It's....er, a western. A British made western......set in Australia.
Furrowed and weathered, Laurence Naismith has spent his years on the wrong side of the law, leading the life of the quickening heartbeat with each approach of horses hooves and every knock on his front door. Hardly a role model, elder son Ronald Lewis is cut from the same cloth, yearning for adventure, contrasting with David McCallum's more sensitive, responsible disposition. Throwing in their lot with notorious Captain Starlight (Peter Finch), they steal cattle and rob a coach, before the lure of romance prompts the pair to go straight as gold prospectors. The past, it seems, is never far behind. Once a marked man, always a marked man.
Re-setting the Wild West in Australia was an interesting idea and like most 'westerns' of the era it's shot in vivid colour. Much like a click and collect supermarket shop during the Pandemic, its full of substitutions: The Outback for The Nevada Desert, stealing for rustling, Bush ranger for outlaw, kangaroo for coyote, troopers for sheriff's posse. Unfortunately, Peter Finch, Laurence Naismith and Ronald Lewis are NO substitute for Lee Marvin, Richard Boone and Jack Elam.
'Robbery Under Arms' is devoid of a clear hero figure, the single bastion of goodyism. Just an endless carousel of faceless troopers. It's little more than a curio, a period piece. The kinda movie that's worth watching.....ONCE!
