Rangle River

Quality 0.50 · 0 views · Updated 2 months ago

title: "Rangle River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1936-films", "films-based-on-works-by-zane-grey", "australian-western-(genre)-films", "columbia-pictures-films", "1936-western-(genre)-films", "australian-black-and-white-films", "1930s-english-language-films", "1936-australian-films", "australian-films-based-on-novels", "english-language-western-(genre)-films"] topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangle_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox film"]

FieldValue
nameRangle River
imageRangrivpos.jpg
captionFilm poster
directorClarence G. Badger
writerCharles Chauvel
Elsa Chauvel
based_onstory by Zane Grey
starringVictor Jory
Robert Coote
cinematographyErrol Hinds
editingFrank Coffey
studioColumbia Pictures
National Studios
distributorColumbia Pictures (Australia, UK & US)
J.H. Hoffberg (US reissue)
released
runtime86 minutes
countryAustralia
languageEnglish
budget£20,000
::

| name = Rangle River | image = Rangrivpos.jpg | caption = Film poster | director = Clarence G. Badger | producer = | writer = Charles Chauvel Elsa Chauvel | based_on = story by Zane Grey | narrator = | starring = Victor Jory Robert Coote | music = | cinematography = Errol Hinds | editing = Frank Coffey | studio = Columbia Pictures National Studios | distributor = Columbia Pictures (Australia, UK & US) J.H. Hoffberg (US reissue) | released = | runtime = 86 minutes | country = Australia | language = English | budget = £20,000

Rangle River is a 1936 Australian Western film directed by Clarence G. Badger based on a story by Zane Grey.

Synopsis

Marion Hastings returns to her father Dan's cattle property in western Queensland after being away in Europe for fifteen years. She is treated with hostility by her father's foreman, Dick Drake, and her father's neighbour, Don Lawton.

The river on the Hastings' property keeps drying up. An English house guest, Reggie Mannister discovers that the river is being dammed by Donald Lawton. Marion goes to investigate as Lawton dynamites his dam. Marion is trapped in the flood. Drake comes her to aid, rescues Marion from drowning and helps defeat Lawton in a whip duel.

Dick and Marion are reunited and walk off into the sunset, with Marion holding the whip, literally.

Cast

  • Victor Jory as Dick Drake
  • Margaret Dare as Marion Hastings
  • Robert Coote as Reggie Mannister
  • Cecil Perry as Donald Lawton
  • George Bryant as Dan Hastings
  • Leo Cracknell as Barbwire
  • Georgie Stirling as Minna
  • Rita Pauncefort as Aunt Abbie
  • Stewart McColl as Black

Production

Development

The movie was partly financed by a Hollywood studio, Columbia, and used an imported American star, director and principal technicians. It was made by National Studios, who owned Pagewood Film Studios and had links with National Productions, the company that made The Flying Doctor (1936). According to Filmink "There was a trend at the time to import third-tier Hollywood names to appear in Australian films; this would generate considerable publicity at home and possibly help overseas sales."

Story

The original story was written by popular writer Zane Grey while at Bermagui during his 1935 fishing tour of Australia, a period which also produced the film White Death (1936). Grey's original story reportely only went for two pages. The script was adapted by Charles and Elsa Chauvel and other uncredited writers. It features a number of stock characters from Australian films and theatre of the time, such as the "squatter's daughter" and the "English new chum". It has been suggested the 1933 film version of The Squatter's Daughter was particularly influential.

Grey later wrote up his story as a short story which was not published in a collection until 1976. A biographer of the author wrote, "Intended as a kind of postcard of Australia, the story is flimsy, the characters tissuey, and the setting unconvincing. Moreover, the storyline reads like a synopsis. Some scenes are feebly sketched and the dialogue often is wooden and contrived."

Castings

The role of Marion Hastings was originally offered to Nancy O'Neil, an Australian actor living in England. The director, Clarence G. Badger was imported from Hollywood, as was star Victor Jory. The female lead was finally given to a Sydney girl, Peggy Barnes, who changed her name to Margaret Dare. She was signed to a three-year contract with National Studios but asked to be released from it.

Although there was some suggestion the film would be made in Queensland it was eventually shot on location near Gloucester and in the Burragorang Valley.

While in Australia, Jory's activities were widely reported. He attended social functions, appeared on radio and went shooting in the Northern Territory. His wife, actress Jean Inness, appeared under her own name in a performance of The Royal Family of Broadway at the Theatre Royal in October 1936. Jory was fined for speeding while driving in Sydney.

