KANGAROO
US, 1952, 84 minutes, Colour.
Maureen O' Hara, Peter Lawford, Finlay Currie, Richard Boone, Chips Rafferty, Charles Tingwell.
Directed by Lewis Milestone.
Kangaroo is an American production filmed in South Australia and Sydney in the early '50s. Director was Lewis Milestone who made such films as All Quiet On The Western Front and the Brando Mutiny on the Bounty. Maureen O’ Hara is a vigorous Irish- Australian heroine, Peter Lawford a suave English ne'er-do-well hero and there is good support from Richard Boone as a gambler and Finlay Currie as the station owner. Australian cast includes Chips Rafferty and Charles Tingwell. The screenplay is somewhat contrived, rather similar to an American western. However, there is a colourful flavour about this story of the 19th. century, gamblers and farm owners suffering drought. Naturally, for those days, much local colour and flora and fauna are introduced as background. The film can be compared with later television series and films made in the '70s. It appears only an average production but shows the potential for dramatising 19th. century Australian stories. (The storyline is somewhat similar to an Alan Ladd western of 1949, Branded.)
1. An entertaining and enjoyable adventure? Work for the Australian industry in the '50s, the comparison with the rebirth of Australian films in the '70s? The film as a product of the early 150s?
2. American production style, the stars, the director? Hollywood techniques, conventions?
3. The use of Australian locations, the 19th. century atmosphere? The city, the country town, the ship, the homestead and drought, cattle droving? The contribution of the score?
4. The introduction of Australian flora and fauna, the title of the film and its impact for non-Australian audiences? For Australians?
5. A typical plot - interest in pioneering stories, 79th. century Australia, the landowners, financial difficulties, gamblers and criminals? The similarity of the plot to American westerns?
6. The difficulty of maintaining the property, the drought and its effect, despair, financial difficulties? The picture of the homestead, the old owner, his resourceful daughter? The farmhands, the aborigines? Scenes of work on the property, the rounding up of the cattle, the droving, the stampede? The windmill and its needing fixing? The final rain and people dancing in the streets?
7. A picture of life in the Australian city - the gamblers and the wealthy centres, murder and investigation, the hostel for sailors and down-and-outs, the fights and the clashes, the drinking? The police investigations? Life on the ships along the Australian coast?
8. Richard as ambiguous hero - English gentleman, staying at the hostel. helping the old man, his lies? English background, confidence man, gambler? His attempt to rob the professional gambler, their working together, the reaction to the murder? Their taking ship, Richard's pretence to be Dennis, ingratiating himself into the old man's confidence? Their reaction to the trip, the Australian town, riding to the homestead, their work? Richard and his attraction to Dell? The truth about the property? The buying of the cattle? Their helping on the muster? Suspicions of Trooper Leonard, of Matt? The decision to help bring back the cattle? The stampede? The final clash, the whip fight? The gambler's death, Richard facing justice? Dell's reaction and waiting for him?
9. Richard Boone as the gambler - the arrogant gambler, murderer, his leading Richard on, the escape from the city, his hold over Richard, his place on the homestead, his work with the cattle, the final clash and fight?
10. Dell as heroine - Maureen O' Hara's presence and strength, love for her father and concern about him? The story of Dennis, her clashes with him? Her reaction to his drinking? Her reliance on Richard and the gambler for getting the cattle back, fixing the windmill? The old man and his search for his son, his unreliability for the banks? Singing and dancing in the hostel? His sobering up and forgetting the situation, being taken in by Richard and the gambler? His dependence on them, their working for him? A portrait of a Scotsman trying to survive in the harsh Australian landscape?
11. The picture of Trooper Leonard and the police in the outback? His keeping of order, his courtesy, the reaction of Richard and the gambler?
12. Matt and his being suspected, the clash during the muster? Dell's intervention?
13. The basic pioneering story, a romantic presentation of history, the basic themes of right and wrong, chance, environment, making good in a new world?
