Movie review - "Kangaroo" (1952) **1/2 (re-watching)

 Random thoughts:

- looks gorgeous

- Lewis Milestone doesn't understand story

- Maureen O'Hara was right how the original script was wrecked - does this mean her other claims in her memoir were right? That John Ford made out with a guy? That her husband was murdered? That Peter Lawford and Richard Boone were busted in a male brothel?

- Lawford and Boone are dressed the same but Boone makes all the decisions

- why set this in 1900?

- opening scenes may has well have been shot in Hollywood because they take place at night

- fascinating mess.

Movie review - "Smiley" (1956) *** (rewatch)

 Charming. Lovely shot. Good acting across the board - Chips, John McCallum. Shame all the POC had to be bad.  Alex Korda's last film.

Proposed Australian films of the 1930s to the 1960s

*Big Timber - from novel by William Hatfield  - announced 1935 - instead Cinesound filmed Tall Timber

*Call me when the Cross Turns Over - from novel by D'arcy Niland to be filmed in 60s with Diane Cilento and Sean Connery but not filmed

*Careful He Might Here You - optioned in 1963 by Josh Logan who wanted to make it with Elizabeth Taylor (who would've been great)

*Collits Inn - Frank Thring was going to film this musical but died

*Come Away Pearler - Colin Simpson novel optioned in 1954 by Joe Kaufman see here

*Come In Spinner - novel optioned in 1954 by Joe Kaufman

*Conn of the South Seas - Cinesound said in 1932 might remake The Adorable Outcast see here

*Desert Legion - Raymond Longford WW1 story

*The Delinquents - from novel adapted by Alan Seymour for producer Joseph Janni  and director Jack Lee - announced 1963

*Dig - story of Burke and Wills from Ralph Peterson script for Anthony Quayle  - announced 1957

*Don Bradman biopic - proposed by Ron Randell in 1952 see here

*Eureka Stockade - Ken Hall version 

*The Fatal Wedding - Cinesound said might remake this in 1933 see here - this may have just been a random announcement though Cinesound did make Silence of Dean Maitland

*Fisher's Ghost - sound remake by Raymond Longford of his 1925 hit - Tony Buckley says towards the end of

*For the Term of His Natural Life - Cinesound said in 1932 might remake it see here

*The Fortunes of Richard Mahoney - adaptaion of novel to be done by MGM in the late 40s with Greer Garson and Gregory Peck

*Ginger Murdoch - optioned by Frank Thring

*Gold Dust and Ashes - from novel by Ion Idriess announced 1935 by Cinesound see here

*The Green Opal - Chips Rafferty film about immigration

*The Haunted House - announced by Cinesound in 1938 see here 

*James Don't Be a Fool - EV Timms novel

*The Kelly Gang - Cinesound said in 1933 might remake it see here

*Les Darcy film - announced by Chauvel in 1947 to star Tommy Burns see here

*Life of Nellie Melba - proposed 1940 Cinesound film with Marjorie Lawrence

*The Long Shadow - 1947 Jon Cleary novel optioned in late 60s but not made 

*Mr Burke and Mr Wills - Burke and Wills story written by Terence Rattigan

*My Love Must Wait - novel about Matthew Flinders optioned by Charles Chauvel

*Naked Under Capricorn - published 1958 owned by Chips Rafferty

*Ned Kelly - directed by Karel Reisz starring Albert Finney announced 1963

*The One Day of the Year - Alan Seymour's play, filmed a few times for TV, optioned in 1970

*Overland Telegraph - 1939 announcement Frank Clune sold to Cinesound, he'd write it up in 1955

* Pearl of Great Price - late 30s Cinesound announced 1936 see here

*Pepper Trees  - Ealing film late 40s with Chips Rafferty and Tommy Trinder - scheduled for 1948 see here

*The Pioneers - Cinesound said in 1932 might remake it see here

*Redheap - novel by Norman Lindsay to be filmed by Thring 

*Return Journey - film about Burke and Wills which collapsed in the 1960s but resulted in a short

* Robbery Under Arms - Ken G Hall version, mentioned from the 1930s until the 1940s but killed off by Rank's interest and dud 1957 film