Reception

Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper report that after an opening at Sydney's Plaza Theatre in December 1936, the film enjoyed a successful run in Australia. The critic from The Sydney Morning Herald described it as "the best film that has been produced in Australia so far". Variety wrote "it moves along at a fast rate, carries plenty of action and is ideal popular fare for a dual bill."

Filmink argued the movie "does contain a lot of campy stuff, even for a Western, perhaps the most homoerotic of genres – Robert Coote and Victor Jory seem to flirt in their scenes together, Jory and Dare have enjoyable banter but he’s reluctant to kiss her even though her character is up for it, Jory and Cecil Parry have a whip duel at the end that is downright kinky and became legendary." However the same reviewer added the movie was "an entirely decent, unpretentious, watchable Australian film that offered a practical way of telling Australian stories that might appeal internationally."

Overseas Release

The film was released in the UK after some cuts were made by the censor to the whip fighting scene and was issued in the US under the title Men with Whips by the J.H. Hoffberg Company Inc.

Proposed Sequel

National Studios were keen to produce a sequel. A shooting script was written, Clarence Badger agreed to return and by December 1936 an agreement had almost been formed with Columbia Pictures. Then the government announced that the New South Wales Film Quota Act would be not be enforced and Columbia withdrew. Said Frederick Davies of National Studios: ::quote We would go on and produce the picture ourselves, if we could. But, to be quite frank our company cannot obtain enough money from the investors. From the moment when The Burgomeister was rejected by the advisory board, with the consequence that it had to be shelved at a total loss, the public shied away from the business side of Australian motion pictures. ::

Robert Coote went to Hollywood after filming and enjoyed a long career there. In January 1937 Margaret Dare left for Los Angeles but she made no further films

Clarence Badger settled in Australia but only made one more feature, That Certain Something (1941). Many elements of the script for this film were possibly influenced by Badger's experience making Rangle River.

References

References

  1. (11 December 1936). "AMUSEMENTS". National Library of Australia.
  2. Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, ''Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production'', Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 176.
  3. (29 May 1936). "FILM-MAKING IN AUSTRALIA". National Library of Australia.
  4. Vagg, Stephen. (7 September 2025). "Forgotten Australian Films: Rangle River".
  5. [http://aso.gov.au/titles/features/rangle-river/notes/ Paul Byrnes, 'Rangle River' at Australian Screen Online] accessed 27 December 2011
  6. Vagg, Stephen. (4 July 2025). "Forgotten Australian Films: Lovers and Luggers".
  7. (2 June 1936). "AMERICAN ACTOR FOR AUSTRALIAN FILM.". National Library of Australia.
  8. Vagg, Stephen. (1 October 2025). "Forgotten Australian Films: White Death".
  9. May, Stephen J.. (2000). "Maverick heart : the further adventures of Zane Grey". Ohio University Press.
  10. [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55829943 "Girl Star May Fly From England." ''The Mail (Adelaide)'' 6 Jun 1936: 23] accessed 26 December 2011
  11. (29 June 1936). "AUSTRALIAN FILM.". National Library of Australia.
  12. (11 July 1936). "SYDNEY GIRL.". National Library of Australia.
  13. (29 October 1936). "MISS MARGARET DARE.". National Library of Australia.
  14. (5 June 1936). "FEATURE FILM TO BE MADE IN QUEENSLAND.". National Library of Australia.
  15. (30 July 1936). "AUSTRALIAN FILM.". National Library of Australia.
  16. (10 November 1936). "VICTOR JORY AT DARWIN". [[Glen Innes Examiner]].
  17. (6 August 1936). "VICTOR JORY AT BALL". [[The Sun (Sydney)]].
  18. (5 October 1936). "FILM STAR'S WIFE AS ACTRESS". [[The Labor Daily]].
  19. (1 October 1936). "VICTOR JORY FINED.". National Library of Australia.
  20. Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, ''Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production'', Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1980, p 232.
  21. (21 December 1936). "FILM REVIEWS.". National Library of Australia.
  22. (20 January 1937). "Rangle River".
  23. (31 March 1937). ""RANGLE RIVER.".". National Library of Australia.
  24. Chicago Daily Tribune, Television programs for the week, 31 May 1952, page 32
  25. (1 April 1937). "QUOTA FILMS. CONFERENCE URGED.". National Library of Australia.
  26. (8 January 1937). "SOCIAL and PERSONAL.". National Library of Australia.
  27. Vagg, Stephen. (20 October 2025). "Forgotten Australian Films: That Certain Something".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1936-filmsfilms-based-on-works-by-zane-greyaustralian-western-(genre)-filmscolumbia-pictures-films1936-western-(genre)-filmsaustralian-black-and-white-films1930s-english-language-films1936-australian-filmsaustralian-films-based-on-novelsenglish-language-western-(genre)-films