Robbery Under Arms (1985 film)
Robbery Under Arms | |
---|---|
![]() Soundtrack cover | |
Directed by | Donald Crombie Ken Hannam |
Written by | Michael Jenkins |
Based on | novel by Rolf Boldrewood |
Produced by | Mace Neufeld Jock Blair |
Starring | Sam Neill Steven Vidler Christopher Cummins Liz Newman Jane Menelaus Andy Anderson Deborah Coulls Susie Lindeman Elaine Cusick Ed Devereaux Tommy Lewis Robert Grubb |
Cinematography | Ernie Clark |
Music by | Garry McDonald Laurie Stone |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Shock ITC Entertainment[1] |
Release date |
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Running time | 140 minutes |
Country | Australia |
Language | English |
Budget | AU$7.3 million[2][3][4] |
Box office | AU$226,648 (Australia) |
Robbery Under Arms is a 1985 Australian action adventure film starring Sam Neill as bushranger Captain Starlight.
There were two versions shot simultaneously – a feature film and a TV mini series.[2] They were based on the 1888 novel of the same name by Rolf Boldrewood.
Plot
[edit]Joined by bush larrikin, Ben Marston (Ed Devereaux), and Ben's two adventure-hungry sons (Steven Vidler and Christopher Cummins), Starlight leads his gang of wild colonial boys in search of riches, romance – and other men's cattle.
Cast
[edit]- Sam Neill as Captain Starlight
- Steven Vidler as Dick Marston
- Christopher Cummins as Jim Marston
- Liz Newman as Gracey
- Jane Menelaus as Aileen
- Andy Anderson as George
- Deborah Coulls as Kate
- Susie Lindeman as Jeannie
- Elaine Cusick as Mum
- Ed Devereaux as Ben
- Tommy Lewis as Warrigal
- Robert Grubb as Sir Frederick Morringer
- David Bradshaw as Goring
- John Dick as Trooper Fall
- Michael Duffield as Mr. Falkland
- Keith Smith as Trooper Spring
- David Jobling as Rourke Bounty Hunter
- Peter Cummins
Production
[edit]Jock Blair first had the idea to remake the story in 1981 when he was working at the South Australian Film Corporation. It was originally envisioned that it would be a mini series but it was budgeted at a million dollars an hour which was felt to be too expensive. So it was decided to make a film as well at the same time, based on separate scripts.[5]
There were two writers and two directors. Writing the script took two years.[5]
The film was shot partly on location in the Flinders Rangers and at the SAFC studios in Adelaide.[2] The two directors collaborated well together, and Ken Hannam was relieved to work with the SAFC again after the difficulties on Sunday Too Far Away.[5]
Production took 20 weeks.[6]
Box office
[edit]Robbery Under Arms grossed $226,648 at the box office in Australia.[7]
Home media
[edit]Robbery Under Arms has been released twice by Umbrella Entertainment: as a two-part dual-layer DVD in a 16:9 transfer (DAVID 0477), also as a three-part two-disc DVD pack in the original 4:3 aspect ratio (DAVID2852) released September 2017.
Extras
[edit]Included is a 45-minute "special feature" On Location with Robbery Under Arms, filmed separately by SA Telecasters (Channel 10, which later became Channel 7). It shows much of the art, techniques and social atmosphere involved in the making of the film at Wilpena Pound and Hahndorf, as well as commentary by the major participants.
- Producer/Director: Lou Sedivy
- Technical producer: Greg Cameron
- Technical directors: Mike McAuliffe and David Bates
- Executive producer: Trevor Lanyon
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Robbery Under Arms company credits at The New York Times
- ^ a b c David Stratton, The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry, Pan MacMillan, 1990 pp. 71–72
- ^ "New 'Robbery'film a TV series too". The Canberra Times (SUNDAY ed.). 15 January 1984. p. 10. Retrieved 9 November 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Lewes, Jacqueline Lee (5 June 1983). "Million$ of Viewing". Sydney Sun Herald. p. 47.
- ^ a b c Nick Roddick, "Arms and the Men", Cinema Papers, May 1985 pp. 55–58
- ^ "'Robbery Under Arms' crew going bush". The Canberra Times. 21 January 1984. p. 8. Retrieved 9 November 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Film Victoria – Australian Films at the Australian Box Office" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
External links
[edit]![](http://178.128.105.246/cars-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- Robbery Under Arms at IMDb
- Robbery Under Arms at Rotten Tomatoes
- Robbert Under Arms at Australian Screen Online
- Mini series version at Oz Movies
- Feature film version at Oz Movies
- 1985 films
- 1980s action adventure films
- Films based on Robbery Under Arms
- Television shows set in colonial Australia
- Films shot in Flinders Ranges
- ITC Entertainment films
- 1980s Australian television miniseries
- Australian English-language television shows
- 1985 Australian television series debuts
- 1985 Australian television series endings
- Films directed by Ken Hannam
- Films directed by Donald Crombie
- 1980s English-language films