*Rudd's New Selection - announced in 1933 see here - became Grandad Rudd

*Sara Dane - from the novel, starring Sylvia Syms, proposed late 1950s

*Saturday to Monday - original of The Siege of Pinchgut - announced in 1950

*Sheepmates - started filming but abandoned

*Storm Hill - Eric Porter film announced in 1946

*Wake in Fright - directed by Joe Losey starring Dirk Bogarde - announced 1963 - there was also a proposed Morris West version

*Wards of the Outer March - novel adapted by Charles Chauvel  - announced in 1944

*When Cobb and Co Was King - novel optioned by Charles Chauvel

*Yellow Sands - Cinesound in late 30s - announced 1936 see here

Book review - "Wake in Fright" by Kenneth Cook

 The film is super faithful to this. You can "see" a film reading it with its evocative language. Just as empathetic, even more so - here Grant specifically acknoweldges that everything was his decision and that the townspeople are sad rather than bad. The rape sequence is subtle - Grant remembers something bad happened but not exactly what; he doesn't have a farewell scene with Doc.

An excellent book.

Movie review - "Wake in Fright" (1971) ****1/2 (re watching)

 I appreciate this more. I reacted more to the fact it was misrepresented. It's beautifully shot, very accurate, empathetic, well made.

Movie review - "Dad Rudd MP" (1940) ***

 The last official Cinesound film - shorts, and Smithy did follow, but Smithy was made for Columbia. Sad because this is so slick and confident. 

You do sense boredom from Hall with comedy. The firemen sequence is outstandingly funny. The Laughing gas scene not bad. Other stuff not as good - Dad telling Ossie Wenban the birds and the bees, Dad charming snobs at fancy dress... these seem like retreads of Dad and Dave Come to Town.

The film copies a lot of that - mum's inspirational speech. Alec Kellaway is back and just as gay.

Hall seems more interested in spectacle and Hollywood drama - Dad and Webster fighting over the dam, a crooked political machine smashing up operations a la Mr Smith Goes to Washington (Aussie politics is very corrupt here), trying to stop a dam flooding, a romance between charming Yvonne East and Grant Taylor (slim, handsome, balding, terrific). The backprojection of the dam. All the extras running to vote. There's even a little song and dance at the end where people celebrate Dad's victory.

East and Taylor are a sweet  team. Also very sweet is where Dad and Mum discuss their old romance.

Barbara Weeks is in it as a man trap American but she's hardly a threat. (This feels very "Frank Harvey" this plot. The political machine plot feels very cribbed from Hollywood especially Capra.)

Movie review - "Ants in His Pants" (1939) **1/2

Recut from the original Come Up Smiling - I'm not sure what was added. Maybe another song? I'm guessing the bit at the end when the kid shoves ants in Will Mahoney's pants.

Half a good film. Slick. Mahoney is engaging. Clearly talented.

Script a bit of a mess. It's a bunch of incidents and bits. Mahoney at the circus. Mahoney looks after soprano Jean Hatton (why not make them father and daughter? Why make Sid Wheeler Hatton's dad?) Mhoney raising money to help Hatton's voice. Gets in the boxing ring. There's something about gangsters. Mahoney in blackface with a lamb. Mahoney at a snobby party. Mahoney in love with Shirley Ann Richards who is with John Fleeting. Why? Richards could've been cut out of the movie. And Fleeting.

They should've made Richards into Mahoney's daughter. Or sister. She's helping raise Hatton - give her stakes. She's just in the film. Have her fall in love with Fleeting not be with Fleeting.

Evie Hayes is in it - Mahoney's wife. She helps him train, I think. Sings a number. There's a few numbers.

It's slick. Technically. Not story wise. Frank Harvey didn't write this and you can tell. 

Chips Rafferty is an extra but good luck spotting him.

Movie review - "Eureka Stockade" (1949) *** (re-watching)

 I've got it - they should've just made Chips play Dan McAlpine again and give him a family and plop them in the middle of the Eureka Stockade. The hot daughter could've romanced a digger and a cop, make the historical people background figures.

What films could Chips Rafferty have starred in?

 After The Overlanders he was signed to a long term contract by Ealing. Here's what resulted.

