Second World War drama set in Australia and based on a true story, starring Chips Rafferty. Rather than destroy a thousand cattle prior to an expected Japanese invasion, drover Dan McAlpine decides to drive them 2,000 miles to safety over some of Australia's toughest terrain.
A very impressive re-creation of a spectacular event that took place in Australia during the Second World War - the moving to safety of 500,000 head of cattle (reduced in the movie to a mere thousand), made necessary by the prospect of a Japanese invasion of the Northern Territory. This was one of Ealing's first Australian-made movies, and mightily effective it is under the direction of documentary film-maker Harry Watt, better known for the later Where No Vultures Fly. Trouble is, Watt also wrote the screenplay, and the clichés come thick and fast. Nevertheless, the action is very exciting, Australian lead Chips Rafferty is convincing, and the finale, as he sees other cattle following in his wake, manages to be very moving.
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Dan McAlpine | Chips Rafferty |
| Bill Parsons | John Nugent Hayward |
| Mary Parsons | Daphne Campbell |
| Mrs Parsons | Jean Blue |
| Helen Parsons | Helen Grieve |
| Corky | John Fernside |
| Sailor Sinbad | Peter Pagan |
| Charlie | Frank Ransome |
| Manager | Stan Tolhurst |
| Minister | Marshall Crosby |
| Police sergeant | John Fegan |
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | Harry Watt |
