User Reviews

The only thing to write home about in this film set in 1880s Australia is the performance of British Music Hall Legend Gracie Fields who makes her American film debut. other than her nephew played by Ted Smith, Fields is surrounded by Leading Men whose characters are not particularly likable and thus Don't warrant much sympathy. She's married to the rough and tough Victor McLaglen who convinces her to give up her British Music Hall Career to accompany her to Johannesburg where a gold rush is underway. But he is actually pretty lazy, quite fond of the drink and when he spends an evening under the care of jealous Australian music hall singer Coral Browne, Fields kicks him out and begins to see her boss Brian Donlevy socially. McLaglen becomes involved and a boxing career and Fields and Smith show up to cheer him on.

That's pretty much it, kid: a light dramatic film with a few music hall numbers that show fields at her funniest, her warmest and a style of entertainment that is gone with the wind. But Fields, basically a British version of Fanny Brice, has an impregnable array of facial gestures that provide much amusement and are obviously gimmicks that influenced later TV Legend Lucille Ball. McLaughlin and donleavy do as they are directed to, but their characters are pretty one-dimensional. As the nasty rival who tries to get Fields fired from Donlevy's establishment, Coral Browne (the future Vera Charles of the 1958 movie version of "Auntie Mame") is delightfully nasty and gets a good comeuppance for trying to Rick McLaughlen and Fields' marriage. Unfortunately, she doesn't get much to do. The film isn't bad, but the three stars really have no spark together and that makes this a bit of a disappointment.