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The Sundowners (1960 film)
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==Production== Fred Zinnemann decided to make the film at the suggestion of [[Dorothy Hammerstein]], the Australian-born, second wife of [[Oscar Hammerstein II]].<ref name="tcmdb"/> She intended to send him a copy of the novel ''[[The Shiralee (novel)|The Shiralee]]'' (later filmed with [[Peter Finch]]), but accidentally sent a copy of ''The Sundowners''. He immediately bought the screen rights and decided to produce it himself.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51774376 |title=THE WEEKLY ROUND. |newspaper=[[Australian Women's Weekly]] | date=29 January 1958 |access-date=28 February 2012 |page=2 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> According to Zinnemann's autobiography, [[Aaron Spelling]] was signed to write the screenplay, but was replaced by [[Isobel Lennart]];<ref name="tcmdb"/> another source states the screenplay was mostly written by [[Jon Cleary]] in spite of Lennart's screen credit.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sinyard |first=Neil| title=Fred Zinnemann: films of character and conscience| year=2003| publisher=McFarland| isbn= 978-0-7864-1711-7| pages=116β121}}</ref> The ending of the film was a tribute to [[John Huston]]'s ''[[The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (film)|The Treasure of the Sierra Madre]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Nolletti |first=Arthur|title=The films of Fred Zinnemann: critical perspectives |year=1999 |publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-0-7914-4225-8|pages=33}}</ref> [[Gary Cooper]] was hired to play Paddy Carmody, but had to leave due to poor health. He was replaced by Robert Mitchum, who agreed to work on the film for a chance to appear with Deborah Kerr, with whom he had become good friends while making ''[[Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison]]''. He also agreed to give her top billing, joking to the production team that they could "design a 24-foot sign of me bowing to her if you like".<ref name=capua>{{cite book|last=Capua|first=Michelangelo|title=Deborah Kerr: A Biography |year=2010 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-5882-0|pages=123β28}}</ref> [[Michael Anderson, Jr.]] was imported from England to play their son.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44557145 |title=Children of 'The Sundowners'. |newspaper=Australian Women's Weekly | date=7 October 1959 |access-date=28 February 2012 |page=5 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Zinnemann was determined to film ''The Sundowners'' on location and vetoed [[Jack L. Warner]]'s plan to shoot in Arizona or near Dallas, Texas to save money.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Fred Zinnemann: An Autobiography : A Life in the Movies|last=Zinnemann|first=Fred|publisher=Scribner|year=1992|isbn=9780684190501|pages=[https://archive.org/details/lifeinmoviesauto0000zinn/page/174 174]|url=https://archive.org/details/lifeinmoviesauto0000zinn/page/174}}</ref> Interiors were shot at [[Associated British Picture Corporation]] [[Elstree Studios (Shenley Road)|Elstree Studios]] in England;<ref name="tcmdb"/><ref>{{cite book |last=Phillips |first=Gene D. |author-link=Gene D. Phillips |title=Exiles in Hollywood: major European film directors in America |year=1998 |publisher=Lehigh University Press |isbn=0-934223-49-1 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/exilesinhollywoo0000phil/page/160 160β2] |url=https://archive.org/details/exilesinhollywoo0000phil/page/160 }}</ref> exteriors were shot in Australia in Carriewerloo, Cooma, Hawker, Iron Knob, Jindabyne, Nimmitabel, Port Augusta, Quorn, and Whyalla.<ref name="tcmdb"/><ref name=capua/> The "for-sale" property in the film was called Hiawatha and was on the Snowy River, just north of Old Jindabyne (now under the waters of Lake Jindabyne).<ref>{{cite web |website=Monaro Pioneers |url=http://www.monaropioneers.com/Wallace-George.htm |title=George Wallace |access-date=2018-08-20}}</ref> It was part of a "mini boom" of foreign productions in Australia in the late 1950s.<ref name="watt">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/wrecking-australian-stories-the-siege-of-pinchgut/|date=5 January 2024|access-date=5 January 2024|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|magazine=Filmink|title=Wrecking Australian stories: The Siege of Pinchgut}}</ref> Filming began in 1959.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47471731 |title=Big Stars For 'Sundowners'. |newspaper=Australian Women's Weekly | date=13 May 1959 |access-date=28 February 2012 |page=9 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Zinnemann spent 12 weeks filming scenery and sheep droving before the cast arrived in October. The weather made location filming difficult, fluctuating from hot and humid to cold and rainy. This delayed production by several weeks and caused some irritation among the cast and crew. Mitchum was often harassed by fans and eventually moved onto a boat to avoid them. Filming wrapped on 17 December 1959.<ref name=capua/> A number of Australian actors appeared in the supporting cast.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47511246 |title=A team of Sundowners. |newspaper=Australian Women's Weekly | date=14 October 1959 |access-date=28 February 2012 |page=5 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> [[Ray Austin (director)|Ray Austin]] was the stunt coordinator. [[Nicolas Roeg]], who later directed films such as ''[[Walkabout (film)|Walkabout]]'', was a [[second unit]] camera operator.<ref>{{cite book |last=Nowra |first=Louis |title=Walkabout |year= 2003|publisher=Currency Press|isbn=0-86819-700-9|pages=77}}</ref>
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