The Sundowners (1960)

Directed by Fred Zinnemann

Though set in Australia in the 1920s, The Sundowners echoes many themes of the classic American Western–the tension between civilization and the frontier, in particular—and Mitchum does ride a horse, in addition to giving one of the finest performances of his career. Actor Robert Mitchum plays Paddy Carmody, an itinerant sheep drover who likes the nomadic life just fine. His wife, played by Deborah Kerr, however, has grown weary of their wandering ways and convinces Paddy to settle down, for a while, as a sheep shearer, for the sake of her and their son. Sporting an Australian accent, Mitchum brings the rough and rowdy Paddy to captivating life, imbuing him with an easygoing, natural dignity and just a touch of poignancy as he struggles to accept a new way of life.

Warner Bros. Producer: Gerry Blattner. Based on the novel by Jon Cleary. Screenwriter: Isobel Lennart. Cinematographer: Jack Hildyard. Editor: Jack Harris. Cast: Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, Peter Ustinov, Glynis Johns, Chips Rafferty.

35mm, Technicolor, 141 min.