kerr wants a home for her family,but Mitchum is insensitive to his family's wishes.

Deborah Kerr gives a fantastic performance that brings to life even the inner emotions of her character.She's never been better.Robert Mitchum is very believable in his assignment.It's perhaps one of his most complex roles.Also Peter Ustinov scores a triumph:A man too irresponsible to have a family of his own,and therefore clings to Mitchum and Kerr's family. The story isn't much on paper,but Fred Zinnemann's imaginative direction gives the incidents the needed emotions. Beautiful cinematography and sock performances from the rest of the cast makes this a movie you shouldn't miss.