tondea1

This is one of my favorites! In addition to showing the deplorable situation of a convict in 18th century Australia, the movie shows how these very convicts settled the outback, much like American pioneers. So much for redeeming qualities! This is just a good movie, with good actors. I wish it were available on video!

I kind of liked this movie better than the original. First, it was in color; I realize some films are better in black and white, but I'm not a purist and most films benefit with the addition of color. Second, I thought Bing Crosby did a great job as the drunken doctor, better than the original actor. Third, I felt the roles were played with more believability -- for instance Lucy Mallory actually seems to be pregnant. And last, I like the song at the end. Maybe it was only worth a "7" rating, but I gave it an "8" because it was panned so bad by others.

This is a good re-enactment of a crucial espionage ruse used during World War II. It's fascinating to watch this group of Englishman create a life for a fictional soldier, a life so well created that it fools Germans into believing that the landing point will not be Sicily.