The Sundowners

19601960
PassedPassed
2h 13m

Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, and Peter Ustinov in The Sundowners (1960)

Official Trailer

Play trailer3:31

In Australia's Outback during the early twentieth century, the impoverished Carmody family lives a nomadic life out of their wagon, but the mom and son want to settle, while the dad is again... Read allIn Australia's Outback during the early twentieth century, the impoverished Carmody family lives a nomadic life out of their wagon, but the mom and son want to settle, while the dad is against it.In Australia's Outback during the early twentieth century, the impoverished Carmody family lives a nomadic life out of their wagon, but the mom and son want to settle, while the dad is against it.

Director
- Fred Zinnemann
Writers
- Isobel Lennart(screenplay)
- Jon Cleary(novel)
Stars

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Nominated for 5 Oscars
- 4 wins & 13 nominations total

Videos1

The Sundowners

Photos26

Deborah Kerr in The Sundowners (1960)

Robert Mitchum, Peter Ustinov, Ronald Fraser, and Chips Rafferty in The Sundowners (1960)

Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum in The Sundowners (1960)

Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum in The Sundowners (1960)

Robert Mitchum and Peter Ustinov in The Sundowners (1960)

Deborah Kerr and Michael Anderson Jr. in The Sundowners (1960)

Robert Mitchum, Ronald Fraser, and Chips Rafferty in The Sundowners (1960)

Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, and Peter Ustinov in The Sundowners (1960)

Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum in The Sundowners (1960)

Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum in The Sundowners (1960)

Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, and Peter Ustinov in The Sundowners (1960)

The Sundowners (1960)

Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison

7.4

Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison

Home from the Hill

7.4

Home from the Hill

The Sundowners

5.6

The Lusty Men

7.4

The Night of the Iguana

7.6

The Night of the Iguana

The Chalk Garden

7.4

The Chalk Garden

The Prisoner of Zenda

7.1

The Prisoner of Zenda

A Hatful of Rain

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A Hatful of Rain

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Story of G.I. Joe

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Story of G.I. Joe

Rachel and the Stranger

7.0

Rachel and the Stranger

Edward, My Son

6.5

In the Australian Outback, the Carmody family, Paddy (Robert Mitchum), Ida (Deborah Kerr), and their teenage son Sean (Michael Anderson, Jr.), 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. —Jeanne Armintrout <jeannee@uwyo.edu>

sheep horse australia australian outback sheep shearing 47 more

Taglines
- HERE COME "THE SUNDOWNERS"!
Genre
- Drama
Certificate
- Passed
Parents guide

Trivia
Although studio head Jack L. Warner wanted to shoot the movie in Arizona, Director Fred Zinnemann insisted on shooting the exteriors on-location in Australia. The shoot did not go well. Zinnemann spent twelve weeks filming scenery and sheepherding scenes in the outback before the cast arrived. Once the cast got there, the weather began alternating daily between hot sun and cold rain, which resulted in several extra weeks of filming. Robert Mitchum was so harassed by fans, that he had to move onto a boat to get away from them.

Goofs
After Ida and Sean cross the bridge to escape the fire, they look into the flames for Paddy. Through the smoke, you can see a man tending the fire.

Quotes
Ida Carmody: This is a good country for sheep and it's not bad for men, but it's hard on us women. The men come here because of the sheep, and we come here because of the men, and most of us finish up looking like the sheep. Wrinkled faces, knotty hair, and not even much of a mind of our own.

Connections
Featured in On Location with 'The Sundowners' (1960)

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

Top review

8/10

The Aussie accents are over the top

We don't really talk like that in Australia so the over the top accents are actually amusing! A good movie despite this however!

The Sundowners is a 1960 film that tells the story of an Australian outback family torn between the father's desires to continue his nomadic sheep-herding ways and the wife's and son's desire to settle down in one place. It stars Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, Peter Ustinov, Glynis Johns, Dina Merrill, Michael Anderson, Jr. and Chips Rafferty.

The movie was adapted by Isobel Lennart from the novel by Jon Cleary. It was directed by Fred Zinnemann.

It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Deborah Kerr), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Glynis Johns), Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.

The movie was filmed mainly on location in New South Wales, including towns like Nimmitabel.

helpful•15

1

Darth_Guybrush
Jan 11, 2008

Release date
- December 9, 1960 (United States)
Countries of origin
Official site
- Warner Bros.
Language
- English
Also known as
- Der endlose Horizont
Filming locations
- Nimmitabel, New South Wales, Australia
Production company
- Warner Bros. Productions
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Runtime
2 hours 13 minutes
Color
- Color
Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1

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