- Bush Christmas - perfect choice

- The Loves of Joanna Godden - awful (just micast)

- Eureka Stockade - awful (as in, miscast)

- Bitter Springs - ideal.

Rank/Ealing made The Shiralee, which could've used Rafferty, though he wasn't that sexy - also Robbery Under Arms... he could've played the boys' dad. He would've suited The Siege of Pimchgut as the lead instead of Aldo Ray. But really that film should've been about German POWs.

Ealing announced Pepper Springs for him and Tommy Trinder which doesn't sound that great but would've been better than Eureka Stockade.

He didn't really have the romantic look for the lead in Sons of Matthew.

Okay so here's what would've worked (I'm approaching from the POV of Ealing):

- Eureka Stockade with Rafferty as a fictional lead and Peter Finch or someone else as Lalor and someone handsome to do the romance

- Siege of Pinchgut with Chips as main cop

- an adaptation of We of the Never Never with Chips as the husband (was this novel ever considered for adaptation?)

- a variation of The Overlanders only set in New Guinea i.e. group fleeing Japanese

- adaptation of The Long Shadow by Jon Cleary 

- Mary Bryant story with Chips as Will

On his own, Rafferty definitely should've played the lead role in Dust on the Sun (Justin Bayard) - Ken Wayne didn't have the name. I know they were insecure about the romantic stuff but they could've cast an age appropriate lead. He also could've appeared in The Stowaway and The Restless and the Damned. It would've helped. He was still internationally known.

Movie review - "The Rats of Tobruk" (1944) (re-viewing) **1/2

The good stuff is good. The photography is beautiful - gorgeous in the way so many Aussie films are. The sets are terrific - the production design, costume, etc. Looks a treat.

I liked the acting. Grant Taylor, Peter Finch and Chips Rafferty are a fine trio - Finch much better than Pat Twohill.  Full of culturally interesting touches.

A lot of the film's flaws were understandable. Such as:

* Opening scene at the homestead. You've got visuals, sheep, horses, etc. Set up Taylor and Pauline Garrick's history. Quite adult. Taylor a walking red flag. But... you could cut it out.  Doesn't impact story. Betty Bryant was integral. Not Garrick. I'm sure Chauvel discussed maybe having an Italian woman character in the siege. That would've possibly been too melodramatic for how he wanted to do it. They should've just focused on the nurse romance. I would've kept Garrick stuff but had her die. Have Taylor coming home or going to visit and she carks it. So he's got a death wish. Would've given it some point.

* No progressive story. A scene of vignettes. You need a relationship to tie it together. Love story would've been fine. Kill Garrick and have the love story between the nurse... Taylor doesn't want to love again. Finch loves the nurse. Triangle.  Problem though: they evacuated the nurses.

*Could have a rival within the camp. A Pole or Brit. They learn to respect each other. Maybe too late.

*I get desire to have comedy. But it clunks. Joe Valli alright. George Wallace not he looks so old.

*Make it clearer why the siege was important. Maybe this wasn't an issue in 1944. But surely it could have been dramatised? People preparing to evacuate Cairo or something? They could've dramatised a scene or two with the Germans, surely?

*The ending PNG sequence feels very tacked on, as it was. But apart from the photography it is memorable for one thing - when Taylor kills the Japanes soldier. They fight, he shoves the guy's head under water. Holds it there til the guy drowns. Brutal. Tough, Depicted uncompromisingly.

Movie review - "The Restless and the Damned" (1959) ** aka The Dispossessed

 Why did Lee Robinson make this? I think he was dazzled by working with a top French producer and Hollywood "names" like Edmond O'Brien and Richard Basehart.

Lee Robinson directed efforts could be sluggish but they had simple stories and great outdoors scenes. This was shot in Tahiti but the island doesn't look particularly pretty. There's too much indoors.

And its a boringly complicated story. Basically Andrea Parisy is married to Basehart and is hungry for money. She's not that compelling, not flatteringly shot. Basehart is bland. O'Brien is just sleazy. It's all in third gear.

Lee Robinson was so smart with his first three features but he lost it for the last two co productions. Why no part for Chips Rafferty? Why not just have a film about people trying to kill goodies in Tahiti?

