Robbery Under Arms (1957)

Two brothers join their father in Captain Starlight's bush ranger gang in 19th Century Australia.

Director:

Jack Lee

Writers:

Rolf Boldrewood (from the novel entitled "Robbery Under Arms"), Alexander Baron (screenplay)

Stars:

Peter Finch, Ronald Lewis, David McCallum

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Finch	...	Captain Starlight
Ronald Lewis	...	Dick Marston
David McCallum	...	Jim Marston
Maureen Swanson	...	Kate
Jill Ireland	...	Jean
Ursula Finlay	...	Grace
Laurence Naismith	...	Ben Marston
Jean Anderson	...	Ma Marston
Edna Morris	...	Aunt
Dudy Nimmo	...	Eileen Marston
Vincent Ball	...	George Storefield
Max Wagner	...	Police Sgt. Goring
Larry Taylor	...	Burke (as Laurence Taylor)
John Cadell	...	Warrigal (as Johnny Cadell)
Colin Ballantyne	...	Runnimal

Storyline

Two brothers join their father in Captain Starlight's bush ranger gang in 19th Century Australia.

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Plot Keywords:

australian | australian accent | kiss | love interest | violence | 

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Taglines:

MANY of Britain's top players and technicians travelled half-way across the world to film this Australian classic of daring adventure in its authentic locales. The result is an outdoor film of rare sweep and power which stirringly and convincingly recreates the roaring pioneer days when life was lived close to Nature - and even closer to danger. In a superb cast, Peter Finch gives one of his strongest performances as Captain Starlight, the notorious robber whose most potent weapons were a polite phrase and a disarming smile.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Drama | History | Western

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Lei da Violência

Filming Locations:

Quorn, South Australia, Australia

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Rank Organisation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastman Color)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Jack Lee once said: "I made a mistake choosing 'Robbery Under Arms', a complicated Victorian novel with masses of plots and subplots, and too much moralizing. However, I went ahead and chose the part for Peter Finch, who complained that he was overshadowed by everyone else, and in a way he was right. Janni [producer Joseph Janni] and I weren't happy with the script and would have liked to put it off for another year. But we were under pressure from Rank and we had to go ahead with an inadequate script. There are one or two nice scenes in it but it's too slow and talky."

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: AUSTRALIA 1865

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Connections

Version of Robbery Under Arms (1985)

User Reviews

British director captured dissenting strands of Aussie psyche

Awkward in fitting English actors into a faraway setting, and yes, over-coloured in Technicolor: so this English director caught some of the paradoxes of Australia, the raw young country less than 100 years settled in Boldrewood's yarn. Three things Jack Lee (who died only c2003) understood and expressed more fully than perhaps anyone, English or Australian. First, the wild irresponsibility of the bushranger released from society's constraints (Peter Finch's manic side caught this brilliantly). Second, the special eternal power of the ancient bush country (in this case, the Flinders Ranges, also the setting for 2002's The Tracker). Third, however briefly seen, the deep calm and perfect attunement to his country of the native man Warrigal, so that in this raw place, it is only the dispossessed who has ownership - a nod here to the real-life horseman Johnny Cadell, a screen natural.