Stingaree (1934) is an odd bird, especially in 2024; it bears the special distinction of having lost RKO $49,000, despite the massive success of its stars in 1931’s Cimarron. It is undoubtedly hindered in part by its historical Australian backdrop, in addition to a fantastical plot that is so far removed from the realm of possibility that you have to come from the fairytale angle to enjoy it—quite the feat for accomplished realist William Wellman.
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In (Moderate) Defense of 1934’s Stingaree
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Stingaree (1934) is an odd bird, especially in 2024; it bears the special distinction of having lost RKO $49,000, despite the massive success of its stars in 1931’s Cimarron. It is undoubtedly hindered in part by its historical Australian backdrop, in addition to a fantastical plot that is so far removed from the realm of possibility that you have to come from the fairytale angle to enjoy it—quite the feat for accomplished realist William Wellman.