Movie review - "The Phantom Stockman" (1953) **1/2

 The pace is lethargic and the script clunky but Chips Rafferty is charismatic in a specfically designed role, Janette Elphick is very pretty and quite good (her voice dubbed by June Salter), Guy Doleman an excellent villain, Henry Murdock is effective support, most of it is shot on location which looks pretty good. The Albert Namatjira cameo is a little odd but fascinating.

Max Osbiston is too old as the love interest - was there no one better looking available? I think Charles Tingwell was meant to play this part.

Movie review - "Bitter Springs" (1950) ***

 After stumbling with Eureka Stockade Ealing tried to repeat the success of The Overlanders by copying that film more closely. It's a trek across the outback once more, again headed by Chips Rafferty, with a comic relief Englishman (Tommy Trinder, who is top billed), another shy Englishman (well, Scot - Gordon Jackson) who has a romance with a spirited beautiful blonde woman with long hair (Nonie Piper), plus a cute kid (Nicky Yardley), a pioneering couple (here Rafferty is one), a bad egg (Charles Tingwell), Henry Murdock as an Aboriginal stockman.

The opening repeats Overlander sequences - rolling rocks down mountains, sheep instead of cattle, wagons getting stuck, Pommy migrants joining the trek, etc

Then it becomes a pioneer family trying to make a farm story. And the rest of mostly clashes with Aboriginals, with a little bit of romance.

There is a lot of good stuff here. The photography is beautiful. It seems to have been mostly shot on location. Location work very good. The acting is excellent. Rafferty gets to play a tougher character and is effective. Jackson is amiable. Piper doesn't have much to do (she cocks a gun in one sequence) but is pretty enough. Superb stuff involving Aboriginals. Trinder is engaging - he gets to do the bulk of the heroic stuff rescuing Yardley. He copped criticism for the part but I liked him, felt he was well integrated. The mum makes some speech.

The ending is a siege - Aboriginals attacking a homestead. Very very briefly. So briefly you sense Ralph Smart  Then Michael Pate leads a cavalry to the rescue (called by Tommy Trinder).

A fascinating combination of audience pleasing stuff - cute kid, scenery, an attempt at a happy ending with Rafferty and an Aboriginal shearing. The film veers away from other things which might have made it more popular - the romance is really really short, scenes like Trinder and Murdock getting help aren't even shown, there's little suspense in the siege. Tingwell's character should die dramatically but he doesn't.

Some of it is depressingly realistic. Pate's matter of fact acceptance when Tingwell kills a black. The fact the authorities simply support Rafferty's claim.

How to make this work? I think there needed to be a proper white villain who whipped up trouble and died. Yes less realisstic but ti would've ended the piece with some catharsis. You've got Tingwell who is racist and bad but redeems himself with a brave waterhole dash and is allowed to live. Tingwell should've played another farmer, a really racist one - play out love triangle with Piper and Jackson. Have the family consist of two daughters, so one can hook up with Trinder. 

Look a fascinating movie. Thought provoking.

Movie review - "The Stowaway" (1958) **

 Odd. So odd. Why did Lee Robinson/ make it? I know Walk into Paradise worked well but that was an Australian story... this is a French story. I think he was dazzled by stars and the nous of his production partners. I get it. Why did he invest in it though? 

The story is wonky. Simple Macguffin - search for the heir to millions. People after it - lawyer (Reg Lye), another lawyer (Roger Livesey), crook (Serge Reggiani), hooker ex of man (Martine Carol), man who's in love with her (Karl Boehm).  That's a decent Warner Bros style gang.

But... who's our hero? Carol's top billed... sure, fine. She gets involved, gets Boehm to help her. But then... falls in love with Boehm for real, I think, wants to go straight, then blabs to Reggiani about Livesey for some reason, then sort of becomes passive. Needed to be a proper Carol vehicle. I wasn't sure what she wanted. Money to start off with. But then...? The romance with Boehm is half baked.

Why did Robinson think a film with so much dubbed English dialogue would work? Why not cast Chips Rafferty in the Roger Livesey part? He would've been great. A different variation but more charismatic. I wonder if it was floated. I bet Rafferty thought he could do it.

