AutCuddly Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

lora64 I've just seen "Stingaree" the first time on TCM and enjoyed every bit of it as it takes me back to the excitement of the early movies I saw as a kid paying 25 cents for an all-day stay at the theatre on Saturday. To start was an hour of cartoons, the newsreel, then two feature films and we could stay to see it all over again if we wanted to. Those were the days! It does seem that the subject of Nellie Melba could've had a strong influence on this story, an unknown Australian singer who becomes famous worldwide. Irene Dunne is the servant girl Hilda who has dreams of a career and is given the chance to sing for the impresario Sir Julian. I had visions of Jeannette MacDonald in this role, it's her style, but Irene Dunne gives a more integrated performance and her singing is finer as it has somewhat more volume to project, in my opinion.There ought to be a special medal created for Mary Boland, she's quite something in all her films, over the top, hilarious, showy, a grand flurry of mannerisms, delightful and absurd. She certainly adds wit to her films. Her amusing reference to protecting "British womanhood's virginity" brought back the quip, "Oh no, my dear, you mean chastity. Britain wouldn't have survived on women's virginity," was quite a funny hint.Richard Dix has the role of Stingaree, the thief who is being hunted but he does have a good heart and is determined to help Hilda get her chance to be heard by Sir Julian which succeeds and she's off to make her career although Stingaree unfortunately gets captured in the process and must put in his time in jail during her venture into the world.I'm always charmed by Una O'Connor who plays Annie the maid. She has such a distinctive presence in all her roles, one can only wonder what it'd have been without her in so many great movies such as Robin Hood (Errol Flynn) and Witness For The Prosecution (Ty Power).Henry Stephenson performs as the man of the house, Mr Clarkson, married to the Mrs., Mary Boland, his is not a very large role but well done.Andy Devine is quite young in this film and he plays the 'sidekick' of Stingaree for their robbery excursions.One ought to be fair in judging the old movies, after all, the acting that was done in silent films is not what they did when talkies came along. So too, we should consider the time period and settle into that when viewing the oldies. Each decade brought along its own styles and fashions, and that needs to be taken into account when making a comment.All in all I enjoyed a first viewing of this adventure/ romance/ comedy film and I believe it's available to buy so that's good news too. Add it to your collection if you are a dedicated collector. Well worth it!

bkoganbing A film thought lost turned up a few months ago on TCM and I finally did get to see it. Stingaree is one curious and horribly miscast film which not even the presence of favorites of mine like Henry Stephenson and Mary Boland can save.Set in Australia in the 1870s, specifically in Victoria we don't see as much as one kangaroo in Stingaree. The presence of a lot of sheep being herded is supposed to make us think we're in Australia. When I finally saw The Sundowners which was actually filmed in Australia, I certainly saw the weakness of things like Stingaree made on the RKO back lot.But no Americans companies were location shooting that far in 1934 so I can be charitable there. But stolid Richard Dix is cast in a role that someone like Errol Flynn might have made believable. Or Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., or Tyrone Power or Louis Hayward anyone with that swashbuckling élan. Dix just looks silly up there spouting those romantic nothings.Irene Dunne is the lonely ward of Henry Stephenson and Mary Boland who accompanies Boland because Boland fancies she can sing. And she's going to sing come hell or high water for visiting British composer Geoffrey Tearle. Dunne is told not to emote as much as low A from her range when Tearle's around. But when she mistakes the notorious bandit Stingaree for the composer, they're taken with each other. He kidnaps Dunne and later forces a gunpoint addition for the real composer and it costs him his freedom. The rest of the film is too unbelievable to describe you have to see it to confirm, but not to be entertained. Even Mary Boland who usually can save anything with her flighty portrayals doesn't go over well. It's not in her character to throw Dunne out of the house because she was upstaged. Boland is irresponsible and flighty, but never a mean person on the screen.A lot of forgettable songs are included here and the whole film is best forgotten. Good thing none of the cast is still around to be embarrassed.

MartinHafer This month (April 2007), Turner Classic Movies has re-introduced six old RKO films that were presumed lost. Nearly all of them were very good, but STINGEREE was a dog--a film better left lost! Unless you are a rabid fan of the Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy style operatic movies, this movie will probably annoy you with its very old fashioned and horrid singing. In addition, the plot is pure 1930s corn--completely lacking in realism and full of silly clichés that make decent actors look really, really bad.In addition to horrid opera-style singing, the film was saddled with some weird miscasting. As for the Irene Dunne, she was just fine. Her horrible warbling is exactly what the producers were looking for and back in 1934 it would have gone over quite well at the time--after all, she could sing, though in a style that is so out of style today that many will find the singing quite painful (my ears are still bleeding). But for the leading role, "Stingeree", they poorly chose Richard Dix who was unable to effect any sort of an accent. It seemed very odd that although the film was set in Australia and he was supposed to be English, he sounded exactly like an American! They should have instead given the part to cute old Snub Pollard, an Australian who played a tiny bit part in the movie (so you know he could effect a convincing accent of at least an Australian) but who used to be an amazing comic with Keystone Studios.Now for the incredibly silly plot: Irene wants to be a professional singer, but the nasty old crow who took her in is jealous of Irene's talent so she is planning on keeping Ms. Dunne from meeting a famous English musician and producer. But, quite by chance, the famous bandit Stingeree hears Irene and does everything he can to make her dream come true--even if it means him being caught. He is, but she is discovered in the process. After traveling the world and gaining great fame, Irene is determined to go back to Australia, as she knows she loves him and must marry him--even though they barely know each other and he is currently on the run again. In the end, just like in the campy MacDonald-Eddy operettas, they live happily ever after and the audience is thrilled that the singing is finally completed! They don't make movies like this any more--and for once, I am quite happy about this! What a load of hooey!PS--Late in the film, Ms. Dunne is braiding her very long hair. If you watch closely, you'll see an editing error, as her hair goes from just beginning to being braided to almost completed in a blink of an eye.

movingpicturegal Somewhat lackluster period musical/adventure tale set in Australia, 1874 telling the story of a young lady named Hilda (played by Irene Dunne) who works as a servant for the wealthy Clarksons, sheep farmers, and dreams of being a great singer. An upcoming visit by Sir Julian, a famous composer arriving from London, drives jealous Mrs. Clarkson (an interfering biddy who fancies she can sing - but can't) to send away Hilda, so he doesn't hear Hilda has a good voice. Meanwhile, an infamous outlaw named Stingaree (Richard Dix) has just arrived in town and kidnaps Sir Julian, then poses as him at the Clarksons, where he meets Hilda a few hours before she is to leave. Hilda, thinking he's Sir Julian, sings for him - and Stingaree decides to help her with her career. She soon finds out he's an impostor, he ends up kidnapping her - um, and she likes it (and this is all in one night!). They are instantly in love - the fact that he is a bandit that the police are after means nothing to her. They are soon separated though - after Stingaree is arrested and Sir Julian takes Hilda to Europe to make her into a famous opera singer.This is a somewhat mediocre film - though I did like Irene Dunne in this, Richard Dix gives a pretty hammy performance here (rolling eyes and all). It's not all bad, but I thought the story was just a bit hard to swallow - Hilda and the memory she just can't seem to forget: being carried off on horseback by a bandit/outlaw - I just don't know about this woman's choices. Some of the character actors in this do add a few bright moments here and there - especially Andy Devine, as Stingaree's sidekick "valet", who got me laughing in the few brief scenes he is in. The music in this is not too memorable either - all in all, so-so.