STINGAREE (1934) Irene Dunne, Richard Dix & Mary Boland | Comedy, Drama, Romance | B&W

Stingaree is an American pre-Code romantic drama film directed by William A. Wellman released by RKO Radio Pictures in 1934. The film was based on a 1905 novel by Ernest William Hornung. Set in Australia, it stars Irene Dunne as Hilda Bouverie and Richard Dix as Stingaree. Hollywood had previously filmed the Hornung story as serials in 1915 and 1917, starring True Boardman.

SYNOPSIS
A young woman is seduced by a charismatic highwayman who offers her promises of fame as a singer in exchange for romance.

In 1874 Australia, newly installed Police Inspector Radford boasts to wealthy Hugh Clarkson that he will capture the famous outlaw Stingaree, who has returned to the area. Hilda Bouverie is an impoverished servant working for the Clarksons. Mr. Clarkson is kind, but his wife treats Hilda and Annie, another servant, as menials. Mrs. Clarkson is excited by the news that Sir Julian Kent, a renowned British composer, is going to be her guest. She dreams of performing before him and becoming an opera star, but her singing is not good. Hilda begs to be allowed to sing as well, but Mrs. Clarkson turns her down. Meanwhile, Sir Julian stops over at a tavern, where Radford and his colleagues are drinking. When Stingaree enters, the policemen are suspicious of the stranger; he is searched, but no weapon is found. His sidekick Howie follows, only he is armed. They abduct Sir Julian. Unaware of this, Mrs. Clarkson goes off to meet Sir Julian.

While she is away, Hilda, who dreams of being an opera singer herself, plays Sir Julian's new song. When Stingaree enters the Clarkson residence to reconnoitre for a future robbery, she mistakes him for Sir Julian and sings for him. He is entranced, and praises her talent. When the Clarksons return, they are accompanied by Radford, who eventually recalls Stingaree. Unmasked, he flees, taking Hilda with him. When they reach his hideout, Stingaree is annoyed to find that Howie has let Sir Julian escape, foiling his attempt to get her an audition. Hilda tells him that her parents had the dream of singing, and that when they died she inherited the dream. Then Stingaree kisses her.

Though she cannot forget Stingaree, she agrees to marry Sir Julian. The night before the wedding, however, she tells him that she cannot go through with it. She is going to give up her career and return to Australia. He persuades her to perform at a concert in Melbourne, hoping that the contrast with the fabulous opera houses of Europe will change her mind. Meanwhile, Stingaree escapes, and holds up the new Governor-General's stagecoach. He borrows the man's uniform and attends the concert disguised as him. When he is recognized, the police pursue him.

CAST & CREW
Irene Dunne as Hilda Bouverie[5]
Richard Dix as Stingaree
Mary Boland as Mrs. Clarkson
Conway Tearle as Sir Julian Kent
Andy Devine as Howie
Henry Stephenson as Mr. Hugh Clarkson
George Barraud as Inspector Radford
Una O'Connor as Annie
"Snub" Pollard as Victor
Reginald Owen as The Governor-General
Billy Bevan as Mac
Robert Greig as The Innkeeper
Arthur Clayton as Constable

Directed by William A. Wellman
Written by Lynn Riggs, Leonard Spigelgass
Screenplay by Becky Gardiner, Garrett Fort, Agnes Christine Johnston, Wells Root, Dwight Taylor
Based on Stingaree, 1905 novel by E.W. Hornung
Produced by Pandro S. Berman, David Lewis
Cinematography James Van Trees
Edited by James B. Morley
Music by Max Steiner
Production company RKO Radio Pictures
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures
Release date May 25, 1934
Running time 77 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $408,000
Box office $563,000

NOTES
In 1946, Stingaree, in addition to several other films, were sold out of the RKO library to producer Merian C. Cooper. On April 4 and April 11, 2007, Turner Classic Movies premiered films produced by Cooper at RKO but out of distribution for more than 50 years. According to TCM host Robert Osborne, Cooper agreed to a legal settlement with RKO in 1946, after accusing RKO of not giving him all the money due him from his RKO producer's contract in the 1930s.

The settlement gave Cooper complete ownership of several RKO titles, including Rafter Romance (1933) with Ginger Rogers, Double Harness (1933), The Right to Romance (1933), One Man's Journey (1933) with Lionel Barrymore, Living on Love (1937), and A Man to Remember (1938). According to an interview with a retired RKO executive, used as a promo on TCM for the premiere, Cooper allowed these films to be shown in 1955–1956 in a limited re-release and only in New York City.

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