Strawberry Roan

A thoughtful drama (with as usual a restless score by Percival Mackay) dating from 'Billy' Hartnell's brief tenure as a leading man, albeit an unconventional one.

In this adaptation of the novel by A.G.Street set against an improbably picturesque and sanitised rural backdrop, both he and fellow farmer Walter Fitzgerald are not surprisingly childless while remaining oblivious that their wives don't share their fascination with muckspreading and yields. Tragedy ensues.

Hartnall falls for,dancer Raye,when she performs at a local ball.She shuts her dressing room door on him and the next thing we see is them in church with the bans being called.All very peremptory and unlikely.Its all downhill from there,although there is a slightly upbeat ending. Farming matters are best left to westerns.It is difficult to get enthused about flaming haystacks

The title was retained as this was adapted from a popular pre-war novel, though as Strawberry Roan is a heifer it is only an incidental element in the film. William Hartnell is bachelor farmer Chris Lowe who becomes smitten by showgirl Molly (Carol Raye) after her dancing display at a local social event. They wed and are happy but, though well-meaning, she finds it very difficult to adapt to the hard working routine her new position entails, putting a strain on the marriage and the running of the farm.

Though made on a low budget, a convincing picture of rural life is conveyed, with some excellent photography from James Wilson. 'Billy' Hartnell, at a time when it was hoped he could become a top star, convincingly plays a man in his late Twenties, yet well within a couple of decades he was looking an old man. Actress singer and dancer Carol Raye actually did go on to marry a livestock specialist, and in an incredibly full life, had a busy career both behind and in front of the cameras in Australia. Walter Fitzgerald's career as a talented character actor tends to be overlooked, but his versatility can be seen in roles as diverse as the prosperous farmer who tries to advise and support Lowe here, as the kindly put-upon husband of Sonia Dresdel in This Was A Woman, and as the sadistic landowner in Blanche Fury. John Ruddock is sound as a devout Methodist and a canny local businessman with an eye to the main chance.