There's some nice location work but so much of it is inside and there's a lot of chat. Too much. It feels studio bound. A lot is set on a boat. Doesn't play to Robinson's strengths.

I was confused at the end. What was Reggiani trying to do? Who was on his side? Boehm's side? What's the role of the crew? They don't find the heir!It just ends!

Acting pretty good. Carol an odd star - she looks like a Gold Coast cougar, with her deep tan and peroxide blonde hair. Boehm was solid. Livesey and Lye are fine. James Condon has a few lines as ship's purser. Doris Fitton has like one line.

Credits of film different on Australian and French versions. French version ran ten minutes longer to the one I saw and fleshed out more - more Carol, and Carol-Boehm. Felt more logical even if I couldn't understand what was going on.

This film reminds me of late 50s Rank attempts to storm the world market eg Whirlpool with its colour, foreign locations and cosmopolitan casts.

Chips Rafferty Top Ten

 1. Forty Thousand Horsemen (1940)

2. The Overlanders (1946)

3. Bush Christmas (1947)

4. Bitter Springs (1950)

5. King of the Coral Sea (1953)

6. They're a Weird Mob (1966)

7. Wake in Fright (1971)

8. Spyforce - Reily's Army (1971)

9. Smiley (1956)

10. Walk Into Paradise (1956)

Movie review - "The Loves of Joanna Godden" (1947) ***

Mostly enjoyable tale of life among farmers on the Romney Marsh with Googie Withers as a gal determined to farm despite disdain of her neighbours including hunky John McCallum. So far so feminist but it was Ealing so you sense she'll be miserable until she realises McCallum is the man for her, which is the case.

She does meet and fall for Derek Bond who admires her pluck only he disappears at sea (if I saw that right... they were just at the beach). An old codger likes her, too.

Jean Kent is great fun as her sister. She's not that individual, Kent, but she always goes for it, and her character livens up the piece. Really the film should have focused on both throughout - the good and bad one. I think that would have been more fun, and richer. But that would've been too many women for an Ealing film. Still the ending as is feels abrupt... McCallum is with Kent, she bails... so he goes for Withers. Which is realistic but not satisfying.

Chips Rafferty pops up - he made this after The Overlanders. I liked him because he seems like an old time English farmer with that gangly appearance; the accent is slightly disconcerting.

This has a slightly documentary feel of life on the marshes, which is what Ealing excelled in, so that works. Location shooting helps. Withers has strength as an actor. I enjoyed this.

Movie review - "Eureka Stockade" (1949) *** (re-watching)

 Three stars is generous but I am Australian.

The pros

- spectacular production value - it was the most expensive Australian film made until that time, apparently, but a lot of that is up on screen - spectacular sets of the mining camps and settlements and stockade, and teems of extras... it's a shame they didn't re-use the sets for another film or two, or at least re-use the footage.

- I appreciate the effort it went to to get the historical facts right.

- The action sequences are very well done - the attack on the stockade, the murder of Scobie, the miners rioting.

- the photography is beautiful.

- the editing and other technical aspects are first rate.

- Gordon Jackson and John Fernside manage to create living, breathing characters with very little. 

- I loved that random bug eyed doctor who cut off Lalor's arm at the end.

- they do show an occasional POC such as one of the Eureka people standing trial and the very occasional Aboriginal.

The cons

- the script isn't great - Harry Watt whinged about Australian writers, justifying importing Walter Greenwood - it goes through the events without managing to dramatise them.

- the characters aren't characters they are people who say speeches - there's no life say in the Chips Rafferty-Jane Barrett romance, Rafferty spouts platitudes (Lalor has been de-Irished), I didn't know what Finch's character was (he just appears as an Important Person - I had to google him)

- Commissioner Rede twirls his moustache but is depicted as being so reasonable (surely motivated by fear out of offending the establishment) about his position it sucks the piece clear of drama (it kind of hints maybe he's interested in Jane Barrett but it's only a hint).

- the only people who seem real are Gordon Jackson, the doctor and John Fernside - Fernside is best because he is a spy, just a good old fashioned villain.

