MovieChat Forums > The Sundowners (1960) Discussion > Oz Content?

Oz Content?

posted 9 years ago by Ranger-style_Sloane80
3 replies | jump to latest

Well, The Sundowners looks like Australia, they play "Two-Up", shear sheep & drink lots of beer in it, like Australia. And the movie is based on a book by an Australian author ... but all those Yanks & Brits playing the lead roles as Aussies, & speaking in odd, unrecognisable accents, eg, Deborah Kerr sounds like she must have been the voice coach for Meryl Streep in Evil Angels! As in just about all Anglo-American productions made in Australia or about Australia ca.1950-60, the ubiquitous Chips Rafferty is presented as the embodiment of Australianness.

[–] willjohn 9 years ago

Veteran Scots actor Wylie Watson played the veteran shearer Herb Johnson. Watson had moved to Australia in the early 1950s after retiring in 1952 and this was his only film he made after migrating.

[–] boib8inla 9 years ago

Paddy (Mitchum) is supposed to have immigrated from Ireland. So he should have an Irish accent!

[–] spookyrat1 8 years ago

So he should have an Irish accent!

Agreed, though I think he ended up having a pretty neutral sort of accent. Deborah Kerr's accent was pretty good for an Australian country girl of the time IMO.

It's true there are no lead Australian actors. But this film was made at a time when the Australian film industry, what there was of it, was completely in the doldrums and the country was never likely to offer leads to headline this international production of an admittedly quintessential Australian tale.

Having said that there is a very strong onscreen Australian presence in the supporting cast. They include: Chips Rafferty, John Meillon, Leonard Teale, Ray Barrett and John Fegan.🐭