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The Sundowners (1960)

7.2
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Ratings: 7.2/10 from 1,984 users  
Reviews: 30 user | 19 critic

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 »

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(screenplay), (novel)
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Title: The Sundowners (1960)

The Sundowners (1960) on IMDb 7.2/10

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Test your knowledge of The Sundowners.
Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
...
Mrs. Firth
...
Jean Halstead
Chips Rafferty ...
Quinlan
...
Lola Brooks ...
Liz Brown
Wylie Watson ...
Herb Johnson
...
Bluey Brown
Ronald Fraser ...
Ocker
Gerry Duggan ...
Shearer
Leonard Teale ...
Shearer
Peter Carver ...
Shearer
Dick Bentley ...
Shearer
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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. Written by Jeanne Armintrout <jeannee@uwyo.edu>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

farm | sheep | horse | birth | love | See more »

Taglines:

HERE COME "THE SUNDOWNERS"! See more »

Genres:

Drama | Adventure

Certificate:

Unrated | See all certifications »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

11 August 1961 (West Germany)  »

Also Known As:

Les horizons sans frontières  »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Gerry Duggan, who plays Turk, was also thought suitable for a minor role of a drunk. See more »

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.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Elvis Mitchell: Under the Influence: Richard Gere (2008) See more »

Soundtracks

"The Lime-Juice Tub"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Quoted in the background score and played by the band at the first race meeting and also sung at Mrs Firth's hotel
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Mitchum's mimicry
18 February 2004 | by (Buffalo, New York) – See all my reviews

Robert Mitchum had one undeniable talent as an actor, his phenomenal ability to pick up and use any kind of accent or dialect. I can't think of another actor who could have so convincingly played a New England hood in The Friends of Eddie Coyle, native Irish in Ryan's Daughter and A Terrible Beauty, and pure Australian in The Sundowners. Although the rest of the cast is great, it's his performance that pivots the whole film.

The movie itself is amazing in that the characters created are so engaging that even though the film really has no plot, just a series of connected wanderings, you enjoy it nevertheless. The film ending is also offbeat. Normally you would think that Deborah Kerr would win out in her desire to settle down on a farm. But unusual for Hollywood she gives in to Mitchum's wanderlust.

In their travels herding sheep through rural Australia of the 1920s these people, hardworking and living close to the poverty line look like their lives are fun. Like Mitchum's Paddy Carmody says he has no worries and no ulcers because he doesn't own any property or has any money in the bank. A whole lot like the real Mitchum in his Kerouac like youth. It's what makes this film just good fun.


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