- the miners come across as a bunch of whingers - complaining about having to pay a fee (should they have it for free?), Scobie is a drunken brat who throws something through a window (I mean it was harsh he was killed but he wasn't like this innocent victim).

- it wasn't worth importing Jane Barrett, or any of the cast they brought in, except maybe Jackson - the British cast are dull, lacking charisma and surely had no name value at the box office.

- Peter Finch or Grant Taylor should have played Lalor and Muriel Steinbeck could've played Alicia.

- I barely recognised Grant Taylor, in whiskers as a cop.

Actually they shouldn't have focused on Lalor - that straightjacketed them to history. They should have had a fictitious love story-  maybe center around two brothers in love with the same girl or something else simple but effective.

The waste of it gets me irritated at times because it didn't have to cost as much money, be so hokey or have such a miscast star. I get Harry Watt was feeling confident after The Overlanders but not so much that he could leave history - he leant into it. Which is fine, we all make mistakes, but he spent too much money.

Still, there is much to admire about it.

Movie review - "The Overlanders" (1946) ***1/2 (re-watching)

Chips Rafferty perfectly cast. Gorgeous photography and locations. John Fernside solid support. Daphne Campbell perfect - blonde, cool, an excellent horsewoman, enigmatically sexy. Peter Pagan not that great - bouffant hairstyle, he seems a little camp. I get why Campbell didn't want to be with him. Henry Murdock and Clyde Combo splendid. Great kid actor.

Harry Watt not as great on drama as shooting but there's always something happening - river crossings, missing horses. Film could've done with a villain maybe - or maybe that wouldn't have worked.

A really first class movie though - one of the best British movies from a very strong cinematic decade from that country. It's a shame Ealing/Rank couldn't work it out in Australia more.

Movie review - "Bush Christmas" (1947) *** (re-watching)

Ralph Smart should be better known than he is, some of his films really hold up. This is charming, simple, with lovely locations and excellent kid actors. Chips Rafferty, John Fernside and Stan Tolhurt are solid as the thieves. Why did Rank make no more kids films here?

It's a shame it isn't in colour. The pace can be a little slow. But the acting is good - and I love how they vary the types of kids (English, spectacles, girl, aboriginal, little, older).

They could have done more with the Christmas angle maybe. But it's very sweet. A deserved success.

Movie review - "Kangaroo" (1952) ** (re-viewing)

My take on this - Lewis Milestone didn't like the story, he wanted to change the story, he wasn't allowed to, but as a result he stuffed the story. And auterist critics gave him a pass, as auterist critics tend to do when it comes to famous directors, because they could blame "the studio".

The plot is entirely solid - there's nothing wrong with a story about someone pretending to be someone's long lost son, and falling in love with the man's daughter being being unable to do anything about it.

This movie stuffs that central situation. The man with the son (Finlay Currie) isn't rich, he owns a drought riddled property, so there's no money at stake - why would Lawford want Currie's farm? (I think Milestone got excited about the visual possibilities of drought and put it in, not thinking or caring about how that impacted the story, because he didn't care about the story.)

There's a little bit of romance between Lawford and Maureen O'Hara but not nearly enough... and no torment. Because what happens is Currie goes to O'Hara "oh he's your brother you can't be with him" then IN THE SAME SCENE Lawford goes "oh no I'm not your brother". So you've got no urst. Lawford should have turned up said "I'm your son" and then played out all that stuff... with him falling for O'Hara and not being able to make a move.

Other really solid potential story lines are thrown away - Chips Rafferty is meant to be in love with O'Hara (is that right?) but we never see him go after Lawford. (And why not a more handsome rival? Why not cast Charles Tingwell in that role?) Charles Tingwell pops up as this shady character and you think he's going to do something... but he doesn't. Why not have him as a villain in cahoots with Boone?

Richard Boone is fabulous but I think they made a mistake having him and Lawford meet instead of them being established as friends. The film seems continually uncertain how bad to make Lawford - he tries to rob Boone but fails, he's not part of the robbery.

Milestone seems only interested in sequences - a dust strewn water tower, a cattle drive, a corrborree, a battle with whips.

There's no dramatic build. No heart.

I get he didn't like the script and I haven't read the original script but it feels like he made it worse.