Sons of Matthew

Landmark Australian 1949 epic of "How the West Was Won" proportions SONS OF MATTHEW, based on a true family exploration story set in the astonishing beauty of incredible rugged hinterland on the far north coast of Sydney, was a major film in its day. I saw it in 1995 as a new 35mm print screened in a luxury cinema. The impact of this huge cinematic success is undiminished and viewers today will be equally as impressed. Just to film this epic would be a feature in itself rather like Burden Of Dreams is to Fitzcarraldo. Produced by Oz Industry statesman Charles Chauvel, SONS OF MATTHEW was one of many films he created celebrating the Australian pioneering spirit. The major change to tastes and perceptions today would be the horror at the immediate destruction the family wreak on massive trees and forest in their effort to '"tame the land" . This century it is seen as environmental vandalism on an unprecedented and wasteful scale. There are several scenes of absolutely massive ancient trees with buttress roots 50 feet high that are slowly (hand)sawn down that crash violently through pristine mountain forest, destroying acres of breathtaking untouched jungle landscape. This is 'King Kong' looking territory. The men wedged high up the trunk look like ants sawing at an elephant's leg. Apart form that, Australia was not restricted by the same tedious censorship restrictions as the American Hayes code, and in several very revealing scenes, the male and female cast are seen swimming stark naked in waterfalls and mountain ponds. Absolutely nude, as one would do when enjoying some stripped recreation in the lusty throb of taming virgin territory. Chauvel went on to make many other films, the most notable also revealing the brutal ploughing of native Australia is seen in the breathtaking color feature JEDDA in 1956. In 1978 a color and panavision feature was produced by Anthony Buckley called THE IRISHMAN which I also recommend as a bookend to SONS OF MATTHEW.

If you thought there were a lot of the "Waltons" then just wait til you meet the pioneering "O'Riordan" clan who are bent on carving themselves an home in the newly colonised Australia. It's dad Matthew (John O'Malley) and wife "Jane" (Thelma Scott) who arrive with little but the clothes they stand up in, and over a generation raise five boys and two girls and make a go of their farm. Along the way, a neighbouring bush fire rendered the young "Cathy" (Wendy Gibb) orphaned, and so they have adopted her and she has become the firm favourite of "Barney" (Ken Wayne). Faced with the pretty exponential increase in the family, they decide that they have to branch out and with the government offering almost 500 acres per man to people who will take some risks, they pull their resources and set off into the hitherto untouched territory to establish farms of their own. Meantime, the strong, silent, brother "Shane" (Michael Pate) has also developed a bit of an interest in "Cathy" and so teed up a bit of a conflict with his sibling as she now seems to prefer him instead. With all these romantic shenanigans going on, the family also have to fight the brutal elements to prosper with something akin to a jungle having to be tamed; with trails to be blazed and cattle reared. It all comes to an head when the mother of all storms hits their farmstead and with the rain and the wind causing havoc, the brothers and "Cathy" must have their reckoning. The story itself, and the acting, isn't especially notable but as the film gathers pace it really does illustrate just how tough it was for these families to set up homes amidst the unwelcoming and unforgiving wilderness. The location photography, especially towards the end, works quite well at demonstrating these difficulties whilst the writing allows us to follow quite a likeable family as they persevere through triumph and disaster with a typical mix of Anglo-Irish stoicism and opportunism along the way. I think this compares fine with many of it's Hollywood counterparts, and I quite enjoyed it.

I saw this film in the theater when it came out under the title, The Rugged O'Riordans. The thing that was so memorable that stuck in my head for over 50 years is that it was one of the first Aussie films that I had seen. An interesting story of an Australian family in the outback, hacking their way through the bush and making a life of it. Michael Pate who went on to be a memorial character actor sticks mainly in my mind. The other Aussie film that same year that hit the boards was Smiley, a story of a kid with Chip Rafferty playing the constable. I recommend seeing this film if the opportunity presents.

My aunt is Laurel Young who played Bessie Benson the romantic interest of Luke O'Riordan in the movie.

I have just received from her this fantastic book with full page photo plates on the making of this movie.

A must for film buffs interested on early Australian Film.

Laurel was noticed by Charles Chauvel when she was the front cover of a Womens Magazine as Teenager of the Month in November 1946.

She was later Miss Elegance with TC Burnes in Brisbane. She also was one of Australia's first Talk show hostesses. Thursday at One was put to air in 1958,59,60 on GTV9 Melbourne. She found being the host too intense and so became co host with a lot of different men including Bert Newton in 1959.